4.4: Birth of Christianity

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

4. The Time of Greeks and Romans

4.4: the birth of Christianity

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• Who the main Roman gods were and how they were worshipped.
• How the Romans treated other religions
• Why the Romans had a problem with Judaism and Christianity
• Why the Jews revolted against the Romans and how this revolt ended
• How Christians were treated in the Roman empire
• What polytheistic and monotheistic means
• How the Roman empire became a Christian empire

Roman gods

click here for Wrts word list of this lesson

Roman Gods

The Romans worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. The most important included: 

• Jupiter, the father of the gods and Juno, his wife 

• Venus, the goddess of love 

• Mars, the god of war 

• Minerva, the goddess of healing 

• Bacchus the god of wine and fertility

A religion with multiple (more than 1) is called a polytheistic religion

The suovetaurilia was an ancient Roman sacrifice in which a pig, a sheep, and a bull were sacrificed.

other gods

The Romans were tolerant: they usually allowed a conquered people to go on worshipping their old gods, and just made sure they worshipped some Roman ones as well. Sometimes the Romans themselves started to worship these other gods. Isis, the Egyptian goddess, was worshipped by Romans throughout the Empire. 

The Persian god Mithras was also worshipped all over the Empire ~ particularly by soldiers. 

Roman Mithras slaying the bull, ca. 140 – 160 A.D.

Emperor worship

From the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14) the Romans started to see their emperors as gods. This was a custom they may have imported from Egypt. 

Rome was polytheistic. People believed in many gods and goddesses. The Romans were usually tolerant of other religions, but they had problems with Judaism and Christianity. Both religions were monotheistic; followers believed in just one god.

temple for Augustus

The Temple of Augustus and Livia, built at the end of the 1st century BC, survives today basically intact in the city of Vienne, France. 

Why did the Romans have problems with judaism and christianity?

Judaism

Jewish people lived all round the Mediterranean, but their centre was the Temple in Jerusalem and Judea, the Jewish state. Between 63 BC and AD 6 it was ruled by Jewish kings appointed by the Romans. After AD 6, it was ruled by Roman governors. The Romans let the Jews practise their religion, even though they found the idea of just one god strange. 

But there were problems when Judaism came into conflict with Roman laws - for example when the Emperor Caligula ordered his statue should be placed in the Temple in Jerusalem. Religion and anti-Roman feelings went hand-in-hand, and a major revolt broke out in AD 66. The Jews drove the Romans out of most of Judea. Jerusalem was recaptured by the Romans in AD 70 and the Temple was destroyed.

8. What caused the Jewish uprising in AD 66?

google streetview

I. The Temple

Model of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, made in 1966, showing the temple as it was before the destruction by the Romans in AD 70.

II. Destruction

Painting made in 1867 showing the destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans.

Notice the 7-armed candle (menora) that is taken from the temple by the Romans.

IV. Today

This picture shows the only wall that remains of the temple today. It is called the "Wailing Wall" (Klaagmuur) or "Western Wall". This is where Jews come to pray and commemorate the destruction of the temple.

III Triumph

This is a panel from the triumphal arch built in AD 82 by emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his brother Titus.

Titus was the Roman commander who defeated the Jewish rebellion in AD 70 and destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

This panel in the arch shows the victory parade in which Roman soldiers show the spoils from the temple, like the menora (7 armed candle).

Why did the Romans destroy the jewish temple?

Christianity

In about AD 33, the Romans executed a Jewish teacher Jesus. His followers, called Christians, said God had raised him from the dead. Their teachings offered people a new relationship with God, instructions on how to live a 

proper life, and promised life after death. Christianity became a religion. It grew in all parts of the Empire, mainly among poor people. Roman law did not protect Christians. This was because they rejected all the state gods, and because they disobeyed the law if it clashed with their religion. The Emperor Nero (who died in AD 68) first persecuted Christians, and in the second century AD persecution was widespread. 

You can watch the 4 minute animation film about the life of Jesus in the next slide. (not mandatory though)

last prayer

The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme 1883.

10. Explain why Roman law did not protect Christians.

a Christian Roman Empire

Christians were persecuted for more than 250 years. 

Still, Christianity kept growing and spreading, 

although being a Christian was dangerous.

This changed when Constantine became emperor in 

AD 306. He believed that he owed an important 

victory to the help of the Christian God. So in 

AD 312 he converted to Christianity himself. 

