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Regarding the above, Christ not seen by the Romans as challenging the authority of the emperor. The Romans did not want everyone to worship or obey anyone but their emperor. Roman emperors were not considered gods and therefore they were not worshiped. Moreover, the Romans had a policy of toleration the other religions which were worshiped in their empire. The reasons for the persecutions of the Christians were different.
Christianity was never made illegal by the Romans. There were alternations between periods of toleration and periods of persecution. The early persecutions were not systematic and were aimed at the Christian clergy. The first systematic persecution occurred under the emperor Decius and it was not originally directed specifically at the Christians. The next Emperor, Trebonianus Gallus (reigned 251-253) may have also ordered a small, localized and uncoordinated persecution. Valerian (reigned 253-260) started a persecution against the Christians. Gallienus (reigned alone 260-268) ended it and issued an edict of toleration in 259, which was the first official declaration of toleration of Christianity.
In 250 Decius issued an edict which ordered that sacrifices to the Roman gods had to performed throughout the empire. This meant that the people who worshipped other regions (there were many different religions in the empire) had to do this. Only the Jews were exempted. There is no evidence that the edict was aimed at the Christians The peoples who had polytheistic regions did not have a problem with honouring other gods. The Christians refused to do so because they saw this as a betrayal of their sole god and because they saw sacrifices as abhorrent. As a result, some prominent Christians were executed. The number of Christians who were executed is unknown.
Valerian's persecution targeted the Christians. He ordered that the Christian clergy had to perform sacrifices to the Roman gods or face banishment. Next he ordered the execution of the Christian leaders and that Christian senators had to honour the Roman gods or lose their titles and their property and if they continued to refuse they were to be executed.
It is thought that purpose of the edict of Decius was to test the loyalty of the citizens which worshipped other religions. The Romans saw their religion and their gods as integral part of the Roman state. Some of the Roman gods were protectors of the Roman state and it was also customary to preform augury (the divination of the omens of the gods) before making policy decisions or before starting a war. Therefore, Decius, who was trying to revitalise Roman customs he thought were in decay, probably wanted proof of loyalty to the Roman state and the emperor by all the citizens of the empire. It is likely that Valerian interpreted the refusal to perform the sacrifices by the Christians as a sign of disloyalty and as a threat to the Roman state.
The emperor Diocletian initiated the worst persecution of the Christians (the Diocletianic or Great Persecution). Various edicts were issued, but even here Christianity was not made illegal. Several edicts were issued. The first one ordered the destruction of Christian scripts and places of worship, banned the the Christians from assembling for worship. Christian senators and soldiers were stripped of their rank. Due to rebellions, a second edict ordered the imprisonment of all Christian bishops and priests. However, this overburdened the prisons. Prison sentences were rare and the Roman prison system could not accommodate many inmates. In the run-up to the twentieth anniversary of his reign, Diocletian issued a third edict which sanctioned a general amnesty and imprisoned clergymen who agreed to make sacrifices to the Roman gods were to be freed. The persecution continued after Diocletian's abdication in 305. It termination was decreed by the Edict of toleration issued by the emperor Galerius in 311. However, a junior emperor (Maximinus Dia) in charge of the Roman territories in western Asia and in Egypt ignored the edict and continued to persecute the Christians until he was defeated in battle in 313.
The persecution came following a Christian deacon (Romanus of Caesarea) who was visiting the imperial palace denouncing a sacrificial ceremony which was being prepared. Diocletian had him executed. A Christian had offended the Roman gods and Diocletian and his co-emperor Galerius discussed how to deal with the Christians so as to appease the Roman gods. . Galerius wanted their extermination and he won the day. Diocletian was inclined to just banning the Christians form the imperial administration and the military.
The idea that Christians claimed Jesus' to be "King" was seen as a threat to the empire and a movement to overthrow Caesar. It also caused unrest among Jews in some parts of the Roman Empire, and the Romans didn't wan't their subjects to get worked up about anything lest they should have a protest or start a fight or something. New ideas are always a threat to an established system.
