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Roman Religion and Christianity

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Roman Religion and Christianity

Read the timeline and source card, then answer the questions. Use evidence from the sources and your own historical knowledge. Dates are CE unless stated otherwise.

A changing religious world

Roman religion was polytheistic: people honoured many gods, including Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Temples and household shrines were places for worship, offerings and ceremonies. Religious festivals were part of public life. The empire also included many local religions. Christianity began in Judaea, a province of the Roman Empire, in the first century CE. Christians worshipped one God and believed Jesus was the Messiah. Christian communities spread through the empire. Some Christians faced punishment, particularly when authorities believed they refused duties such as public sacrifices. Treatment varied by time and place. In 313 CE, emperors Constantine and Licinius agreed to allow Christians to practise their religion. This is often called the Edict of Milan. Constantine supported Christianity, but it did not become the empire’s official religion during his reign. In 380 CE, Emperor Theodosius I made Nicene Christianity the official religion of the empire. Traditional Roman religious practices did not disappear immediately.

1st century CE Christianity begins in Judaea and spreads through the Roman Empire.

313 CE Constantine and Licinius agree to allow Christians to practise their religion.

380 CE Theodosius I makes Nicene Christianity the official religion of the empire.

Historian’s source card

A provincial official writes: “At the festival, neighbours bring offerings to the gods. The public ceremony shows loyalty to our city and its traditions.” This is a short, fictional source written for this activity. It illustrates how public religion could connect worship, community and civic identity; it is not a quotation from an ancient document.

1.Which description best explains polytheism in traditional Roman religion?

Worship of many gods
Worship of one God only
Worship of the emperor alone
Rejection of all religious practice

2.Match each term to its meaning: temple; offering; persecution; official religion.

Temple
Offering
Persecution
Official religion

A gift presented in a religious practice
A religion formally supported or recognised by the state
Punishment or hostility directed at a group because of its beliefs
A building used for religious worship

3.What happened in 313 CE, and what important change happened later in 380 CE?

4.According to the fictional source card, name two ways the festival mattered to the community.

5.Christianity began in Judaea, which was part of the Roman Empire. Write True or False and support your answer with a detail from the information above.

TrueFalse

6.Traditional Roman religion was generally , while Christianity was . Use the terms polytheistic and monotheistic.

7.Give one reason some Christians could come into conflict with Roman authorities. Avoid suggesting that all Christians were treated the same way everywhere.

8.Number these events from earliest to latest: Theodosius I makes Nicene Christianity official; Christianity begins in Judaea; Constantine and Licinius allow Christian practice.

9.Oliver says, “Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313 CE.” Identify the error and correct it using the timeline.

10.Explain one way Christianity changed Roman society and one way older religious practices continued during the transition.