How did Christianity affect the Roman empire?

Answer 1

The Romans were into revenge until Jesus showed a new way, love. Though most of the Romans didn't like Jesus there were a lot of follwers. The Romans were afraid that Jesus might try to gain [pwer that it why they didn't like them. Another reason is because in home churches held by Christians they would greet each other by holly kisses which is another reason they hated them. So they statarted killing Christians and soon killed him on th cross.

Answer 2

Christianity affected the Roman Empire by acknowledging monotheism. It helped the Romans believe in one god (they vwere polytheist)

Christianity became the official state religion. after that they the religion weakend the empire promoting weak values such as forgivness ect to a empire that mainly relied on it military power therfore chritianity was an enemy to it own country shame

Answer 3

In spite of Christian tradition to the contrary, the Roman Empire was characterised by religious tolerance before the time of Emperor Constantine. Even the Jews, in spite of occasional insurrections, were treated with respect and their religion granted privileges by toleration. Edward Gibbon (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) believes that much of the background to the traditions of an intolerant and persecuting pagan empire can be traced to the

ecclesiastical writers of the fourth or fifth centuries, who ascribed to the pagans the same degree of implacable and unrelenting zeal which filled their own breasts against the heretics or the idolaters of their own times.

The first and most obvious change to the empire brought about by Christianity was that its emperors and religious leaders were more intolerant. Under the reign of Constantine, the Jews became the subjects of Christian disapproval, and it was not long before they experienced the bitterness of tyranny. The civil immunities which they had been granted were gradually repealed by the Christian emperors. Constantine also began the long persecution of the pagan temples and, by the time of Theodosius, the public worship of the pagan gods was prohibited and it became a crime punishable by death even to look at the pagan statues that had been smashed by Christian mobs.

Taxes rose largely as a consequence of the generous financial support given to the Church. Soon, mothers sold their children and fathers prostituted their daughters just to pay the taxes imposed. The impoverishment of the empire was a contributing factor to its decline.

Rome faced a moral crisis. Constantine wished to replenish the state treasury by plundering the pagan temples, but the army refused this abbhorent task. The Church was, however, more than willing to assist, since this not only undermined the temples, it enabled Constantine to continue adding to the wealth and prestige of the Church. By the end of the century, the Church had begun looting the tempes for its own enrichment.

Answer 4

The Romans were the ones that crucified Jesus. Without that act and his sacrifice, the Christian church would not exist.

With regard to the church of the west, which was originally called Latin as then became came to be called Catholic, it was influenced the Romans because it became the religion of the city of Rome and Italy, the heart of the western part of the empire.

An example of Roman influence is the fact that the early Christian churches were modelled on the architecture of the Roman basilicas (Roman public buildings). This remained the basic layout of Christian churches over the centuries. The apses of Christian churches, which is where the altar is and the priests seat, originate from the apses of the Roman basilica which was where the Roman judges or other important men sat.

Another example is the pope's title of pontiff. This title originates from the title of pontifex maximus, which was the title of the head of the Roman state religion.

By contrast, the Orthodox Church, which originally was the church of the Eastern Roman Empire, was influenced by the Greeks, who played an important role in that part of the empire and in the earliest development of Christianity.

Answer 5

After eliminating competing religions such as of Mithras and Isis by slaughter, destruction of temples and absorption, it established a dominance which acted as both a unifying force and as a suppressive one, which lasted until the Renaissance began the long road to rational assessment of human relationships. It also acted as a buttress against the rampant spread of Islamic invaders through Europe.

Answer 6

There were both positive and negative impacts of Christianity on the Roman Empire. However, to a large extent, it should matter little whether people were pagans or Christians, unless their allegiance results in some some systemic change, such as a change in the fortunes of the Empire. In this regard, the impact of Christianity was largely negative.

The Roman Empire was already in decline, in terms of power and prosperity, before the time of Emperor Constantine, but his lavish financial support for the Christian faith impoverished the middle classes and even the already poor, and hastened the end of the Empire in the west.

Once the Christians were in a totally dominant position, from the end of the fourth century, they began to destroy texts that conflicted with Christian teachings, and eventually to destroy all texts that did not positively support the Christian message. The destruction of the ancient library at Alexandria was the most infamous example of this form of vandalism. This contributed in the fifth century to the decline of the Empire into the Dark Ages.