Tasha's Western Civ. Blog: The Roman Empire

Octavian - AKA Caesar Augustus

first emperor
Begins the Pax Romana - a period of peace and prosperity
Built road
Set up civil care service to take care of the roads, grain supply, postal service
Was in power when Jesus came
Dies at age 76 of old age in A.D. 14, and passes power to Tiberius

Jesus to Christianity

Roman citizen and a practicing Jew
At 30, he began his ministry preaching to the poor in the empire, and reaching out to outsiders
Statements like "My kingdom is not of this world" made the Romans nervous
The governor of the Roman province of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion

The world spreads about risen Jesus

Paul is instrumental in telling the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message
He travels far and wide: Cyprus, Anatolia, Athens, Corinth, Macedonia, Rome, Jerusalem, and maybe even Spain and Britain
He writes letters to many of those he spoke to these epistles are a part of the NT
If not for the effort of Paul, it is likely that Jesus remains an obscure preacher, instead of the central

Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History

Tiberius

As Augustus' stepson and adopted son, Tiberius succeeded Octavian
Although a great general, he was a dark, somber, reclusive, and reluctant emperor
He referred to the Senate as "men fit to be slaves", couldn't get along with the Senate
Germanicus started out as Tiberius' ally, since he quelled a legion mutiny, but when it looked like he would succeed Tiberius, he got paranoid and had Germanicus killed
Died in AD 37 at the age of 77, giving way to Caligula

Caligula - good start

In addition to being Germanicus' son, he was Tiberius adopted grandson and great-nephew - putting him next in line for emperor
He started off well: granting bonuses to those in the military, declaring treason

Caligula - bad finish

He began to fight with the Senate
He claimed to be a god, and had statues displayed in many places - including the Jewish temple
Other examples of cruelty and insanity : he slept with other men's wives and bragged about it, too much spending, and even tried to make his horse a consul and a priest
Assassinated by his own aides, AD 41 and aged 28

Next in line : Claudius

Ostracized by his family because of his disabilities (limp, slight deafness, possible speech impediment - thought to be cerebral palsy or polio), last adult male in the family
He rose to the occasion : he conquered Britian; he built roads, canals, and aqueducts; he renovated the Circus Maximus
Had an awful marriage to Messalina, who had many affairs

Meanwhile - religious troubles

Christianity and Judaism : monotheistic - one God
Romans had many gods, plus at times the emperor was viewed as a God
AD 66: a group of Jews called the Zealots tried to rebel, but Roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall)
The Western Wall today is the holiest of all Jewish shrines
Half a million Jews died in the rebellion

Persecution of Christians

Romans were harsh toward those who would not worship the emperor
Especially Christians, who were viewed as followers of a new, upstart religion (cult)
Often used for "entertainment" purposes in the Colosseum (thrown to the lions)
Despite the oppression, Christianity grew quickly - by AD 200, around 10 percent of the people in the Roman empire were Christians

Tasha's Western Civ. Blog