Why Christianity went Viral in the Roman Empire

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[@malicant123]

"Why should I be a Christian?" "Well it's popular with women." "Wow! Sign me up!" - Lucius Simpius

[@JayzsMr]

Basically this

[@julienpento3636]

"It's edgy!"

[@malicant123]

@Yaz Well as a male, I cannot be a lesbian, but I volunteer to judge all of the hot oil wrestling matches required of me.

[@johnisaacfelipe6357]

The women back then literally just wanted men to be faithful, At that point, men would literally just ignore wives as they would seek out prostitutes, engage in adultery, and gay concubines.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Woke Christians vs Based Pagans

[@Joker22593]

It's crazy that the very next verse in Ephesians is left out. "Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church." That means Husbands must DIE for their wives. Good stuff.

[@nathanseper8738]

While Christianity is patriarchal, it still requires husbands to love their wives and family.

[@genghiskhan5701]

@@nathanseper8738 Patriarchal socities tend to be the most protective of their wives and families

[@nathanseper8738]

@@genghiskhan5701 But they also tend to box women into specific gender roles and deny them independence. .

[@BS-np8xt]

A good trade-off for women in 99% of circumstances. Only in our modern era can women pretend to have any sort of independence. Once times get tough, the gender roles sort themselves very naturally (and quickly).

[@kwazooplayingguardsman5615]

@@nathanseper8738 we all have our roles born from our nature

[@StudioBasili]

A reminder that early church fathers did not wish for the destruction of Rome even during periods of harsh persecution. “We have no desire, then, to be overtaken by these dire events, and in praying that their coming may be delayed, we are lending our aid to Rome’s duration.”(Tertullian, Apol. 32)

[@carlosvalle612]

Neither de Alric the goth who sacked rome. He wanted to be promoted but kept getting denied by the Romans so he kept putting sieges on rome to get his demands but they kept going back on their word and never gave him what he wanted.

[@JustinCage56]

@@carlosvalle612 I was always in two mind about Alaric. On one end, when his people were treated right and he was being buddy buddy with Stilicho, he seemed loyal to Rome and was a pretty chill dude. But the sack of Rome of itself went too far. I understand he was upset and he did spare churches but the rape and enslaving of the populace (regardless of how small scale it was compared to other sacks) really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[@carlosvalle612]

@@JustinCage56 After much bargaining, the famine-stricken citizens agreed to pay a ransom of 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, 4,000 silken tunics, 3,000 hides dyed scarlet, and 3,000 pounds of pepper.[77] Alaric also recruited some 40,000 freed Gothic slaves. they stole a massive, 2,025-pound silver ciborium that had been a gift from Constantine.

[@carlosvalle612]

@@JustinCage56 The slaves opened the doors for Alric upon hearing of his arrival outside the gates of Rome.

[@vitaeth4949]

Biggest destruction of Rome was caused by Gothic-Eastern roman War in 550s and also Langobards latr on. When you add plagues and climatic events, you can imagine on the end of 6th century old antique cities were depopulated and large palaces and temples abandoned. people had farms in former circuses and arenas and used older buildings to build huts from them. Nobody maintained aquaducts so people main settlements inside these large cities were near rivers. My point is that after year 400 there were no sudden fall of civilization, and it was slower process. After sack of cities like Rome or Mediolanum were from bigger part repaired, of course not all decorations and golden items. Even after year 476 first gothic rulers were benevolent and started to live like romans. War with East changed everything and it's accurate to say that Eastern roman empire really depleted itself and did not fixed anything on captured areas like Rome, Neapolis, Ravenna in 560s.

[@illyrian9976]

I personaly think it is because ancient paganism had very little to offer spiritualy. The rituals became nothing more than necesseties, phillosophers didn't take the myths seriously and the only real way for any spirituality was found in the mystery cults, which usualy happend once a year. Christianity had so much more to offer in comparison.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

@@Varuna2098 not really that far but certainly parts of it came from Paganism but I doubt all of it came from Paganism as Christianity and Islam has the ability to absorb the cultures of the previous religions.

[@illyrian9976]

@@Varuna2098 Christianity has commonalities with Platonism, but to say that it is the same thing is just not true. There are major differences between the two. Now gnosticism is basicly just a mix of christianity and platonism, but it is very different and distinct from traditional Catholic/Orthodox christianity. Also, germanic paganism had a very small influence if any at all. At least you could have said hellenic paganism, but german paganism realy isn't much of an influence. You can just compare catholicism to the ethiopian or syriac churches and see that they have most things in common. That wouldn't realy be the case if christianity in europe was massively influenced by the germanics.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

@@Varuna2098 yeah but saying its all that is oversimpifying it, Religions as I mention borrow things all the time, not just Monotheists but also Polytheists. (This is like saying Astarte and Aphrodite is the same Goddess because she was besed on Astarte, or that Sol Invictus is just Helios)

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

@@Varuna2098 yeah but again saying its just Platonism with an Abrahamic Coat of Paint is way too much of an oversimpification, again its like saying Sol is the samething as Helios.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

@@Varuna2098 Yes But again Saying they are the same is Oversimpifying, its more accurate to say they are related also Gnostism I doubt is a More Hebrew branch of Christianity as much as Niceans are as they view the Old Testament as written by a different or false God which means they kind of reject the Old Teachings of Judaism.

[@fleetcenturion]

1) Books were not plentiful, nor was literacy that high, especially among the lower classes, many of whom were not even Roman citizens. Being in possession of your own copy of the Gospels was a requirement for a bishop, simply because so few could afford such a book (see: the story of St. Nicholas). 2) There was no draft into the Roman Army, and there hadn't been one for over 300 years. The law you refer to (beginning around the time of Constantine) was for the sons of soldiers to follow the profession of their fathers-- which was ironic, since Roman soldiers still could not marry, and all their offspring were considered illegitimate. This was not a plan to supply the Roman army with soldiers, but a scheme by the military to ensure government jobs for their sons. The world's most feared army had degenerated into the world's first public sector union!

[@hmmm3210]

I thought when he talked about literacy being high and anyone can read it he was being sarcastic lol

[@des12zero]

That was sarcasm

[@akSeR2010]

All free people of the Roman Empire became Roman citizens with the edict of Caracalla in 230 AD though. And literacy was high even among the lower classes, especially compared to medieval western Europe. The surviving Eastern Roman Empire retained that high literacy rate to the end of its existence.

[@fleetcenturion]

@@akSeR2010 - Yes, I had to lump a few eras into one, for the sake of brevity.

[@fleetcenturion]

@@Gfimigffmbsgyaeuok - For the people who could. Next question.

[@Cataphract3]

Some quality content. A few notes on Christian women. Women within Christianity also at least at first had more opportunities than your standard Roman woman, as they could serve as deaconesses(and possibly as a form of elder). They could also join communities of celibate women and be free from the demands of husbands. In addition, within Roman families, you only really wanted one daughter. The common practice was to leave any subsequent daughters to die in garbage dumps. Christians would go pick up these abandoned babies and raise them. Thus when they grow up, there is now a large amount of women who are Christian, who when/if they marry Roman husbands, are likely to convince them to convert. After all, it's still fairly common in modern times that if a wife gets religious, she tends to drag the husband along with her.

[@TheWarhammerJunkies]

interesting. Do you know where I can read more about the female adoption thing?

[@MaitlandJones]

In fact, well into the medieval period women would have access to higher education by becoming nuns, and could indeed wield a degree of power that comes with education and authority from the church.

[@universalflamethrower6342]

@@TheWarhammerJunkies pretty common, even today little girls are abandoned or aborted or not made, look at China and India

[@TheWarhammerJunkies]

@@universalflamethrower6342 i know it might be common. I'm asking where can i Read more about it. In particular, the Roman version.

[@universalflamethrower6342]

@@TheWarhammerJunkies Tom Holland classical Historian has written a lot about antiquity, his latest book Doninion covers the transition from Pagan practises to Christian practises and the total revolution that it meant. History pivoted on the cross that can't be overstated.