The Christians (and Jews with whom they were sometimes confused) differed from the followers of the pagan gods in many ways and this is made particularly poignant by the ancient Romans themselves: The Christians were those "fools who shared all their belongings" to which the Christians retorted that "they shared everything that every body else kept separate and kept separate the one thing which everybody else shared: their wives."
We should not forget that many Christians were in fact Roman citizens. The structure of the fledgling Christian church made the Christians into more than a religion amongst many but rather like a state within a state (Rome).
Christianity was not immediately accepted by the majority of the people in the Roman empire because it was new and radical. Most people had seen these new sects come and go and considered Christianity another one of the fad religions. It took a while before he teachings of Christianity got established.
Judaism was never banned in the Roman Empire, and even enjoyed special privileges during the earlier, pagan era. The Christian emperors placed restrictions on Judaism and began the long persecution of the Jews, but never banned Judaism outright.
Christianity was not really banned in the way that paganism came to be banned under the later Christian emperors, but there was widespread, official persecution of Christianity for a total of probably about 12 years during the three centuries of pagan rule. There were many issues, but the main reason was concern about the loyalty of Christians to their pagan rulers.
In the Roman empire, the emperor was in charge and equivalent to a king. Christ was dubbed "king of the Jews", or "Lord" and therefore challenged the authority of the Roman empire. They did not want anyone worshipping, or obeying anyone, but the chosen emperor.
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What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?
There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.
Which empire declared Christianity to be the religion of the roman empire?
The emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire. In fact, he made Christianity mandatory for all.
Which religion easily spread through the Roman Empire?
Christianity did not easily spread through the Roman Empire. See the related question, "How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?"
What is the connection between ancient Rome and the spread of Christianity?
Christianity developed from a religion among a small group of Jews (who lived in Judea, which was part of the Roman Empire) into a mass religion in the Roman days. It spread around the Roman Empire. It became state religion. Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity developed during the Later Roman Empire. They were originally called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.
What began in the roman empire?
Christianity
Did Constantine make Christianity illegal?
no. He actually helped bring Christianity to the main stage in the Roman empire When he reigned, Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. He learned religion from his mother Helena.
What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?
There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.
Empire in which Christianity started?
Roman empire.
Which empire declared Christianity to be the religion of the roman empire?
The emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire. In fact, he made Christianity mandatory for all.
What did Christianity become to the Roman Empire?
After the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, that became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Did the Roman empire help spread Christianity?
The Roman Empire made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, and 'encouraged' the peoples it conquered to convert.
What religon originated in the Roman empire?
the religon that originated in the roman empire is Christianity
Which religion easily spread through the Roman Empire?
Christianity did not easily spread through the Roman Empire. See the related question, "How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?"
What is the connection between ancient Rome and the spread of Christianity?
Christianity developed from a religion among a small group of Jews (who lived in Judea, which was part of the Roman Empire) into a mass religion in the Roman days. It spread around the Roman Empire. It became state religion. Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity developed during the Later Roman Empire. They were originally called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.
What began in the roman empire?
Christianity
How did christianity become the religion of the roman empire?
Christianity was forced upon the people of the Roman empire by the emperor Theodosius I in 380 AD.
Why did chrisitianity become famous throughout the roman empire?
Christianity was more than just famous throughout the Roman Empire. It spread and developed in this empire. Christianity started in the Roman Empire. Judea was part of the Roman province of Syria (that is, a province of the Roman Empire). The apostles and later Christian missionaries travelled around the empire and converted many people. The Christian churches developed in the Roman Empire. Christianity became a major religion of the empire and eventually became the state religion of the empire. Both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church were originally churches of the Roman Empire. The former was originally called Latin or Western Christianity and was the main version of Christianity in the western part of the empire. The latter was originally called Greek or Eastern Christianity and was the main version of Christianity in the eastern part of the empire.
