Ancient Civilizations · 6th Grade · Ancient Rome & The Americas · Weeks 28-36

The Rise of Christianity in Rome

Students will examine the origins of Christianity in Judea, its spread throughout the Roman Empire, and its eventual adoption as the official state religion.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.His.1.6-8
• C3: D2.His.16.6-8
• C3: D2.Civ.6.6-8

About This Topic

Christianity originated in the Roman province of Judea in the first century CE. Jesus of Nazareth preached a message of spiritual equality, forgiveness, and the coming of God's kingdom to primarily Jewish audiences in a region under Roman occupation. His execution by crucifixion under Roman Governor Pontius Pilate around 30 CE might have ended the movement, but his followers' reports of his resurrection created a community that spread rapidly beyond Judea. The letters of Paul of Tarsus, written in the 50s CE, carried the message to Jewish diaspora communities and then to non-Jewish populations across the Roman world.

Christianity spread along Roman roads, through the port cities of the Mediterranean, and through the personal networks of artisans and merchants. Roman authorities initially tolerated it as a Jewish sect but grew increasingly alarmed as it recruited members across social classes and refused to participate in the imperial cult. Persecution was periodic and localized rather than systematic for the first three centuries. Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan in 313 CE granted Christians legal tolerance, and his personal conversion made Christianity dominant in the Roman court. Theodosius I made it the official state religion in 380 CE.

Active learning approaches that examine multiple perspectives, Roman officials, Jewish communities, enslaved converts, and aristocratic patrons, help students understand why the same movement could be simultaneously threatening and appealing to different groups within Roman society.

Key Questions

1. Analyze why Christianity was initially perceived as a threat to the Roman government.
2. Explain how the message of Christianity spread so rapidly through the empire.
3. Evaluate the role of Emperor Constantine in the survival and growth of the Christian church.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the social and political factors that led Roman authorities to perceive early Christianity as a threat.
• Explain the methods and routes through which Christian missionaries effectively spread their message across the Roman Empire.
• Evaluate the significance of Emperor Constantine's conversion and the Edict of Milan on the growth and establishment of Christianity.
• Compare the perspectives of different groups within Roman society, such as Roman officials, Jewish communities, and early Christian converts, regarding the new religion.

Before You Start

Geography of the Roman Empire

Why: Students need to understand the physical layout of the empire, including major cities and transportation routes, to grasp how Christianity spread.

Roman Government and Society

Why: Understanding the structure of Roman rule and its social hierarchy is essential for analyzing why Christianity was perceived as a threat and how it gained followers.

Basic Concepts of Monotheism and Polytheism

Why: Students should have a foundational understanding of different religious beliefs to comprehend the unique aspects of Christianity within the polytheistic Roman world.

Key Vocabulary

Judea	A Roman province in the ancient Near East where Christianity originated in the 1st century CE.
Messiah	A savior or liberator of a people, a central figure in Christian belief who is identified as Jesus of Nazareth.
Edict of Milan	A proclamation issued by Emperors Constantine and Licinius in 313 CE that granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, particularly for Christianity.
Imperial Cult	The official worship of Roman emperors and their families, which early Christians often refused to participate in, leading to conflict.
Persecution	Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs; Roman authorities sometimes persecuted Christians.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Romans persecuted Christians constantly from the beginning.

What to Teach Instead

Roman persecution was periodic, localized, and often motivated by political crisis rather than sustained religious policy. The famous persecutions under Nero, Decius, and Diocletian were episodes separated by long periods of tolerance. Examining the variable treatment of Christians over three centuries shows a more complex relationship than the standard narrative suggests.

Common Misconception

Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome.

What to Teach Instead

Constantine issued the Edict of Milan (313 CE), which granted tolerance to all religions including Christianity. He personally favored Christianity and supported the church materially, but it was Emperor Theodosius I who made Christianity the official state religion in 380 CE. This is a very common confusion worth addressing directly with students.

Active Learning Ideas

Structured Academic Controversy: Why Did Christianity Spread?

Groups of four research and argue two competing explanations: Christianity spread because of its message of spiritual equality and community, versus because of imperial adoption and Constantine's institutional support. Groups must argue both sides before forming a composite explanation, modeling how historians construct multi-causal arguments.

45 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: The Roman Government's Dilemma

Present a Roman governor's perspective: Christianity is growing, members refuse to sacrifice to Roman gods, but they follow Roman law otherwise. Should they be persecuted? Students write their initial reasoning, discuss with a partner what the governor's actual options are and their consequences, then share with the class.

20 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Spread of Christianity Map

Post a series of maps showing the spread of Christianity from 30 CE to 380 CE at roughly 100-year intervals. Students annotate each map noting which routes Christianity traveled, which cities were early centers, and what political events correlate with changes in pace. Closing discussion asks students to identify the most important factor in the spread, with evidence from the maps.

30 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Historians studying ancient texts, like those found in the Vatican Library, analyze primary sources to reconstruct the spread of ideas and religions, similar to how scholars today examine the influence of global movements.
• Urban planners might study the historical development of Roman roads and trade routes to understand how infrastructure facilitated the rapid dissemination of information and culture, a principle still relevant in modern transportation networks.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with three index cards. Ask them to write one reason why early Christians were seen as a threat on the first card, one method of Christian spread on the second, and one impact of Constantine's actions on the third.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Roman citizen in the 2nd century CE. Based on what you know about Roman society and the early Christian message, would you be more likely to join the new religion or see it as a danger to the empire? Explain your reasoning.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their perspectives.

Quick Check

Display a map of the Roman Empire. Ask students to point to or name key cities or regions where Christianity likely spread first and explain why, using vocabulary like 'Judea,' 'Mediterranean ports,' and 'Roman roads.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Roman government see Christianity as a threat at first?

Christians refused to sacrifice to Roman gods and to the deified emperor, which Romans interpreted as civic disloyalty rather than personal religious choice. Roman religion was bound to civic identity and public order: failure to honor the gods was believed to endanger the community. Christianity's exclusive monotheism made it politically suspect in Roman eyes.

How did Christianity spread so quickly through the Roman Empire?

Christianity spread along the same infrastructure that moved goods and people throughout the empire: roads, sea routes, and urban trade networks. Paul's letters, written in Greek, the common language of the eastern Mediterranean, reached multiple cities within a few years. The message of spiritual equality and community was particularly compelling to enslaved people, women, and the urban poor.

What role did Emperor Constantine play in the history of Christianity?

Constantine's conversion transformed Christianity's status in the empire. He ended persecution, returned confiscated church property, funded church construction, and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to unify Christian doctrine. His support gave the church institutional resources and imperial legitimacy that accelerated its growth across the empire dramatically.

How does examining the spread of Christianity through multiple perspectives strengthen historical thinking?

This topic involves Roman officials, Jewish community members, Gentile converts from different social classes, and imperial patrons, all experiencing the same movement differently. Requiring students to analyze sources from multiple perspectives directly practices the corroboration and contextualization skills that C3 social studies standards assess at the 6-8 grade band.