[@romanempire4495]

My friend, it is a good day whenever you upload!

[@nikolatasev4948]

It certainly helped that when you were down on your luck most of the other religions were "sucks to be you, weakness disgusts Jupiter". You could not trust people of the same religion, the gods were fighting, raping and eating each other. Zeus defeated and imprisoned his father to gain power.... and his father had defeated his own father to get it, and was eating his own children to avoid the same fate, so not the best role models. Their mythology was basically their current society but with superpowers. Christianity was one of the few religions that asked people to, shockingly, help each other! And selling hope that even if life sucks big time, if you are one of them you will get rewarded, and your torturers will be punished. In Greek/Roman religions, almost everyone get the same treatment.

[@Frendlu]

Something that a lot of Hellenism/Roman gods lovers forget it's that they didn't lived in that ancient era. Its good and beautifull, when you see it at the comodeties from your modern house all the stories that they had, but when you are living in that era, and you have to choose between the ancient gods (that had disputable morals like, canibalism (Saturn eating his own children), parricide (Jupiter Killing Saturn), incest (yep, Jupiter and Juno were brothers) and others like their own particular "Game of Thrones" (like the famous apple for the most beautifull that provoqued the War of Troy)) or the Christian God, yep, the answer it's also easy to see, more because religion was an extent from the society, not a side note, like happens at this era Christianity, just drop all this shit, and said, what a lot of people wanted to listen. Give them, equality (everyone it's equal from God, no matter if you're Patrician, pleb or slave, when the old gods, didn't care), justice (if you're good, you go to the Heaven, if not, to the hell, thing that didn't existed at the Roman religion, that everyone went to the Hades) and morals (so no this Gamey of Thrones BS from the old gods) .

[@geordiejones5618]

And it didn't take long for them to become corrupted by power and violence. As soon as they took over they began a march to cover the planet that continues to this day.

[@nikolatasev4948]

@@geordiejones5618 True. It took just a few centuries to turn pacifist Christianity into something unrecognisable. This is often the case with ideas. An organization forms around the idea, to help spread, promote it. The organization often starts flat and decentralized. Then the cells that are more rabid and willing to nudge the message to the benefit of the ones in power or to be easier for the masses to swallow grow faster. Then the powerful cells purge the organization of any resistance, declare any opposing views to be heresy, and become obsessed with massing influence and wealth. Almost always this means the actual message gets ignored, sometimes intentionally suppressed (e.g. Bible being only in Latin so normal people can't read it). There are several religions trying to avoid this, with mixed success. For example Buddhist monks being obliged to beg for food.

[@elegantgent9948]

@@FrendluNo, first of all religion was not a representation of society at all. Most people saw they'r gods as characters and divinities that are not there to emulate, like most monotheistic religions do with they'r prophet /god. And while yes, there was some incest allowed in some regards, the argument doesn't work as incest in some way or form was still there during christian times, if not look at all the royal houses. Also, justice did exist in Hades, as it had sublayers like the elysian fields as some sort of heaven, hades it self as a purgatory and Tartarys as a punishment for the wicked. And the ancient society had morals, just not the ones we associate today with it as our modern world view is esentally a judeo-christian ones with some influences here and there. Saying that there was no morals in ancient Rome, is just a very strange claim. Such a society would have gone under very very quick.

[@chuckles5689]

@@elegantgent9948 They were obviously morals, they were just far more weaker than in the Christian framework. Hence, the mass conversions.

[@decimusausoniusmagnus5719]

My heart is filled with joy at the sight of your return.

[@Pan_Z]

I oft find we focus much on the highest authorities, we forget about the common man. Good explanation/story why Christianity proliferated. Also, glad you've recovered.

[@nathanseper8738]

I also like this birds-eye view of the spread of Christianity.

[@Dominus_Augustus]

Like watching a map view of the spread of a disease

[@deeznutz7064]

Makes sense Emperor Constantine gave perks to Christian cities Aristotle told every slave of Greece and Rome "you deserve to be a slave" and very few of the Pontifex Maximus's criticized the institution of slavery. Meanwhile the Christians promised them heaven For women the state forcing men to be faithful and women to be subservient is a lot easier than competing with a prostitute or sex slave. There was no internet back then. Before cars and the internet a prostitute could change her status to a respected housewife just by moving to a town 20 miles away

[@Dominus_Augustus]

Ah, yes. Promise the slaves a lie of eternal bliss after they're already dead, rather than freeing them while they are still alive the one and only time they will be. A very underhanded way of keeping them in line, indeed.

[@deeznutz7064]

@@Dominus_Augustus Rudyard crackpipe history Lynch says Christianity ended slavery in Europe. It didn't. All the barbarians did was replace slavery with serfdom. At least house slaves in Rome slept in a palace. Bureaucratic slaves in Athens had authority over the common citizenry. Serfs were outside on the field all day during the horrible heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter and their lives were at the mercy of their feudal lord. Yes, being a slave in a mine or a boiler room or a rock quarry was horrific. Emptying chamber pots is horrific. But those hard labor slaves were usually idiot barbarian pows that thought they could beat the romans in war. Most serfs were just desperate civilians seeking shelter from the barbarians, bandits, pirates and slave traders. For the common field slaves of Rome there was absolutely no difference between serfdom and slavery because neither slaves nor serfs had rights

[@ObliviAce]

@@Dominus_Augustus Then again, after christianity became big in the roman empire many masters started freeing their slaves or allow them to pay for their freedom. So in a way, christianity made both happen. Plus many theologians like john chrysostom condemned the practice.

[@ZephLodwick]

Christianity was popular because paganism was depressing. The Old Gods didn't care about you, and you gave them offerings so they wouldn't set your house on fire. Christianity is about being a good person so you can go to Heaven.

[@legateelizabeth]

I don't think that's true - at least no more depressing than reality. The Gods could be nice, nasty, could care about you (at least if you made them notice), could feel completely indifferent; they were very 'human' in that sense, having a range of emotions and interests, whims and flights. Which makes sense - we were made to be like them, weren't we? You didn't give an offering to the gods just so they didn't hurt you because they wanted to - you gave it for anything. To help with your health, to bring you fortune and luck; basically all the things anyone else prays for. You don't pray to God just so you don't get smote, do you? And hey, basically every religion has a good/bad afterlife dilemma based on acts in life. In the Egyptian faith you would have your heart weighed against the feather, in the Norse religion how you lived and especially how you died determined which of the realms you went to, in Hellenism where in Hades you ended up depended on what you did - it's why there are stories of right evil bastards going to Tartarus and good, virtuous people going to the Isle of the Blessed.

[@starman825]

Pagan gods were the mafia Christ was the kind reverend

[@Blinkin71A]

I mean you accept Jesus so he doesn't set YOU on fire forever.

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

@Yaz That symbol came from the Greeks not Jews, and it was an code using initials of the word for fish and the name of Christ

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

@Yaz who were dead or scattered to the corners of the earth. Jesus was a Jew, his followers were primarily made up of Jews.

[@Definitely_Dave]

TL;DR Because it’s based

[@TheGovernmentputcrackinmyblunt]

Empowering women is hella based dude.

[@TetsuShima]

Christians: "We only want a World in which Christ's justice and love rule all of us" Emperors Nero, Domitian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Thrax, Decius, Gallus, Valerian and Diocletian: "So, anyway, we started burning..."

[@matijas7994]

Correction - Christians: We dont wanna kill random animals for a God

[@TetsuShima]

@@matijas7994 Roman Emperors: "THEN YOU ARE LOST"

[@pseudochadio]

@@TetsuShima Constantine: **Initiate Order John 8:32**

[@septimiusseverus343]

_I never ordered any such persecution. I was too busy ruling an empire to concern myself with a minor sect. If the provincial governors wished to seek out scapegoats for their own failures, that's on them. I couldn't have cared less._

[@matijas7994]

@Yaz isnt comunion consisting of bread and whine?

