Constantine & Religion

8/31/16 Bell RingerIf you were there…• You are a Roman soldier stationed in one of the

empire’s provinces. You are proud that you’ve helped bring Roman culture to this place far from the city of Rome. But one group of local people refuses to take part in official Roman holidays and rituals, saying it is against their religous beliefs. Other than that, they seem peaceful. Even so, some soldiers think this group is dangerous.

• What will you do about this group?

OBJECTIVE & STANDARDI can analyze the legacy of the Byzantine Empire and its rulers.

7.2 Summarize the consequences of the fall of the Roman Empire including the continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire as the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and the significance of Constantinople.

Roman Gods

• The Romans were a very religious people who worshipped many gods (polytheism)

The Romans & Religion

• As the Roman Empire expanded, it came to include many different people groups with different languages and religions.

• The Romans were very tolerant of other people group’s religions. This is called religious tolerance.

• However, the Romans were not tolerant of other religions when they conflicted with Roman law.• For example, the Romans began to clash with the Jews, so

they treated them harshly and taxed them heavily.• The Jews fought back against the Romans, so the Romans took

over and renamed Jerusalem and forbid the Jews to live there.

A New Religion• At the beginning of the first century a new religion called

Christianity came to be.• Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus

of Nazareth.• In the Bible (the Christian holy book), Jesus is called the

Messiah which means “God’s appointed one”.• Jesus claimed to be the son of the Christian God sent to

earth.• Around 30 AD, Jesus was arrested by the Romans and

crucified by the Romans with the support of the Jews.• Crucifixion is a type of execution in which a person is

nailed to a cross.

Types of Crucifixion Crosses Used

Christianity• According to the Bible, Jesus was nailed the cross, died,

and rose from the dead. This rise from the dead is called the Resurrection.

• Jesus had 12 Apostles who were disciples whom Jesus chose to receive special training and spread Christianity.

• Christians spread the word about the new religion, but the Romans persecuted the Christians just like the Jews.• They had to worship in secret and if caught faced

terrible punishment (sent to the gladiator pits, crucified, made slaves)

A Christian Ruler!!• It’s been 300 years since the rule of Emperor

Augustus.• The Pax Romana ended and many emperors

(good and bad) have ruled.– All have worshipped the many gods of Rome,

persecuted Jews and Christians.• In the early 300s, the Roman Emperor

Constantine changes everything!

Emperor Constantine

• Constantine was born in Naissus in modern Serbia probably in the late 200s AD.

• His parents were Constantius, an emperor, and Helena, a Christian.

• Constantine was named emperor in 306 CE.

Constantine’s Vision and Dream

• In a vision, he saw a cross in the sky and the words “By this symbol you will conquer.” He saw this as proof of the power of Christ and the superiority of the Christian religion. He had a dream that night of the very same thing.

Constantine & Christianity• In 312 AD onwards, Constantine favored

Christianity openly and supported it in every way.

• In 313 AD he granted Christianity full equality with all religions in the empire.

• In 315 AD, he decreed the abolition of death on the cross.

• In 321 AD, he gave the church permission to accept bequests and donations and decreed Sunday as a public holiday.

In this council, Constantine was known as the Pontifex Maximus which means “the greatest bridge-maker.” WHY WAS HE A BRIDGE

MAKER?

Emperor Constantine made Christianity a part of the public life and because of this the Church faced a truly new world situation.

• Constantine was wary of alienating his pagan subjects by seizing their sites and temples.• In 356 CE, Constantine’s son Constantius

decreed that all pagan temples should close and he prohibited sacrifices to the gods on pain of death.

Dividing the Roman EmpireIn 284 AD Diocletian became Roman emperor. He decided that the huge Roman empire could only be ruled effectively by splitting it into two parts. How would this division

impact the Roman Empire?

Constantine• In 330 AD Constantine

rebuilt the old Greek port of Byzantium, at the entrance to the Black Sea.

• He renamed the city Constantinople and made the city the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

How does Constantinople’s location on the map aid the city in terms of trade and power?

Mind Map • You will step into the mind of Constantine today and become him! Create

a mind map of what you were thinking during the Byzantine Empire. This must be done in first person! I will model this for you..use the guide below to assist you:

• Your physical appearance • Why you preached what you did• What are your thoughts about the split of the empire? Why?• What was your personality like?• Your religion? Your mind• Your morals?• Your ambition? Why were you like this?• Why did you create the laws you did• What did you hope to accomplish

The Fall of the Western Roman Empire

• By 395 AD, the Roman Empire was formally divided into two empires. The Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire

• With the invasion of Germanic forces from the north, the Western Roman Empire was conquered and divided.

The New RomeThe Byzantine Empire was wealthy and produced goods such as gold, silk, grain, olives, and wine. They traded these for spices, ivory and precious stones from countries as far away as China and India along the Silk Road trade routes.

Byzantine Empire• At first, the Byzantine

Empire controlled only a small area around the eastern Mediterranean.

• During the reign of Justinian (527-565), the empire started to recover much of the territory of the old Roman empire.

The Byzantine Empire Under Justinian

This map depicts the Empire at the death of Justinian I, who had reigned from 527 to 565 as sole Emperor, sometimes in concert, and sometimes in conflict, with his powerful wife Theodora.

Justinian and Theodora

- They built this beautiful church named Hagia Sophia which still stands to this day.

- Justinian ruled with complete authority with the help of Theodora. - Together they created a massive Christian empire.

Justinian and Theodora

Justinian organized all the laws of ancient Rome.• Laws were fairer to women

allowing them to own property.

• Children were allowed to choose their own marriage partners.

• Punishments were detailed and fit the crime.

• His work inspired the modern concept of justice…hence his name.

The End of the Byzantine Empire

• The Byzantine Empire drew to a close in 1453 when forces from the Muslim Ottoman Empire to the south surrounded and conquered Constantinople.

• The ancient Christian city was renamed Istanbul and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.