- Jesus spends three years preaching, is killed by Roman Leaders
- Jesus' followers believe he is the Messiah and Savior who has risen from the dead
- Saul (the persecutor) becomes Paul (the evangelist), spreading Jesus' message (one true God, not Roman gods)
- Christianity evolve from cult status to established, official structure
- Priest, bishops, Pope (Bishop of Rome)
- Christian and Jews monotheistic
- This conflicted with Roman beliefs
- Persecution against both was common
- Christianity appealed to the poor, and since there were many poor, their numbers grew
- As it grew, even some Roman leaders embraced Christianity
- AD 313: Constantine has a battlefield conversion
- He saw a cross in the sky and heard, "In his name."
- He issues the Edict of Milan
- A law that said you couldn't persecute Christians
- Became official religion of Rome
- Not only no persecution, but actual approval of Christianity, eventually making it the official religion of Rome
- The Roman Empire and Christianity are now linked in power and influence
Decline of the Roman Empire
- AD 180: Rome has problems
- Economic (trade became risky; taxes were too high; food supply was dropping)
- Military (frontiers were hard to patrol; Roman generals fought for control; soldiers' loyalty declined and mercenaries appeared)
- Diocletian divided the empire into two
- Greek-speaking East (had more resources)
- Latin-speaking West (Rome, tradition)
- AD 324- Constantine becomes emperor over both halves of the empire
- Moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium (renamed Constantinople), where Asia met Europe (now Turkey)
- After his death, empire is divided again
- This time, "barbarian invaders" (Huns, Vandals, Visigoths, Angles, Saxons, Franks) overrun the empire's frontiers
- That's it for the Roman Empire (AD 476)
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