[@MatthewChenault]

It’s more of a coincidence that things such as Saturnalia and Sol Invictus day fall on a similar date as Christmas. Scholars have tried to make a solid comparison between the two, but the issue that often occurs is the drastic difference in practice of the faith and the contradictory origins of Christmas. In the end, the main incentive for Romans to convert to Christianity is the issue of paganism itself. Paganism is highly dependent on selling a particular deity based on the prosperity they bring. In the late 2nd and throughout the third century, the pagan gods of Rome had fallen out-of-favor due to the constant cataclysms Rome faced as well as the persistence of disease and famine throughout that time. What makes Christianity such a revolutionary religion is the notion of it all being tied to God as a singular deity; the originator of all things and a deity of righteousness. It’s core message is one of humanity’s flawed, corrupted nature being the reason behind calamity, chaos, and evil rather than any vengeful deity. To put it simply, the philosophical concept behind Christianity is easier to understand and is centered around self-accountability. To the Roman population, which had undergone so many cataclysms, this message was both appealing and would have made as much sense as paganism, if not more sense. That and the focus on self-accountability is what sells the faith to the wider populous.

[@Frendlu]

And also, I think that sell better a christian God than the hellenistic Gods. Its true that both were miths, but the gods had horrible messages. Like, eating your kids or killing your father, marry with your sister and not happy with that spread the seed. And the "game of thrones" that the gods have between them and the humans. So, you have in one side, a bunch of idiots and the other side, a God that tell you that you only need to behave well and everyone its equal from God so no deluxe treatment because birth. Yep, in moral way, one sell better than the another.

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

A coincidence he says. How utterly wrong you are.

[@MatthewChenault]

@@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon , do you have any solid evidence to prove they appropriated the holiday from paganism?

[@ash9280]

Christianity is post messianic Judaism. It is the heart at about universalization of the "chosen people status". The way that status is universalized is accepting the Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. There is no self contradiction if some elements of the faiths come from pagan sources as long as those elements uphold and push Christian truth. Like saying Jesus is Lord is actually a pagan origin. In the sense the term was used to people used say something like Caesar is Lord or Lord Caeser. But Christians adopted the term and inverted by saying Jesus is Lord.

[@MatthewChenault]

@@ash9280, um… no.

[@diegomenjivar2024]

I've read 5 of Nietzsche's books. He do love to trash talk about christianity. He was also very knowledgeable of the classical world. The more I learn about ancient Rome, the less it suprises me how christianity took over, and the more it baffles me how Nietzsche could not wrap his head around how awful grecoromans could be. If the romans enslaved, invaded, repressed, exploited and disregarded their slaves, naturally sometime somewhere a challenge to their supremacy will emerge. Cause and effect.

[@mlelko]

Yeah I’ve been reading Nietzsche lately too and I understand most of his sentiments like resentment of life, but they happen more so in smaller amounts than the bigger picture. I guess it had to do with his culture at the time

[@conatus1306]

I'm not sure what you don't understand, frankly. The Christian world reduces human types to "no shepherd and one herd", it "levels mountain and valley" whereas Nietzsche says "be robbers and conquerors so long as you cannot be ruler and possessor", "build your homes on the slopes of Vesuvius, send your ships into uncharted waters, and live at war with your peers and yourself". Christianity doesn't get rid of slaves, it simply drags everyone down to being like slaves. Greeks and Romans may have been mean, but they produced heroes and made of human life something exalted. The best Christianity makes are pillar-men and self-castrating """saints""". Christianity is thus the world's biggest coping mechanism - "the two great narcotics of Europe have henceforth been alcohol and Christianity". Oh boy, and then there's all that Christian and liberal self-righteousness. Boy oh boy doesn't everyone like that; "we're so humane, we're so fair, we're so..." mediocre.

[@conatus1306]

Oh dear me, I wrote as if Christian and liberal weren't simply a tautology. Whoops.

[@fiddlesticks7245]

@@conatus1306 Ngl bro I don't know why but you sound like a bitch, a pussy even. Height, weight, and combat sports history? Mine's 5'10" 185lbs, Maui Thai and Boxing. Praise Christ btw

[@conatus1306]

@Ivan Ivanoff Truly, how could somebody compare Cathars and, say, Utopian cults in England? Or perhaps Calvinists and modern-day politically-correct Liberals? Very different.

[@aradicalkiwi806]

Well, Christianity was also popular with lower classes significantly because of its many radical political stances. Staunch opposition to war, support of a Roman Jubilee every 50 years which would entail debt forgiveness and land redistribution, and a similar, but less pronounced, opposition to slavery (though this was taboo as it could easily be viewed as inciting revolt). Just look at the original lords prayer, known the same by many protestants today, "forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors". Though most of these positions were sidelined as the persecuted church became the persecuting church.

[@trajanaugustus3501]

Almost right, just… the Pharisees crucified Jesus, the Romans just executed their wishes to maintain order and stability

[@baneofbanes]

So the Romans crucified Jesus.

[@trajanaugustus3501]

@@baneofbanes for the 90- IQ, yes

[@sixthcairn]

​@@trajanaugustus3501They were still the ones who hammered the nails into the cross. That they did it because they caved in to popular demand is irrelevant to the fact they did it.

[@PrimetimeX]

So the Romans take orders from Jews now? Are you a moron?

[@genghiskhan5701]

Some random Roman soldier piercing Jesus to see if he is dead became a saint lol

[@joebombero1]

Don't forget the "Obsolescence of the Oracles". The oracles simply stopped working around the time of Christ. Also the death of the god "Pan" was widely reported at this time.

[@RoyCyberPunk]

For real? If true that deserves an entire video of its own.

[@DoctahDizzle]

Can you elaborate further on the death of pan?

[@RazorsharpLT]

I call bullshit on that m8 The Oracles were always BSing their way out with prophecies like "If you attack - a great Kingdom shall fall" where the guy then attacked and his Kigndom fell. Yeah no shit someone must lose in a war. They were more of a "down to earth" type of prophecy tellers

[@RoyCyberPunk]

@@RazorsharpLT Regardless of what you believe or not the obsolescence of the oracles is documented in recorded history so something transcendental must have taken place for that to occur.

[@RazorsharpLT]

@@RoyCyberPunk I have yet to find any mention of a specific time for the obsolescence of oracles. Which, in any case, would basically admit to saying that the pagan gods are real.

[@lollertoaster]

It makes so much sense that traditional religions will also be associated with those in power. Weird that it never occurred to me. I have no idea why, but I always have such a difficult time trying to imagine everyday life in later Roman Empire. They are not much further away from us, than from the founding of the Republic, yet still so foreign compared to medieval Italians.

[@YuddhaVeera]

Jesus was a jew who was just a blasphemer in the eyes of his Abrahamic tradition. Like a typical Abrahamic believer an Orthodox jew would hate him for claiming that he was the son of God himself while Jews were staunchly opposed to such human like narratives about God. They ensured that he got punishment but this time it was under Roman authority. So he was "crucified" and the crucifix became the holy cross of the Christianity. In real it was just a horrible punishment meted out to people who posed harm to the empire itself. Jesus was seen as a potential hero of Jews who wanted to rebel against Rome by the Romans like they did before. Orthodox Jews on the other hand saw him as a blasphemer fit to die. Jesus thus became the saviour of people who were sidelined by the mainstream society like he himself was by his own people. Christianity was a non entity in Roman Empire and was popular among nobodies who wanted to feel important. When it bared its Abrahamic fangs Roman authorities considered it another mischief after Jewish monotheism and naturally persecuted it

[@clovismerovingian7764]

And then it took over that empire and most of the world so did pretty good I think.

[@crimsonthumos3905]

December 25th being deducsted to Sol Invictus was implemented by Aurelian. Christmas being celebrated as Christ's birthday predates that by at least a century

[@KOCChristian]

Yeah plus it’s a myth that Christ replace Sol Invictus day. But it was just Best Buy and Netflix situation. Cause Jesus died March 25 (Easter) so people believe he had a perfect life thinking he was conceived on March 25 (The day Mary was pregnant) which mean 9 month after would be December. More people just turn Christian and celebrates December 25th to the point people forgot Sol Invictus Day

[@TheSphee131]

This video is very nice, I like how you made me feel and understand as If I were in the Roman Empire

[@Captain_Titus3867]

To pay respect for my spiritual ancestors I will also live on a random column preaching the good word

[@thefrenchkiwi9435]

Wait. So Christians only represented 30 to 40% of the empire... euh... I mean the world's population in the 400s? I thought that number would be higher. Like 60 or even 70%. Wasn't Christianity the majority religion by the time Theodosius I came to power?

