...Christianity, a very wide practiced religion, originated about 2000 years ago in Judea, which is now commonly known as Israel. Jesus Christ and his trusting disciples first practiced and introduced the religion to the population. “Jesus first began preaching in Israel during the time of Augustus, trying hard to purify the Jewish religion to establish the kingdom of God on Earth” (Stark, 1996). During the emergence of Christianity, the emperor of Rome was ruler of Judea. The Jewish population was not happy being under Roman rule because they felt as though it represented a historical oppression. During the beginning stages of Christianity, “the religion focused on cleansing the Jewish religion of stiff rituals and arrogant leaders and had little to do with the Roman culture” (Stark, 1996). Due to this, Jesus aroused suspicion among the upper classes and leaders of the Jewish religion. Roman governors were persuaded that Jesus was a dangerous activist and as a result, Jesus was put to death. On the third day of Jesus’ death, his followers believed that resurrected which led them to further believe he was the Son of God. With the resurrection of Jesus, the religion was spreading amongst Jewish communities within the Roman Empire and further beyond. Paul, whose real name Saul, converted into a Christian in A.D 35. It was through Paul that Christian missionaries began to migrate from the strict Jewish law. He proposed that the new standards of faith be universal and open to all...
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...fall of the Roman Empire | How Christianity played a part in the decline of an Empire | | | | 8/1/2014 | Paper outline 1. Introduction 2. Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire 3. How Christianity played a part in the decline of the Roman Empire 4. The situation after the fall of the Roman Empire 5. The situation in the dark ages 6. Conclusion 7. Bibliography “Why did Rome fall?” still remains one the greatest questions of Western history. Many books have been written about this topic and many theories have been advanced about the reason of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Several reasons are issued for the fall. These reasons are issued to be sequacious and interwoven. For example, one of the most influential modern historians, Edward Gibbon wrote “The Decline and fall of the Roman Empire” in 1776, where he stated that the initiation of Christianity was one of the reasons for the decline. The transition of religions in the Roman Empire, from a polytheistic religion to a monotheistic religion, leads to instability within the Empire. (Gibbon, 1782) How Christianity was a factor in the decline of the Western Roman Empire will be discussed more extensively in this paper. In the beginning, Christianity was not more than an insignificant sect of Judaism and began its spread from Roman Judaea during the life of Jesus, but in only four centuries Christianity had become the state religion of the Roman Empire. The rise of...
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...Laws History has seen many Empires, their prosperities and downfalls. There were Empires, which had controlled great territories, had amazing culture and had left the great trace in the world history. In general almost every empire had the same story, but the two most significant empires were Roman and Chinese empires. The two had left most enormous traces in History. Roman and Chinese empires had many similarities and differences, but the Roman Empire lasted for only 500 years, while Chinese empire lasted for about 16 centuries. Actually Chine as an Empire had never ruined, it just transformed into a Republic of Chine in 1912. There was simple advantage of Chinese empire over Roman that made it everlasting, China as an Empire was united not only by the laws and military force but also by the culture, ideology and religion, what made Chinese empire one whole nation, whereas Romans were only united by the military forces and not by the cultural heritage that made Chinese empire so united. There are many theories why did Roman Empire collapsed, some of them might seem stupid for example some people think that Romans went crazy because they used led in pots and they ate food which was cooked in pots made of led, so they were poisoned by led and that’s why this huge Empire ruined. Despite these kinds of theories, almost every scholar and historian says that Rome failed as an Empire because of military exhaust, the new religion in the Empire, the division of society, economic...
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...There were many differences in the way China and the Roman Empire contributed the use of religion on their societies. In Rome, the religions Christianity and Greco used not for their society but used more independently for worship. This is a beneficial for Roman society because it lead to more independent religions rather than a one main religion for the whole society. This was an important factor to cultural syncretism because with this freedom the Roman Empire had created new religions. Unlike the Roman Empire, China was under strict control limit with their religion, Confucianism. Although it did not give freedom, but the early society structure of China was base on this religion. The difference between the two societies was not only the religion worship but also the influence the religion made on improve the society. This was important because this showed the variation in how the society used and spread their religion. Religion played a leading role while contrasting the differences that were apart of cultural syncretism in both societies. In Han Dynasty, the well organized bureaucracy based upon Confucian ideas and education. Confucianism was used as an educational tool to prepare large numbers of people to become bureaucrats for the administration of the highly organized Han government. Potential workers had to pass difficult civil service exams that included extensive Confucian content. Thus, the Han bureaucracy was composed of well-educated people who were devotees...
