Today we finished our presentation
on Christianity during the Pax Romana.
Christians were like the Jews, monotheistic, and were persecuted by the general
population because of their religion. Christians could be persecuted through
(from best to worst) exile, imprisonment, execution, crucifixion, burning, or
being killed by wild animals. These were the physical punishments, however your
business might be attacked or you might get kidnapped, if the Romans thought it
was necessary. The Romans would not get in trouble for doing so, be it the
government or someone off the streets. As things began to go wrong in the
Empire, a scapegoat was needed, and Christianity was the perfect choice
(Ironically, the term scapegoat is biblical in origin and the lamb is a highly
valued symbol in Christianity). However Christianity kept growing for reasons
such as: It embraced all people (the enslaved, men and women, and the poor),
gave hope to the powerless, offered a personal relationship with God, and
promised eternal life after death. Much later, in 312 AD, the emperor
Constantine was going to fight a key battle. His wife convinced him to pray to
the Christian God for victory, and he did. Constantine then saw a cross in the
sky with the Greek words ‘Ev TouTw Nika,’ which means ‘In this sign conquer.’
Constantine then ordered his troops to put crosses on their shields. They then
won the battle.
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