[@illyrian9976]

I think it is talking about the time when constantine legalized it. During the time of Theodosius it would have been much higher.

[@TominusMaximus]

Surprisingly it wasnt. Read some Christian books from the 5th and 6th century. They still preach vividly against paganism. But it has really hard to estimate the real number, no contemporary sources mention anything related to faith.

[@Victor_aeternus002]

​@@illyrian9976 The percentage of christians in the empire during the reign of Constantine is estimated to have been no more than 10%. Christians didn't make up the majority of the population until the late 4th - early 5th century.

[@conorhenderson8537]

@@TominusMaximus and in fact muchhh lower the jesus man and jews false religions failed then too. And many christians converted to and back to Roman Pagan Ways back to The True Almighties The Real Gods The True Gods.

[@baneofbanes]

Paganism was still present in Southern Europe into the early Middle Ages.

[@Lolek080195]

Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat

[@Dictator1999]

Romans didn’t kill Jesus. The Jews did.

[@hmmm3210]

He doesn't want to get striked

[@echo3297]

Gospel

[@woopdashoop9860]

The jewish elite didnt changed at all

[@TominusMaximus]

it was a co-op

[@thalmoragent9344]

The split between Catholic and Orthodox Christianity definitely left a monumental schism in the heart of Rome. 😢

[@garrettfricke4076]

I love how it was a mixed bag same as it is today. Many philosophers now and in the past 2 thousand years have said the Bible is the most wise and deep book ever to grace the earth and some despise it as utterly incompetent or only useful for control. The Bible actually says this will happen in its pages and it’s been that way for so long. Very interesting

[@computergamescritical6917]

When does the Bible say that some will view its contents as incompetent and others will view it as wise and deep?

[@garrettfricke4076]

@@computergamescritical6917 “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation” “the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of god, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” “lying lips of the word are an abomination to the lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight” those are just a few passages and they allude to the fact that they know people will use it for malicious intent and therefore condemn it, they know many will not understand and see it for what it really is and this will of course lead to those who will call it worthless as is how the process of these this goes. There are many many more and I suggest you look some lofe for yourself, I found those passages in 2 Peter, Roman’s, John and 2 others.

[@garrettfricke4076]

@@computergamescritical6917 also relevant is 1 Timothy 1:1-20 where Paul is telling Timothy to stay behind and charge the False teachers for leaving the faith void less and meaningless with their heretical doctrines based on misunderstanding which was spreading to the people. “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,g stay there in Ephesush so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrine’s any longer or to devote themselves to myth’s and endless genealogies Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work-which is by faith.” (The point is there’s hundreds of examples and I woudknt actually be able tk list them all here for the Bible is extremely vast, if that’s not satisfactory for you then I encourage reading it and you will find many parables, themes and outright verses talking about this subject and how it’s extremely important to talk about for the church to thrive as it was intended)

[@computergamescritical6917]

@@garrettfricke4076 Ok, thank you for your replies. I think I get what you mean, there’s an idea in the New Testament at least that the Bible is “spiritually discerned” and a contrast is placed between “human wisdom” and the wisdom of God.

[@duke9534]

@@computergamescritical6917 Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom before reading the Scriptures O Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart, that I may hear your word and understand and do your will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not your commandments from me, but open my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of your law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom. On You I set my hope, O my God, that You will enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of your knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; that in reading the lives and sayings of the saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance of life everlasting. For You are the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from You comes every good deed and every gift. Amen.

[@euanstokes2828]

I found this video really entertaining, gotta say this answered a lot of questions I had! Why a persecuted group gradually became the main religion of an empire for example.

[@KOCChristian]

Redeem Zoomer is KZbin with bunch videos about Christianity and how early church was like

[@ihavenomouthandimusttype9729]

It’s funny to think now but Christianity offered huge benefits to women. Women were not seen as lesser spiritually than men: they had equal opportunities in reaching heaven and could pursue life in a religious order. The insistence on monogamy raised the value of individual women in society. This is opposed to Hellenic traditions which, despite the presence of goddesses and female cults, viewed them as second to men.

[@stephenwood6663]

"I permit no woman to teach or have authority over any man; she must be silent." - 1 Timothy 2:12 To say that Christianity offered women spiritual equality strikes me as... something of a stretch. By the 4th century, Christian polemecists had largely settled on an anti-contraception stance, something which might have been worrying for women in an age when childbirth was one of the leading causes of death in young women.

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@stephenwood6663 you do realize that the earliest converts to Christianity were women?

[@stephenwood6663]

@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl Charismatic speakers often garner the support of a lot of women - the same was true of Robespierre, for instance. It does not follow that their support always comes from a place of rationality, and in this regard, women and men are much alike.

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@Zeerich-yx9po wrong cheating on your wife was normal and even encouraged in hellenic cultures. Yes you were expected to have only one wife. But it was accepted and encouraged to have more lovers

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@stephenwood6663 it specifically appealed to women that is the reason

[@legateelizabeth]

TL;DR: personal and general crises and top-down incentives are a really good way to get people to embrace a new religion (or at least, to act like they do and raise their kids in that way so they really do), especially if you want them to do it with gusto. It’s not a co-incidence that Christian numbers swelled during the Crisis of the Third Century.

[@AkealSenpai]

There are truly no coincidences just earlier this morning I was looking up why Christianity became popular in Greece and then not long after you uploaded this haha

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Simply its the Religion of the In Crowd back then not the religion of the Elite or Big Business and Big State or more accurately Big Imperium. Christianity in the Ancient Era was the equivalent of Atheism ironically today in the West, the belief of the masses and underdog.

[@AkealSenpai]

@@forickgrimaldus8301 this makes sense. I know it's pretty unrelated to his channel but it would be cool to see him do a similar video with Islam in Turkey or Greek Philosophy/culture in Rome

[@pseudochadio]

@@AkealSenpai turks are irreligious compared to greeks, romanians and italians. Kurds are the most religious group in turkey

[@AkealSenpai]

@@pseudochadio Very recently I've been learning this to be the case and wonder if it's the same situationin the west with people claiming to be more secular or spiritual but not religious

[@shaughnessyneal9426]

Welcome to the communist panopticon.

[@TetsuShima]

The first expansions of christianity through the travels of Peter and Paul were brillantly portrayed in the amazing mini-series "A.D.", which also deals with the lives of the Julio-Claudians Emperors and their reaction towards the birth of Jesus' phylosophy, being depicted in a pretty creative way: Tiberius (played by James Mason in his last role) is portrayed as a depressive and decadent tyrant with a rather nihilistic lifestyle; Caligula appears as a pure-evil madman willing to become a god regardless of the consequences; Claudius is an anti-Semitic womanizer who, despite being quite intelligent, lets his own naivety kill him; and Nero is depicted here as the true despicable and calculating antichrist that he was, rather than the bratty and incompetent fat man we've seen in most media.. There's also a novelization of the mini-series written by Anthony Burguess called "The Kingdom of the Wicked", which also expands the story beyond Peter and Paul's death, depicting the Year of the Four Emperors, the Judean Revolt, the Masada's mass suicide, the rise of the Flavians and the destruction of Pompeii. It's a pretty great book, but the way it depicts the depravaties of the Emperors and the persecution of christianity is really disgusting and depressing

[@matijas7994]

The journey of peter and paul mostly made the jewish diaspora christian, not the "gentile" romans Also Nero's erongdoings are allways exgagarated too much, he wasnt the antichrist and he didnt start the fires in Rome

[@Nebraska2002]

The idea of wives submitting to their husbands, applies in the inverse as well

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

Be as Abraham who respected and listened to his wife Sarah when Sarah & Iassac were being insulted and verbally abused by Hagar

[@johnrockwell5834]

The next few verses is about wives submitting to husbands,children to parents, slaves to masters which expounds on the words: submit to one another. Because if what you say applies. It would also apply to parents and children, master and slaves as well.