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...Two empires arose during the postclassical period, before 1450, the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates. The Islamic Caliphate was influenced by Muhammad’s teachings and the Byzantine Empire was influenced by Christianity and each established their rule through their dominant religion. Christianity became the Byzantine Empire’s state religion as did Islam for the Islamic Caliphates. Both empires established their political leaders as their religious leaders so they would have more power over the citizens. They used religion to unite the people and to justify expansion for their government. However, these empires did not have similar legal systems. The laws of the Byzantine Empire were based off of Roman laws and the Islamic Caliphates centered their laws on the Quran. Neither empire failed to acknowledge the importance of religion in each society. Because of the importance, the leaders of both empires, the Emperor in the Byzantine and the Caliph in the Caliphates, were set as the head religious figures. This similarity between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates shows how they each empowered their leaders by relating them with the beliefs of the...
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...Today, Christianity is the world’s major religion representing approximately two billion believers. Christianity began as a small group of Judaism and is the major inspiration behind the rise of Islam the second largest religion. The Christian teachings are based on the life, teachings and death of Jesus Christ in the first AD century. The largest Christian groups include the Protestant churches, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches. There are numerous independent churches of Christians in the Eastern region such as Eastern Orthodoxy. Over the years, Christianity gained fame in Roman Empire after the introduction of Christian Roman emperors such as Constantine. The aim of this essay is to provide a description of the rise of Christianity during the Roman Empire. In the early centuries, the followers of Jesus spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. It is believed that Paul constructed a church in Rome. The majority of the first Christian groups were from the east, in Egypt, there was Alexandria as well as Jerusalem and Antioch. Due to Christianity teachings of the theology of love, caring for the orphans, widows, and sick, and stance against infanticide, abortion, and adultery it gained believers among...
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...and civilization, which came to Rome from Greek colonies to the south, provided the early Romans with way to build their own culture. From the Greeks they borrowed literacy and religion as well as the fundamentals of architecture. The Etruscans, to the north, provided a place for trade. Etruria was also well set for trade and the early Romans learned the skills of trade from by the Etruscans who were in the area around Rome. Early on, the Romans showed a talent for borrowing and improving upon the skills and concepts of other cultures. The Kingdom of Rome grew rapidly from a trading town to a prosperous city between the 8th and 6th centuries BC. The ruling class in Rome called themselves Optimates or “the best men” while the lower classes, were known as the Populares or “the people”. In general, the Optimates held with traditional political and social values which favored the power of the Senate of Rome and the superiority of the ruling class. The Populares, favored reform and democratic side of the Roman Republic. Early forms of the Roman religion believed that spirits were in everything around them, even people included. The first citizens of Rome also believed they were watched over by the spirits of their ancestors before them. Because of the Greek colonies, the Romans adopted many of the Greek gods as their own. Religion and myth merged and became one. Under Greek influence, the Roman gods became more human, with characteristics of jealousy, love, hate, etc. In Rome individual...
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...asked is what attributed to the fall of the Roman Empire? Was it the adoption of Christianity in 380 AD? Or the relentless barbarian hordes that plundered and sacked Roman cities only a few decades later? Or a combination of both? The facts are that Theodosius the Great, being the last true emperor of a unified Rome, officially made Christianity the state religion in 380 AD. He ordered the conversion of all roman temples be either converted into Christian churches or destroyed. Practicing any of the former pagan religions was considered an act of treason and punishable by death. He ordered this conversion in both the seat of the empire in the west and in the eastern capital Constantinople. Fifteen years after the adoption in 495 AD, Theodosius died and the Roman Empire split into two halves: The west, now controlled by Theodosius’ son Honorius and the east, controlled by his other son Arcadius. This begins the ultimate demise of the empire as it was currently known. 410 AD, after 800 years of security, Rome is conquered and sacked by the Visigoth’s lead by Alaric I. Being only 30 years after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion it is hard to argue the role it may have played in this destruction. However barbarians are by no means a new threat. Rome struggled for centuries before containing the threats of pagan tribes such as the Visigoths, Vandals, Alani, Allemanni, and even the Huns lead by the notorious Attila. The empire, at least the western half, has been in decline...
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... The rise to power of the Papacy in the Roman Empire during the 6-9th centuries is crucial to the history of the church. There were many theories as to why the Papacy earned such central power. Included in these were the rise of the early church, and also the negative and positive effects of individuals related tot he government of the Roman Empire. Altogether it took many steps in a long process for the Papacy to gain such control. What is clear though is that the Papacy held firm control until the reformation. This paper will expand on the reasons for the rise of the Papacy in power, what allowed for it to thrive, and also negative and positive impacts on the empire and even the world. Fall of the Roman Empire There were many factors, and theories that are included when one is speaking of the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the first theories centers around disease and plagues. Some historians maintain that the Empire was crippled, as many diseases and plagues circled the Empire. They crippled families, workers and even members who were involved with the government. Another small factor may have been the decay of the army. The army say an increase in more German peoples, which may have altered the morale of the army, and even the size of the army itself. One large theory also centers around the government of the Empire. Many historians also believe that the Roman Empire set itself up for failure.(1) In the way that the government was structured...
