Rome's Influence on Early Christianity

Will Durant states that "the Empire was greater than Rome..." (Durant 453). In much the same way, Christianity was greater than its ideal, Jesus. In a sense, what this statement also refers to is that the Empire was vast and far more meaningful outside Rome itself. And one can say that early Christianity and its spread far exceeded the very early beginnings which led from Israel to Rome and then beyond.

At its height, the Roman Empire was proud of- and determined to uphold- its laws. And yet, not every ciutizen was equal. And, one might even be inclined to think of Caesar Augustus as the Roman Empire's version of how early Christians felt about Jesus- a savior and a symbol of goodness and caring. What Romans considered their "patriotism" early Christians thought of their unswerving devotion to the original gospels: prepared to lay down their lives (as many did) to defend the right to worship the Son of God. There is something perhaps similar in the principle of love of country: then willingness to sacrifice one's life if necessary to protect the nation. In Livy, one supporter of peace for Rome stood in the face of the enemy: "I am a citizen of Rome...I have much courage to meet death as I had to live it....I am not alone in having this resolve, behind there is a long list of those who aspire to the same action" (Livy 93).

Perhaps the most important influence of the Roman Empire on early Christianity is the ability to convert the masses. Rome. In conquering its colonies turned them into Romans. Early Christians were proselytizers, even (so unlike other religions) including women. Rome was determined to make the rest of the world Rome-like. And in these efforts on the part of the Roman Empire and Early Christianity, one other influence was felt: a certain pecking order (to use a modern cliché). Neither Rome nor Christianity was "democratic" in the truest sense of the word. In fact, when various schisms appeared, they were often handled forcefully, and sometimes cruelly. One example is an early second century philosopher, Origen. "He questioned the truth of Genesis...Sometimes, he suggested, scriptural narratives were invented to convey some spiritual truth" (Durant 614). As a result he was banished and tortured. The Roman Empire, of course, did the same to thousands who resisted its imposed laws and restrictions. Free will, in both the Empire and Christianity, were anathema.

One might also allude to the suffering of the early Christians at the hands of the Romans as being an influence to persevere. "In pre-Christian days the Roman government had fopr the most part allowed...a tolerance....Nothing was demanded from the adherents of new faiths except an occasional gesture of adoration to the (Roman) gods...The emperors were piqued to find that of all the heretics under their rule only the Jews and the Christians refused to join in..." (Durant 640). And yet, as Christianity spread and various sects within the religion grew, the same sort of "pique" was felt by some bishops and early popes who demanded total compliance over their authority. So, eventually just as Rome split into East and West (Rome and

Constantinople) so Christianity split into East and West (Roman Catholicism and Greek orthodoxy).

As the Roman Empire grew larger and more diverse, there can be seen the growth of various cults within the Empire. One of them was the cult of Mithra, the sun God, which some still believe may have been a true ancestor of Christianity. One reason this seems so is that Emperor Constantine, who also worshipped Mithra, was the first to recognize Christianity, and even declared himself a Christian, even though he was still an adherent of Mithra. "He declared himself a Christian but at the same time maintained his ties to the Mithra cult. He retained the title 'Pontifus Maximus' the high priest. On his coins were inscribed: 'Sol Invicto comiti' which means, committed to the invincible sun. This new blend of the two faiths, he officially proclaimed as Christianity. Christianity spread all over the Roman Empire and Eastern Europe by massive persecution and brought an end to a variety of religions that flourished there. [Crabtree 4]

REFERENCES:

Crabtree, Vexen: "Mithraism and early Christianity" (2002) www.vexen.co.uk/religion/mithraism.html

Durant, Will: Caesar and Christ New York: Simon & Schuster (1944)

Livy: History of Rome (excerpts) classics.mit.edu/Livy/liv.html