[@Onezy05]

Have been reading a brilliant book ('The Triumph of Christianity') about this recently and there seems to be two principle components to Christianity that allowed it to spread so much in the Roman pagan world: 1) It was exclusive (you had to abandon your other gods and worship only one) 2) It was evangelical (Christians were actively travelling around to seek converts) If it lacked exclusivity, your average pagan would have just added Jesus to their worship of other gods alongside Zeus or Neptune. If it lacked evangelicalism, it would have had a limited spread and be of the same size and fate as Judaism. Also keep in mind that the concept of monotheism (worshipping one supreme God) wasn't that alien in the Roman Empire, as can be seen with the popularity of 'Sol Invictus'. There are many other interesting reasons, but evangelicalism and exclusivity were key components of Christianity succeeding in the pagan world.

[@Vntihero]

Thank you Greek and Illyrian Roman’s for spreading ✝

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

3:05 The man speaks true in a way.

[@Zetact_]

Of course we appreciate Constantine for being the first Christian emperor, but I gotta say that Constantius II taking on a more aggressively pro-Christian (anti-Pagan?) policy for his 24 year reign also put in a lot of hustle. But also don't forget that the shift of Rome into a Christian civilization was something that took centuries of extremely harsh discrimination including more than a few attempted genocides. One of the most compelling arguments I've heard for the historicity of the resurrection is that after the crucifixion, the disciples and even some skeptics of Christ's divinity became stalwart in their support of spreading the word of the man who was actually executed by the empire.

[@refreshrateyes]

"centuries of persecution" are you dumb? Pagans didnot ban christianity christianity destroyed everything pagan

[@branis96]

Using the word Christian is this era of history is completely incorrect and inaccurate, there is no such thing as "Christian religion" .. there are just different political ideologies which are described (wrongly) as religion (Orthodoxy = the Greek religion .. Catholicism = the Latin religion .. Protestantism = the Germanic religion .. ect) Constantine and his son did not convert/follow/allowed the "Christianity" which +99% of "Christians" follow today, Constantine himself was baptized by an Arian priest, now go ask what do Christians of today think about Arianism.. There is no such thing as single Christianity in history.. there was Trinitarianism (a 4th century doctrine mostly influenced by Roman paganism) which the vast majority of so-called Christians follow today, and trinitarianism was the ideology which won against the "Christian" Arians in their long wars between the 4th to 6th century (despite losing to Germanic arians in many battles and lands) The point here is that using the word Christian in history while claiming they were one single group (where in fact they were the complete opposite) is a complete non-sense, specially not for Constantine and his son, if those two were alive today, they will be considered heathens by most of what you call "Christians"

[@Zetact_]

@@branis96 Constantine's general life work in religious matters was getting together various sects of Christianity from across the empire and having them sort out a lot of the disparities via discussion. Constantius II also is accused of pro-Arianism but really his religious policy was more about allowing people to openly debate theological matters rather than being strictly doctrinal to the point of oppressing minority opinions. You should note that they were so successful at this goal that Julian's attempt to decouple Rome from Christianity required he try and do the same sort of unification with the various forms of paganism. Constantine's general beliefs can be simply summed up in saying that he would allow the priests to make decisions and as they were the experts he would prescribe by what they came to the conclusions about, but he was adamant that they be consistent. Constantius probably had a similar belief, just that he believed that letting people talk about their different doctrines would be a better way to find the right interpretation.

[@justinianthegreat8781]

Jesus is a pretty cool dude. I dig this.

[@etherospike3936]

We "Romans" were the one who crucified him ! Except that it was the Jews moral guilt !

[@monkeymoment6478]

Pilate’s act of washing his hands of Christ’s crucifixion was a redemptive act for Rome. They were simply the middle men of justice, while the Jews were the ones who demanded his death.

[@PrimetimeX]

@@monkeymoment6478the Romans never took marching orders from Jews. Everyone knows the Romans carried out the imprisonment and killing of Jesus. No matter how you package it, the Romans killed Jesus

[@pogo8050]

Boomer polytheist: back in my day we threw you lot to the lions

[@josephnugent3065]

The Return of the King

[@ShadesApeDJansu]

Because Jesus is God ! First ! DEUS VULT ! Thank you for this video, you are true a christian brother

[@landsknecht8654]

Based

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Humorous, entertaining, and educational. What more could one ask for with such content? My sincerest thanks. May God Bless your endeavors!

[@MrMirville]

The story of Christianity's conquest of the Empire is not as idealistic as generally assumed. First of all it was not a religion characterized by persecution. The times of persecution it endured were rather rare, short-lived and the exception rather than the rule. Other cults as there were so many of them were as rule subject to greater risks of repression. Druids for instance didn't have it easy. Jews were targeted for mass extermination under quite a few emperors whereas the most anti-Christian ones targeted Christians only as individuals in retribution for individual acts of resistance : Christianity was known to be one of the most obedient and pro-establishment cults of the empire and was as a rule more than allowed to preach in the streets and call Romans to virtues : they managed to have their own streets and spaces like for instance the Stoicians from whom they seemed to have copied much of their practical teaching. For instance just have a look on the site the Spiritual Bee which is about Hindu advaita thought, which is the best modern equivalent of Stoicism, but is practically indistinguishable from Victorian style Christian mentality. Though it accepted slaves and homeless people, Christianity was not a religion of slaves as such because it demanded more things and duties to comply with from slaves than from free people : most slaves were not very honest and could do dishonest tricks as long as it was not at the master's displeasure whereas Christianity demanded perfect honesty and not a mere pleasing attitude. Most first-hour Christians came from the small artisan and merchant class who happened to be the most essential for the empire's prosperity and to whom the practice of Christian virtues was a plus for their business of the kind that was too small not to fail when dishonest. Christianity did ask for virtues and attitudes very different from the traditional ones : a very wrong view is to assume that pagans as they were called were materialistic while the Christians were all otherworldly. Many pagans for sure expected from Gods mostly this-worldly benefits, but a great number of other ones were talking to gods, had supernatural experiences like meeting one in person, and oriented their life to be tested by them to gain their realm after death. Christianity came at a point when the old Roman way of practicing religion could no longer be restored because the clergy was 100% hypocritical and the temples functioned as banks and credit institutions essentially : it was too committed with money.

[@JustinCage56]

Silly question but are you Christian? Also, good to see you're back on your feet again!

[@legateelizabeth]

The description reads ‘dedicated to god almighty for saving me in May 2022’. I don’t know if he had some accident and he’s been a Christian for ages and is thankful for survival or if he means spiritually saved and he’s been Christian for a month or so.

[@JustinCage56]

@@legateelizabeth That's very wholesome!

[@LordMazdamundi]

@@legateelizabeth May 2022 may have been when he was baptised or entered the church

[@Canev821]

Yes I’m a catholic

[@anonymous-kp8er]

christianity = rome's woke movement

[@Endicott2577]

Exit life

[@GaetanoBonaparte]

fr fr

[@jurgschupbach3059]

They went Woke and going Broke.... ..

[@giftenjoyer3664]

Amīcī vocātīvus amīce est.

[@flaviusstilicho1239]

Demum aliquis dixit hoc

[@vaineratom7739]

In a modern sense we do like to praise the Paganism and curse Christianity but the truth it wasn't a simple case of "dumb peasents ruined everything". We like to think as Roman culture as being extremely based and cool but it at times could be very cruel and had very nasty attributes which lead to the rise of Christianity. Not saying Christianity was good or was better than paganism. Really good video explaining the actual social factors instead of treating the rise of Christianity as some sort of preventable tragedy.