He became the first Christian Roman emperor.

He worked to spread Christianity through the Empire 

from then on. Christianity became more and more 

popular. In AD 391, the Emperor Theodosius 

made it the official state religion, meaning that 

the old Roman gods were abandoned and Christianity

was the official religion of the Roman empire.

Vision of the Cross

The Vision of the Cross is a painting made between 1520 and 1524 by assistants of the Italian artist Raphael.

According to a legend, a cross appeared to Constantine in the sky and he heard the words "In this sign you will conquer".

Constantine ordered his soldiers to paint crosses on their shield. The next day, his soldiers won a glorious victory. Constantine believed that the Christian God had helped him. He became a Christian himself.

11. Constantine "converted" to Christianity.
What does this mean?

1. Constantine became a Christian
2. Constantine refused to become a Christian
3. Constantine allowed Christianity but did not become a Christian himself
4. Everybody who was not a Christian was persecuted.

Source A

While he stayed in the city Caesarea, Titus (the son of the Emperor, Vespasian) celebrated the birthday of his brother. He saved much of his vengeance against the Jews for the 

Revolt until now. More than 2,500 Jews died in the birthday Games. 

They were eaten by wild beasts, or forced to fight each other or burned alive. Yet despite all these deaths, the Romans still did not feel they had done enough. 

Captive Jews were killed the same way in many other places. 

Josephus, a Jewish Roman historian, writing soon after the Jewish Revolt. 

Judaea Capta

After the Jewish rebellion was over the Roman emperor had a special coin made with the text: IUDAEA CAPTA, which means: Judea Conquered.

It shows a bearded Jew standing right facing a palm tree, his hands tied behind his back; on other side of tree veiled female figure (Judaea) seated right on cuirass in attitude of mourning.

The coin was meant to spread across the empire and show everybody that Rome was invincible.

Source B

12a. The writer of source A witnessed the events he wrote about.

Choose the best answer.

1. that is possible
2. that is certain
3. that is impossible
4. that is probable

12b. Why do you think the Romans made the coin you see in source B?

Source C

 Whether the fire was an accident or started deliberately by the emperor is uncertain. To stop rumours that he began it, Nero found others to blame. He had all those who called themselves Christians arrested. The Christians were tortured to confess and also to make them give the names of other Christians. They were condemned not so much for the fire as for not fitting into Roman society. 

Their deaths were made into humiliating amusements. They were dressed in wild animal skins and torn to pieces by dogs, or nailed to crosses and left to die, or made 

into human torches to be lit when daylight failed. 

A description by the Roman historian Tacitus about the Emperor Nero's actions after a fire destroyed much of Rome in AD 64.

Did Nero really sing? Click here

Quo Vadis

Lyre, lyre, Rome's on fire: 

Peter Ustinov plays Nero in the 1951 Hollywood film, Quo Vadis

12c. Does the film poster show a correct image of Nero?
Use both the website and Source C to answer.

(there is an extra explanation option here)

First write what the poster shows.

Then write what the website says about this. (you may quote text)

Then write what the source says about it. (you may quote text)

Finally, write a short conclusion to answer the question.

12d. The painting "Last Prayer" (slide 24) was made 1800 years after the event that was painted. The painter was not there to witness the event. How (in)correct is the painting if you read Source A and C ?
Use information from the sources in your answer.

Word Duty

Romans 5

• polytheistic
• monotheistic
• tolerant
• persecuted
• converted
• state religion

see if you can find the meaning in the texts

Summary. We are going to take it to the next level....

In slide nr 3 you can see what you are supposed to learn in this lesson (main questions).

The answers to these 7 questions in slide 3 form your summary.

Now you must turn the question and the answer into a short story. The first one is an example. The rest you must do yourself. Make sure to start with the title of the lesson...

1. Who the main Roman gods were and how they were worshipped.

Example:

The Romans had many gods, like Jupiter (father of the gods), Juno (his wife), Venus (love), Mars (war), Minerva (healing) and Bacchus (wine, fertility).

The gods were worshipped in temples. The Romans made sacrifices as a gift or as a means to tell the future.

As you can see, both the question and answer are included. Now do nr 2 - 7 in the next slide.

Write down your summary here.
Start with the title.
You can copy-paste the example, then do nr 2 - 7 yourself.

congratulations