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Augustus is considered Rome’s greatest ruler:
– Like Pericles of Athens, Augustus erected
splendid public buildings
– Created a system of government that
survived for centuries
• A monarch assisted by a collected group
of politicians
– Set up civil services
• Appointed citizens to public jobs
– Tax collector, postal services, food monitors
• The “food monitors” would keep track of people’s daily
rations of grain.
• Augustus’s regulations brought in many new Romans.
– The population of Rome increased and the city became
heavily crowded.
– Accidents and crime was a constant danger
To distract the massive population in Rome, the government
would provide free entertainment:
– Games, races, mock battles, and gladiator contests
• On these days of celebration, 50,000 Romans would fill
the Colosseum
– Poor and rich alike would crowd in the colosseum to
watch the spectacles
• During this time of Pax Romana, another activity
slowly emerged into the Roman empire:
– Christianity
Christianity
• Christianity emphasized a more personal
relationship between God and people
– This attracted the Romans
• The Romans were polytheists, just like the Greeks
– Comparison:
– Zeus and Jupiter
– Aphrodite and Venus
• Rome took over the Jewish land of Judea, around
63 B.C.
– The city of Judea lived as independently as Rome would
let them
• About forty years later, Rome took Judea over and
made it a province of the empire.
– Established Roman law
• Historical records of the time mention very little
about Jesus, but it is believed that he arrived in
Jerusalem 29 A.D.
– Like Judea, the Romans had a huge influence over the
governing of Jerusalem
• He was greeted by enthusiastic crowds and masses
who wanted to see their Messiah
– According to the bible, the Messiah was sent to save the
Jews from the Romans
• **Remember: Jesus emphasized God’s
personal relationship with each human being.
– More personable than worshipping many Gods
– One on One
• He stressed the importance of people’s love for
God, their neighbors, their enemies, and even
themselves.
• He also taught that God would end the
wickedness in the world and would establish a
kingdom for those who repented their sins.
• After creating a massive following through his many
teachings
• The Roman Governor of Jerusalem, Pontus Pilate
accused Jesus of defying authority of Rome.
– He had Jesus arrested ordered him to be crucified
• Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb after his death.
• According to the Gospels, three days after the
burial, his body disappeared from the tomb and
ascended into heaven
• His followers were more convinced than ever that
Jesus was the Messiah
• The belief that Jesus conquered death inspired many to
take Jesus’s teachings further
– His original followers were Jewish but created a new
religion using Jesus’ ideals
 Christianity
• Christianity spread throughout Europe quite easily due to
Pax Romona
– Pax Romona made travel safe and easy
– Past Roman conquerings allowed for a general
understanding of common languages
• Latin and Greek became most popular languages
• Messages were easily translatable
Christianity Spreads
• Paul’s European travels aided the spread of the religion
– Paul was one of the Apostles
*Apostle: Jesus’ twelve disciples and pupils
• During his travels, Paul preached and discussed the new
religion to large crowds
• Paul declared that Christianity was welcomed to all that
desired to convert
Rome and Christianity
• In A.D. 66, there was a Jewish rebellion in Rome.
• In A.D. 70, a group of Roman military men entered
Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple complex
– The Jews battled the Romans in Jerusalem for about three
more years  half a million Jews were killed
• The Jews made another attempt to break free of the Romans
in A.D. 73.
– The attempt was a failure.
– Another half a million Jews died in three years of fighting
• The Jewish religion survived under Roman reign.
• The Romans began to persecute the Christians as
well as the Jews
– Christianity was a problem because the Christians did
not worship the Roman Gods.
– The Romans saw this as an insult to Roman rule.
Romans exiled, imprisoned, or executed Christians who
refused to worship the Roman Gods
– Thousands were crucified, burned, or killed by animals in
the circus arenas
– Some of the Christians were considered martyrs
*Martyr: People who were willing to sacrifice their lives
for the sake of a beliefs
• By the late third century, there were millions of
Christians in the Roman Empire
– The widespread appeal of Christianity was due to a
variety of reasons.
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Embraced all people
Gave hope to the powerless
Appealed to those shunned by Romans
Offered a personal relationship with one God
Promised eternal life after death
Christianity Accepted
• In 312 A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine was at
war.
– Constantine prayed for divine help before battle and a
saw a cross.
– He ordered ironsmiths to put crosses on his soldier’s
shields.
– They won the battle
In the next year, A.D. 313, Constantine ended all persecution
of Christians.
– He allowed the worshipping of Christianity when he wrote
the Edict of Milan.
Because of its massive following, Emperor Theodosius made
it Rome’s official religion in A.D. 380