[@refreshrateyes]

christianity was dumb and stupid,they viewed wisdom as evil.They killed philosophers.They banned pagans and destroyed thoer temples

[@vaineratom7739]

@@refreshrateyes That opionion I agree with but on a factual level religions are a lot more like viruses Both transmit data by infecting a host with said information which is then replicated and spread Christianity was a more effective virus than paganism. I can list a number of reasons

[@bigger_mibber6029]

"Not saying Christianity was good or was better than paganism." It is better and it is good for the soul.

[@KevinJohnson-cv2no]

@@bigger_mibber6029 Good for the soul, eh? Well I know a few things good for my bank account. Wanna have a competition?

[@ShxnkoVonKonigreichfairness]

Christianity in its pure form is much better than paganism, but when the commandments are ignored anything can happen, bc christianity without commandments and a lot of practice, it's not christianity. God is love, god bless you

[@trolllo9729]

Eventually you just lose faith in the current establishments. Kinda like today 👍

[@yaboyed5779]

Welcome back, glad to see you getting better.

[@metro41412]

I love how history can be taught through memes now :)

[@MrAaaaazzzzz00009999]

this isnt a new thing. history can always be taught in a fun way

[@shaughnessyneal9426]

It's all that commies can understand.

[@Worstthanhitler]

This is misinformation and cringe

[@ElLudens]

Lmao I just noticed at the start ther is a young greekling walking away from an undesired mentor!

[@intergalactichumanempire9759]

As a Christian of the Catholic variety, this is a great and simple video to explain how we managed to beat the pagans!

[@septimiusseverus343]

It was a religious shift, not some holy war.

[@septimiusseverus343]

@Mystery NiBBa Good for you.

[@bennyv4444]

Spoken like one not invested in all the holy battles that were fought

[@ConyCees]

When I see that Tominus has uploaded a new video, I drop everything (this time it was my son and he landed on his head, but I think he's fine -_-) and hurry to the nearest amphitheatre, so that I can watch it surrounded by full Roman aesthetics.

[@AntonioBrandao]

Forgot to mention he can also become a Parabolani goon and go around smacking people and temples

[@valentinusaurelius2259]

Sounds pretty based tbh.

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

Romans be like “I’m sick of these Savage Barbarians”, my brother in Christ you are these Savage Barbarians

[@refreshrateyes]

i gave jesus a bro by fking mary

[@tsurugi5]

imagine calling the cradle of western civilization savage barbarians, the absolute state of larping zoomers

[@shelbyspeaks3287]

@@tsurugi5 tbf it took a middle eastern religion to humble your ass...

[@monkeymoment6478]

⁠@@shelbyspeaks3287 Calling Christianity a “middle eastern” religion is about as retarded as it gets, you sodomite. The New Testament was written in Greek. Judea was a Roman province and had been heavily Hellenized. Christianity’s intellectual origins are from Greek cities. The only thing “middle eastern”about it is that the events of the Bible happened in the Near East, which again, I remind you had been in the European sphere of influence for thousands of years before Islam cut it off. To suggest Christianity is any more foreign to the Roman world than the cult of Sol Invictus, Cult of Mithra, Cult of Cybele, etc. is very dishonest as these mystery cults come from the Near East as well, but there was no “humbling” done with these ones.

[@lionelgideom]

@@tsurugi5username

[@ConcernedResident_GiantStack]

Polytheism was already going out of style in the 3rd century BEFORE Constantine. Just look at the popularity with Sol Invictus, who had replaced Zeus/Jupiter as the main god of the pagan Roman world. Constantine used Sol Invictus and the Christian God interchangeably at times, so as not to offend either group as he tried (in vain) to bring the Roman world under one common religion. You have a lot of people who say Constantine was just an opportunist who used Christianity, but it was Michael Grant who noted that Constantine's rush to get baptized before his death shows that his belief in his idea of Christianity was genuine.

[@Dominus_Augustus]

Or he knew that it would help people like you believe it was so that you would more easily be controlled.

[@f.k.1359]

Good to see that you have accepted the light and recovered. Great vid

[@enochsadventures]

>christ be like >be a good boy >pagan heathens be like >NOOOOOOOOOO

[@joeb6986]

Just sat on the toilet.

[@1998topornik]

That was very creative explanation.

[@gaiusiuliuscaesar3809]

Greek gods were more interesting, especially their stories.

[@patrickliu822]

The Kardashians are even more interesting

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

@@patrickliu822coming from one whose entire blood lineage is less interesting than the life of a single beetle, that’s rich

[@alexanderi1183]

If you find incest interesting.

[@ash9280]

There is a big difference between Greeks Gods and Jesus. Greek Gods were thought to live in a mystical ''once upon in time'' or a mythical time where the line between history and myth was very little thin. Jesus was thought to be God living within history itself. History existing in the actual and here now. That's why, the Apostle's Creed lists living him in the time of Pontius Pilate.

[@gaiusiuliuscaesar3809]

@@ash9280 jesus was certainly an historical character but he was not god. They are both a fable, a myth , an explanation, an excuse to what humanity could not explain scientifically at the time. Anyway i love your profile picture. Kind regards.

[@sekarmaltum1695]

03:35 there i sat, my mout filled with almonds uttering sounds that represented the words "well that is stupid -wait im kind of a hermit... FUCK"

[@nsawatchlistbait289]

BASED

[@thunderwarrior2459]

Ayy ally educational and funny

[@ianeons9278]

4:47 Still relevant 1700 Years later.

[@TylerDurden-rr5wb]

5:17 That visualisation isn't fully accurate. Man indeed had to work hard and care about his wife, he was a protector and provider. He was a kind of second father for her in most cases. There were also some people like a guy on the imege who did nothing but I don't like presenting such cases as an objective example of how man-woman relations were in the past. It's just biased and missleaning.

[@basedropeist6617]

It's called being funny. This is a wojak meme history video.

[@TylerDurden-rr5wb]

@@basedropeist6617 It doesn't matter - look at the comments, people are taking it as serious history but a bit simplified and showed in entertaining form. That's why I wrote this comment - to avoid such false views to spread among people

[@basedropeist6617]

@@TylerDurden-rr5wb Portraying women as men's servants in Christianity is funny even if it's a bit more nuanced

[@TylerDurden-rr5wb]

