The Relationship Between Christians And The Roman Empire

The relationship between Christians and the Roman Empire is complicated to say the least. Before the summation of the primary sources begin there must be a little background information provided. Rome was in power over a big portion of the Mediterranean region. A good portion of Christians lived under Rome’s rule. Rome was a very tolerant state when it came to religious flexibility. As long as you recognized the Roman God’s then they were tolerant with any other practices you decided to have. The Christians would not recognize the Roman God’s and that caused great friction. There are many primary sources historians have found on the relationship between the Christians and the Romans. The majority of the sources being used in this summation are from the Documents of the Christian Church the fourth edition. Also three primary sources from the times of Constantine, the emperor of Rome in the fourth century. The Romans start as thinking of the Christians as criminals , to being tolerant with them, to eventually they embrace the Christian faith. According to the sources the Christians were hated by the people of Rome. According to a source, that was written by Tacitus in 64 AD, they were â€Å" a class hated for their abominations, who are commonly called criminals......... an immense multitude was convicted, not so much on the charge of arson as because of hatred of the human race.† (Tacitus, Annales 1a). They were convicted of crimes due to the fact that the Romans hated them. TheShow MoreRelatedComparing Pagan Romans And Christians Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesPagan Romans and Christians in the 2nd 3rd C.E. Introduction: What relationship did the Christians and Pagan Romans have with one another? Explain emperor Nero, and his part in how the persecutions began on a higher level. Glimpse of some of the accusations Christians went under. B. 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