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...AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE The invading army touched the boarders of Rome, which had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E. (common area), the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of Rome and ravaged the capital of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, vandalized, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a trail of destruction wherever they went. The plundering continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium, the city of Rome was in the hands of someone other than the Romans. This was the first time that the city of Rome was sacked, but by no means the last. Constantine and the Beginning of Christianity One of the many factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of a new religion, Christianity. The Christian religion, which was monotheistic (to believe in one god), ran counter to the traditional Roman religion, which was polytheistic (many gods). At different times, the Romans persecuted the Christians because of their beliefs, which were popular with the poor. This 16th-century medal depicts Attila the Hun, one of the most vicious and aggressive invaders of all time. In 313 C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official religion of the Empire. This extreme change in policy spread this rather new religion to every corner of the Empire. By approving Christianity, the Roman state directly...
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...Emperor of the Romans because many of his followers and subjects proclaimed that Charlemagne restored the Roman Empire in the west through his actions and accomplishments. Although his subjects believed that he restored the Roman Empire of the past through his actions and accomplishments, it makes me wonder how accurately did he restore the Roman Empire and why did it not endure after his death. Charlemagne did not restore the Roman Empire to its fullest through his actions of governing and forming his empire. Charlemagne formed his empire and then divided it into smaller administrative units. These unites were called counties and he appointed Counts to administer them in his name. In some military districts he created other royal officials called Dukes and Margraves to serve the same purpose as counts but was responsible for leading the king’s armies. Because of Charlemagne giving power to other people to rule his empire, it made his empire different than the Roman Empire. In the formation of the Roman Empire, Augustus Caesar was granted two powers by the Senate, the “Tibunician Power” and the “Proconsular Imperium Maius.” Both these powers...
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...Since the establishment of Western religions, the role played by these religions throughout history show that there is a direct relationship between the surrounding environment and the unique identities of these religions. For the most part, religions gain power through the number of followers they have, and one of the best ways to gain supporters is to morph into a religion that would incorporate the existing lifestyle of the surrounding culture into the religion. The religions of Western Civilization have continuously been in flux with their immediate environments, and over time, gained the popularity of many because of their ability to adapt. Adapting to the surroundings was a strongpoint in Judaism. In Judaism, the Hebrews had to adapt...
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...taking away reason to fight over religion, but also taking away the Holy Roman Empire’s ability to dictate religious beliefs throughout Europe. Politically, the Catholic Church loses a lot of influence, likewise to the Holy Roman Empire losing a lot of power when other countries started to take over, especially as France started to emerge. When the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia were signed, Europe brought back the religious peace between Europe. This allowed German princes to govern their territory, and...
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...Greco-Roman Influence Cory Martin World Civilization 1 ABG1143A Lisa Burgin October 31, 2011 Greco-Roman Influence The cultural fundamentals of Greek philosophy helped shape the Roman Republic and the empire they ruled. Under both the Greeks and the Romans, the Mediterranean basin became much more tightly integrated than before as both societies organized commercial exchange and sponsored interaction throughout the region ( Bently, Ziegler & Street 2008). The Mediterranean basin, North Africa, parts of Asia and much of Europe was dominated by the Romans at the height of their rule. Five hundred years before B.C.E., until five hundred years after C.E., the Roman Empire was one of the most flourishing empires of its time and era. The Greeks and the Roman government differed greatly. One difference was that the Romans shared their citizenship and became alliances with conquered countries, which allowed them to trade with Rome, have roman spouses and even become citizens of Rome. They also allowed them to run their internal government without the Roman government taking over. These types of well-liked changes allowed Rome to become the most powerful influences of their time. The Roman government, the wars they fought and the religion they believed in, all had influences on their territories and the world as it is today. Shaping of Wars Wars have always been a part of shaping countries. Wars that the Greeks and the Romans ran throughout their empires and conquering...
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...During the spread of Christianity, the Roman Empire saw the new religion as a threat to their power. Christianity, in the eyes of the empire, broke tradition and disobeyed laws. In fact, Christians were openly disobedient. Christianity further challenged the ideas of the popular stoicism which believed in earthly pleasures. The rise of these new religions were so worrisome that two emperors, Decius and Diocletian, led major persecutions against Christians. Romans were mostly polytheistic. They had many main gods and goddess’, household cults, and the emperors were considered to be deity’s, someone having divine status. Throughout the calendar year, there were many games and celebrations all across the Roman Empire. While not all in the empire had the same beliefs as the Romans, they all were required to partake in the celebrations. The Christians and Hebrews did not participate in the...
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