@@basedropeist6617 Portrayng woman is correct here. Man's isn't

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

324 CE: Emperor Constantine declares Christianity as the only official religion of the Roman Empire. At Dydima, Asia Minor, he sacks the Oracle of God Apollo and tortures its priests to death. He also evicts the Gentiles from Mt. Athos and destroys all local Greek Temples. 326 CE: Emperor Constantine, following the instructions of his mother Helen, destroys the Temple of Asclepius in Aigeai of Cilicia and several temples dedicated to Aphrodite in Jerusalem, Aphaca, Mambre, Phoenice, Baalbek and elsewhere. 330 CE: Constantine steals the treasures and statues of the ancient temples in Greece to decorate Nova Roma (Constantinople), the new capital of his Empire. 335 CE: Constantine sacks countless Greco-Roman temples throughout Asia Minor and Palestine and orders the execution by crucifixion of "all magicians and soothsayers". The Neo-Platonist philosopher Sopatros is executed. 341 CE: Emperor Constas, son of Constantinus, persecutes "all the soothsayers and the Hellenists". Many Gentiles are either imprisoned or executed. 346 CE: New large-scale persecutions against the Gentiles in Constantinople. Banishment of the famous orator Libanius, who is accused of being a "magician". 353 CE: An edict of Constantius orders the death penalty for any form of worship involving sacrifices to "idols". 354 CE: A new edict of Constantius orders the closing of all Gentile temples. Some of them are profaned and turned into brothels or gambling rooms. Executions of Gentile priests. First burning of libraries in various cities of the Empire. The first lime factories are built next to closed temples. A large part of religious Greco-Roman art and architecture is turned into lime. 356 CE: A new edict of Constantius orders the destruction of the Gentile temples and the execution of all "idolaters". 357 CE: Constantius outlaws all methods of Divination, including Astrology. 359 CE: In Skythopolis, Syria, Christians organize the first death camps for the torture and execution of Gentiles arrested throughout the Empire. 361 to 363 CE: Religious tolerance and restoration of ancient cults declared in Constantinople (11th December 361) by the Emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus. 363 CE: Assassination of Emperor Julianus (26th June). 364 CE: Emperor Flavius Jovianus orders the burning of the Library of Antioch. An Imperial edict (11th September) orders the death penalty for all who worship their ancestral Gods or practice Divination ("sileat omnibus perpetuo divinandi uriositas"). Three different edicts (4th February, 9th September, 23rd December) order the confiscation of all properties of the Gentile temples and the death penalty for participation in non-Christian rituals, even private ones. 365 CE: An Imperial edict (17th November) forbids Gentile officers of the army from taking command of Christian soldiers. 370 CE: Emperor Valens orders a tremendous persecution of Gentiles throughout the Eastern Empire. In Antioch, among many others, the ex-governor Fidustius and the priests Hilarius and Patricius are executed. Tons of books are burnt in the squares of cities throughout the Eastern Empire. All friends of Julianus are persecuted (Orebasius, Sallustius, Pegasius etc.). The philosopher Simonides is burned alive and the philosopher Maximus is decapitated. 372 CE: Emperor Valens orders the governor of Asia Minor to exterminate the Gentiles and all their writings. 373 CE: New prohibition of all methods of Divination. The term "Pagan" (pagani, villagers) is introduced by the Christians to lessen the Gentiles. 375 CE: The Temple of Asclepius in Epidaurus, Greece, is closed down. 380 CE: On 27th February, Christianity becomes the exclusive religion of the Roman Empire by an edict of Emperor Flavius Theodosius, requiring that "all the various nations, which are subject to our clemency and moderation should continue in the profession of that religion, which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter". Non-Christians are called "loathsome, heretics, stupid and blind". In another edict Theodosius calls "insane" those that do not believe in the Christian god and outlaws all disagreements with the Church dogmas. Ambrosius, bishop of Milan, starts destroying all the Pagan temples of his area. Christian priests lead a mob against the Temple of Demeter in Eleusis and try to lynch the hierophants Nestorius and Priskus. The 95 year-old hierophant Nestorius ends the Eleusinian Mysteries and announces the predominance of “mental darkness over the human race”. 381 CE: On 2nd May, Theodosius deprives all rights of Christians that return to the Pagan religion. Throughout the Eastern Empire, Pagan temples and libraries are looted or burned down. On 21st December, Theodosius outlaws even simple visits to “the Temples of the Hellenes”. In Constantinople, the Temple of Aphrodite is turned into a brothel and the Temples of the Sun and Artemis into stables. 382 CE: The term "Hellelu-jah" (Glory to Yahweh) is incorporated into the Christian mass. 384 CE: Emperor Theodosius orders the Praetorian Prefect, Maternus Cynegius, a dedicated Christian, to cooperate with the local bishops and destroy the “Temples of the Gentiles” in Northern Greece and Asia Minor. 385 to 388 CE: Maternus Cynegius, encouraged by his fanatical wife and the bishop "Saint" Marcellus, scours the countryside with his gangs, sacking and destroying hundreds of ancient temples, shrines and altars. Amongst others they destroy the Temple of Edessa, the Cabeireion of Imbros, the Temple of Zeus in Apamea, the Temple of Apollo in Dydima and all the Temples of Palmyra. Thousands of innocent Pagans from all sides of the Empire suffer martyrdom in the notorious death camps of Skythopolis. 386 CE: Emperor Theodosius outlaws (16th June) the care of sacked pagan temples. 388 CE: Public talks on religious subjects are also outlawed by Theodosius. The old orator Libanius sends his famous Epistle "Pro Templis" to Theodosius, in the hope that the few remaining ancient temples will be respected and spared. (CONT..)

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

389 to 390 CE: All non-Christian calendars are outlawed. Hordes of fanatical hermits from the deserts flood into Middle Eastern and Egyptian cities, destroying statues, altars, libraries and Pagan temples, whilst scores of Gentiles are lynched. Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, starts heavy persecutions against the Pagans, turns the Temple of Dionysos into a church, burns down the Mithraeum of the city, destroys the Temple of Zeus and burlesques the Pagan priests before they are killed by stoning. The Christian mob profanes the ancient cult images. 391 CE: On 24th February, a new edict of Theodosius prohibits not only visits to Pagan temples but also even to gaze at the vandalized statues. New heavy persecutions all over the Empire ensue. In Alexandria, Egypt, the Pagans, led by the philosopher Olympius, revolt and after some street fighting, finally lock themselves inside the fortified Temple of Serapis (Serapeion). After a violent siege, the Christians occupy the building, demolish it, burn its famous library and profane the cult images. 392 CE: On 8th November, the Emperor Theodosius outlaws all non-Christian rituals and names them "superstitions of the Gentiles" ("gentilicia superstitio"). New full scale persecutions against the Gentiles. The Mysteries of Samothrace are ended and the priests slaughtered. In Cyprus the local bishops, "Saints" Epiphanius and Tychon, destroy almost all the ancient temples on the island and exterminate thousands of Gentiles. The local Mysteries of Aphrodite are ended. Theodosius' edict declares: "the ones that won't obey pater Epiphanius have no right to keep living on the island". The Gentiles in Petra, Aeropolis, Rafia, Gaza, Baalbek and other cities of the Middle East revolt against the Emperor and the Church. 393 CE: The Pythian, Aktian and Olympic Games are outlawed as part of the “Hellenic idolatry". Christians sack the Temples of Olympia. 395 CE: Two new edicts (22nd July and 7th August) lead to new persecutions against the Gentiles. Rufinus the eunuch, Prime Minister of the Emperor Flavius Arcadius, directs the hordes of baptised Goths (led by Alaric) to the country of the Hellenes. Encouraged by Christian monks, the barbarians sack and burn many cities (Dion, Delphi, Megara, Corinth, Pheneos, Argos, Nemea, Lycosoura, Sparta, Messene, Phigaleia, Olympia and others), slaughter or enslave scores of Greeks and burn their temples. Among others, they burn the Eleusinian Sanctuary to the ground together with its priests who had taken refuge inside (including the hierophant of Mithras Hilarius). 396 CE: On 7th December, a new edict by Emperor Arcadius orders that Paganism be treated as high treason. Imprisonment of the few remaining Pagan priests and hierophants. 397 CE: "Demolish them!" Emperor Flavius Arcadius orders all the still erect Pagan temples demolished. 398 CE: The Fourth Church Council of Carthage prohibits to all, including its bishops, the study of Gentile books. Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza, demolishes almost all the Pagan temples of his city save nine. 399 CE: With a new edict (13th July) Emperor Flavius Arcadius orders all remaining temples, mainly in the countryside, to be immediately demolished: «Si qua in agris templa sunt, sine turba ac tumultu diruantur. His enim deiectis atque sublatis omnis superstitioni materia consumetur» 400 CE: Bishop Nicetas destroys the Oracle of Dionysus in Vesai and baptizes all the Gentiles of this area. 401 CE: The Christian mob of Carthage lynches Gentiles and destroys temples and "idols". In Gaza, the local bishop, "Saint" Porphyrius, sends his followers to lynch Gentiles and demolish the remaining nine still active temples of the city. The 15th Council of Chalkedon orders all Christians that still keep good relations with their Gentile relatives to be excommunicated (even after their death). 405 CE: John Chrysostom sends his hordes of gray-clad monks armed with clubs and iron bars to destroy the "idols" in all the cities of Palestine. 406 CE: John Chrysostom collects funds from rich Christian women to financially support the demolition of the Pagan temples. In Ephessus, he orders the destruction of the famous Temple of Artemis. In Salamis, Cyprus, the "Saints" Epiphanius and Eutychius continue persecutions of the Gentiles and the total destruction of their temples and sanctuaries. 407 CE: A new edict outlaws once more all non-Christian acts of worship. 408 CE: The Emperor of the Western Empire Honorius and the Emperor of the Eastern Empire Arcadius order that all sculptures of the Pagan temples be either destroyed or confiscated. Private ownership of Pagan sculpture is also outlawed. The local bishops lead new heavy persecutions against Gentiles and new book burning. Judges showing clemency for Gentiles are also persecuted. 409 CE: Once again, an edict orders Astrology and all methods of Divination to be punished by death. 415 CE: In Alexandria, Egypt, the mob, urged by the bishop Cyrillus, attacks and hacks to pieces the famous and beautiful philosopher Hypatia. Pieces of her body are paraded by the Christian mob through the streets of Alexandria, and are finally burned together with her books in a place called Cynaron. On 30th August, new persecutions start against all the Pagan priests of North Africa, who end their lives either crucified or burned alive. 416 CE: The inquisitor Hypatius, alias "The Sword of God", exterminates the last Gentiles of Bithynia. In Constantinople (7th December), all suspected non-Christian army officers, public employees and judges are dismissed. 423 CE: Emperor Theodosius II, declares (8th June) that the religion of the Gentiles is nothing more than "demon worship" and orders all those who persist in practicing it to be punished by imprisonment and tortured. 429 CE: The Temple of Athena (Parthenon) on the Acropolis of Athens is sacked. Athenian Pagans are persecuted. 435 CE: On 14th November, a new edict by Theodosius II orders the death penalty for all "heretics" and "pagans" of the Empire. Only Judaism is considered a legal non-Christian religion. 438 CE: Theodosius II issues an new edict (31st January) against the Pagans, incriminating their "idolatry" as the reason for a recent plague! 440 to 450 CE: The Christians demolish all the monuments, altars and temples of Athens, Olympia, and other Greek cities. 448 CE: Theodosius II orders all non-Christian books burned. 450 CE: All the temples of Aphrodisias (City of Aphrodite) are demolished and its libraries burned down. The city is renamed Stauroupolis (City of the Cross). 451 CE: A new edict by Theodosius II (4th November) emphasizes that "idolatry" is to be punished by death. 457 to 491 CE: Sporadic persecutions against Gentiles of the Eastern Empire. Among others, the physician Jacobus and the philosopher Gessius are executed. Severianus, Herestios, Zosimus, Isidorus and others are tortured and imprisoned. The proselytizer Conon and his followers exterminate the last Pagans of the island of Imbros, in the northeast Aegean. The last worshippers of Lavranius Zeus are exterminated in Cyprus. (CONT…)

