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Julius Caesar to
Christianity
Julius Caesar
60 BCE: Becomes military leader
-His team: Crassus (wealthy) and Pompey
(general)
59 BCE: Elected Consul: for next 10 years these 3
men DOMINATED Rome as a TRIUMVIRATE
(group of 3 rulers)
Julius Caesar
Served as Consul 1 year (term), to remain in power:
50BCE: appoints himself governor of GAUL
(France)
-A military genius, conquered
all of Gaul, won support of his
men
Julius Caesar
Caesar gains popularity, Pompey gets jealous, becomes his rival!
Pompey gets senate to orders Caesar to disband and come home in 50
BCE.
Jan. 10, 49 BCE: Caesar defies Senate and crosses Rubicon River into
Italy and marches army towards Rome. Pompey flees!
Caesar’s troops crushed Pompey’s troops in Greece, Asia, Spain & Egypt
(while there, had a little affair with Cleopatra)!
Julius Caesar
46 BCE: Caesar returns to Rome
with support of army and people.
Senate appoints him DICTATOR!
44 BCE: named dictator for life
Julius Caesar
CAESAR’S REFORMS
1. absolute ruler
2. granted citizenship to many in provinces
3. expanded Senate
4. Created jobs for poor (Construction)
5. Created colonies for the landless
6. increases soldier’s pay
7. improved calendar (July named after him)
8. pressed for “honest” government
9. planned founding of public libraries
10. gave free grain to extreme poor
Julius Caesar
ASSASSINATION
-Senators feared a loss of their influence, considered him a tyrant
-group of Senators led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius plotted
assassination
-IDES OF MARCH: March, 15, 44 BCE: stabbed to death in Senate
Chamber
RESULTS
-Civil War
-2nd Triumvirate: OCTAVIAN and MARC ANTONY + Lepidus
Octavian/Augustus
ALLIANCE ENDS:
Lepidus forced to retire
Octavian & Antony become rivals
Split empire: Octavian: West….Antony (w/ Cleopatra): East
TENSION LEADS TO another CIVIL WAR:
Octavian and Antony fight:
Battle of Actium 31 BCE
Octavian wins
Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide
Augustus
OCTAVIAN becomes
AUGUSTUS:
1st emperor of Rome
Pax Romana
PAX ROMANA: “Roman Peace”
Rome was at the peak of its power from the beginning of
Augustus’ rule in 27 BCE until AD 180.
For 207 years: peace existed in Rome.
As a result:
1. Population grew
2. Advanced road system created
Augustus, Rome’s most capable emperor, created a system of
government that kept its stability long after his death
Christianity
Anno Domini (AD): “in the year of our lord”
Roman Empire spreads to
Jerusalem in 63 BC
Christianity
JESUS- a Jew
born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth
His story can be found in the first four books of the New
Testament. These books are called the GOSPELS
Written by his students Matthew Mark Luke and
John
The New Testament is the final third of the Christians
holy text called the Bible.
Christianity
The Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament
Old Testament – many of the holy texts of the Jews
New Testament – unique to Christianity
First four books of NT are the Gospels (stories of Jesus)
Acts is the story of the early Christian believers
Rest of the NT is letters to churches from Paul
Christianity
JESUS’ LIFE
-as a young man he was a carpenter
-at 30 he began public ministry
-for 3 years he preached and reportedly performed miracles
Christianity
BELIEFS
-monotheism- one god!
-Ten Commandments
-God has a personal relationship with everyone
-Treat your neighbor like you want to be treated
-That all who followed God’s wishes would be rewarded after death
Christianity
THE DEATH OF JESUS
-Jesus’ popularity threatens Roman and Jewish leaders
-Jesus is betrayed by Judas, one of his followers
-Roman governor, Pontius Pilate accused Jesus of defying the power of
Rome
-Jesus sentenced to death by crucifixion
-After death, his body was placed in a tomb and according to the
Gospels, three days later it was gone, and a living Jesus began appearing
and finally ascended to heaven
Christianity
Because of this….Jesus’ followers were more convinced
he was the messiah (savior)…..They began to call him
JESUS CHRIST.
CHRIST comes from the Greek word Christos meaning
savior, the word Christianity came from this as well.
Christianity
Two key concepts:
Mercy – not receiving a punishment that you deserve
Grace – Someone else taking the punishment that you deserve
Christianity
SACRED CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS:
Christmas: December 25: celebrate birth of Christ
Good Friday: Jesus’ death
Easter: Jesus’ Resurrection
Christianity Spreads
Christianity initially accepted, but as it grew, Roman gov’t
saw it as a threat!
Pax Romana: time of peace allowed for easy travel and a
common language
These combined to let the Christian message to spread
easily across a vast area
Christianity Spreads
PAUL
an apostle (follower of Jesus) has a huge influence on
the spread of Christianity. taught that Jesus was son of God
who died for our sins, and that Christianity welcomed all
converts
He says that Christianity welcomes everybody –
rich or poor
Patrician or Plebeian
good or bad
Jew or gentile (person who isn’t Jewish)
SIGNIFICANCE: Christianity not a local religion
Christianity Spreads
PERSECUTION
-Christian did not view emperor as gods!
-Roman Emperors persecuted Christians, blamed for everything
EX: AD 64- terrible fire in Rome, Emperor Nero blamed Christians
many Christians executed, Paul one of them