By Alexandra Bowles
Religions Before Christianity
The Cosmopolitan Mediterranean
-The integration of the Mediterranean basin was important for trade and economy. It was also important for cultural and religious traditions.
-The roads and communication networks the Romans built helped spread new religions. -When migrants moved to Rome they observed their same traditions and religions. -The most important of these religions, Christianity, originated from a small, persecuted Jewish sect. -Within three centuries, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire and the predominant faith of the Mediterranean basin. |
Greek Philosophy & Religions of Salvation
-In the early days of the Roman empire the Romans recognized many gods and goddesses, and they believed they directly intervened in human affairs.
-Stoicism was the most prominent school in Hellenistic Greece.
-Stoics sought to identify a set of universal moral standards based on nature.
-Cicero adopted Stoic values and established Stoicism as the most prominent school of moral philosophy in Rome.
-Stoicism was popular with the educated classes, however the masses found comfort in religions of salvation.
-The religions of salvation became popular during the Hellenistic era. They provided a sense of purpose and promised a glorious future existence.
-The most popular religion of salvation was Mithraism.
-Stoicism was the most prominent school in Hellenistic Greece.
-Stoics sought to identify a set of universal moral standards based on nature.
-Cicero adopted Stoic values and established Stoicism as the most prominent school of moral philosophy in Rome.
-Stoicism was popular with the educated classes, however the masses found comfort in religions of salvation.
-The religions of salvation became popular during the Hellenistic era. They provided a sense of purpose and promised a glorious future existence.
-The most popular religion of salvation was Mithraism.
Judaism & Early Christianity
Jews & Their Relations with Authorities
-The Jewish kingdom of David and Solomon fell in 10th century BCE.
-The Jewish maintained their faith and community during the Babylonian, Achaemenid, Alexandrian, Seleucid, and Roman reign.
-The empires mostly tolerated the cultural preferences of their subjects.
-However some emperors made their subjects be in cults for emperor-gods.
-The Jews were strictly monotheistic and refused to worship mortal beings.
-Relations between the Jews and their imperial authorities became tense as the Romans extended into the eastern Mediterranean.
-During the 3rd-1st centuries BCE, the Jews rebelled against their Seleucid and Roman overlords.
-The Romans ultimately defeated the Jews during the Jewish War of 66-70 CE.
-While some Jews fought the Romans others formed new sects like the Essenes.
-The Essenes formed during the first century BCE in Palestine. They wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls and looked for a savior to deliver them from Roman rule.
-The Jewish maintained their faith and community during the Babylonian, Achaemenid, Alexandrian, Seleucid, and Roman reign.
-The empires mostly tolerated the cultural preferences of their subjects.
-However some emperors made their subjects be in cults for emperor-gods.
-The Jews were strictly monotheistic and refused to worship mortal beings.
-Relations between the Jews and their imperial authorities became tense as the Romans extended into the eastern Mediterranean.
-During the 3rd-1st centuries BCE, the Jews rebelled against their Seleucid and Roman overlords.
-The Romans ultimately defeated the Jews during the Jewish War of 66-70 CE.
-While some Jews fought the Romans others formed new sects like the Essenes.
-The Essenes formed during the first century BCE in Palestine. They wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls and looked for a savior to deliver them from Roman rule.
Jesus & the Beginning of Christianity
-Christians formed around Jesus of Nazareth
-Jesus was born around 4 BCE when there was high tension between the Roman overlords and their Jewish subjects. -Jesus was a peaceful man who attracted large crowds while teaching about devotion to God and love for humans. -Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God which alarmed the Romans because they saw it as a political threat to Roman rule. -The Romans crucified Jesus around 30 CE. -However Jesus' followers continued his teachings. -They said that Jesus triumphed over death, and that his followers could also triumph over death and have eternal life. -Jesus and his early followers were Jews, but by the middle of the 1st century CE they became Christians and sought converts from non-Jewish communities. -Paul of Tarsus was a principal figure in the expansion of Christianity beyond Judaism and into the eastern region of the Roman empire. He traveled through Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Rome. |
Early Growth of Christianity
-The Christians refused to honor Roman state cults or revere the emperor as a god, so the Roman imperial authorities launched campaigns to eliminate Christianity.
-However the Romans established close links between various Mediterranean regions, so Christianity grew rapidly and found its way to almost all parts of the Roman empire.
-Christianity spread throughout the Mediterranean basin from Mesopotamia to Iran by 300 CE.
-Christianity appealed to lower classes, urban populations, and women. It provided a sense of purpose, and a promise of future glory for those who placed their faith in Jesus.
-Christianity eventually became the official religion of Rome, and the imperial sponsorship enabled Christianity to spread more effectively.
-By the 3rd century CE, Christianity became the most dynamic and influential faith in the Mediterranean basin.
-However the Romans established close links between various Mediterranean regions, so Christianity grew rapidly and found its way to almost all parts of the Roman empire.
-Christianity spread throughout the Mediterranean basin from Mesopotamia to Iran by 300 CE.
-Christianity appealed to lower classes, urban populations, and women. It provided a sense of purpose, and a promise of future glory for those who placed their faith in Jesus.
-Christianity eventually became the official religion of Rome, and the imperial sponsorship enabled Christianity to spread more effectively.
-By the 3rd century CE, Christianity became the most dynamic and influential faith in the Mediterranean basin.