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

482 to 488 CE: The majority of the remaining Pagans of Asia Minor are exterminated, after a desperate revolt against the Emperor and the Church. 486 CE: More "underground" Pagan priests are discovered, arrested, burlesqued, tortured and executed in Alexandria, Egypt. 515 CE: Baptism becomes obligatory, even for those that already claim to be Christian. The Emperor of Constantinople, Anastasius orders the massacre of the Gentiles in the Arabian city of Zoara and the demolition of the Temple of local god Theandrites. 528 CE: Emperor Jutprada (Justinianus) outlaws the "alternative" Olympian Games of Antioch. He also orders the execution (by fire, crucifixion, tearing to pieces by wild beasts, or cutting by iron nails) of all who practice "sorcery, divination, magic or idolatry" and prohibits all teachings by the Gentiles ("the ones suffering from the blasphemous insanity of the Hellenes"). 529 CE: Emperor Justinianus outlaws the Athenian Philosophical Academy, which has its property confiscated. 532 CE: The inquisitor Ioannis Asiacus, a fanatical monk, leads a crusade against the surviving Gentiles of Asia Minor. 542 CE: Emperor Justinianus allows the inquisitor Ioannis Asiacus to convert the Gentiles of Phrygia, Caria and Lydia in Asia Minor. Within 35 years of this crusade, 99 churches and 12 monasteries are built on the sites of demolished Pagan temples. 546 CE: Hundreds of Gentiles are put to death in Constantinople by the inquisitor Ioannis Asiacus. 556 CE: Justinianus orders the notorious inquisitor Amantius to go to Antioch, to find, arrest, torture and exterminate the last remaining Gentiles of the city and to burn all the privately owned libraries. 562 CE: Mass arrests, burlesquing, tortures, imprisonments and executions of Gentiles in Athens, Antioch, Palmyra and Constantinople. 578 to 582 CE: Christians torture and crucify Gentiles all over the Eastern Empire, and exterminate the last Gentiles of Heliopolis (Baalbek). 580 CE: Christian inquisitors attack a secret Temple of Zeus in Antioch. The priest commits suicide, but the other Gentiles are arrested. All the prisoners, the Vice Governor Anatolius included, are tortured and sent to Constantinople to face trial. Sentenced to death they are thrown to the lions. The wild animals are unwilling to tear them to pieces and they end up crucified. Their corpses are dragged through the streets by the Christian mob and afterwards thrown unburied in the city dump. 583 CE: New persecutions against the Gentiles by the Emperor Mauricius. 590 CE: Throughout the Eastern Empire, Christian accusers "discover" Pagan conspiracies. A new wave of torture and executions erupts. 692 CE: The "Penthekte" Council of Constantinople prohibits the Calends, Brumalia, Anthesteria, and other Pagan / Dionysian festivals. 804 CE: The last surviving Pagans of Greece, the Greeks of Laconia, resist successfully the attempt of Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople, to convert them to Christianity. 950 to 988 CE: Violent conversion of the last Pagan Greeks of Laconia by the Armenian "Saint" Nikon.

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

@@Varuna2098 I do not need to. I correspond with ancestral religious groups in Greece & Italy. If you knew how much censorship was attached to this particular topic… You’d see. This is a malignant conspiracy against Mankind and his original spiritualities that has been propagated for hundreds of years.

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Yeah but at the sametime this is the Ancient Era (remeber throughout its early history Christianity is the out group and is at times persecuted so it shouldn't be a suprise that when they take power there is a lot of this, not to mention you just added Christianity in an already cut throat political system so bloodshed is bound to happen, its like adding Paper in Wood fire it doesn't really changes things other than Christianity and Paganism are now part of the reasons for conflict.) so tensions are high also when the Old Order is toppled by the New, usually throughout history things get bloody and hypocritical, need only to look back in the French and Russian Revolution even the best ones like the American Revolution has a lot of hypocritical tid bits like when it came to Black People.

[@TheAncientMysteriesBeckon]

@@forickgrimaldus8301 Preposterous. Hellenism wasn't just a means of uniting Western Civilization, either.. It was a means of creating an organic unifying homogeneously syncretized culture. A means of uniting the races, naturally. Alexander the Great intended to do this, and in fact whilst he lived *did* do this. All things are subject to entropy, sure.. But one can still fight against such entropic processes. Rome lasted for hundreds of years, and the culture that created Rome for thousands. Nay... Nations may change, but the story stays the same. Our current period? A period of introspection, that will ultimately lead to a global rekindling of ancient religion. Had Hellenism stayed alive and reconciled it's problem of current corruption in aristocracy, we would easily be an Imperially united peoples.. And we'd be space-faring as well.

[@albedoplus]

Very well done!

[@jody6851]

Judaism offered the same spirituality as Christianity since Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism, and in fact, the earliest Christians considered themselves still Jews and required someone to first be Jewish before adopting the Christian variations. Jesus's brother James was the most prominent leader of this earliest form of Christianity, but Paul was the one who turned this Jewish sect into a fully separate religion by proselytizing the faith as a universalist one pagans could adapt and transition to more easily and directly, including additions to the faith the pagans could identify with (the neo-pagan three trinitarian forms of the Godhead, the virgin birth virtually the same as the Egyptian goddess Isis cult, and the Persian Mithraites cult popular among Roman soldiers that believed Mithraius was born under the sign of a shooting star and had their holy day of the week on Sunday rather than the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday. Another selling point was created by reassigning the Roman pagan winter solstice holiday Saturnalia, celebrated on December 25, as that of Jesus's birthday, even though he was more likely to have been born in the month of March. Then conflate Christ's rising, calling it Easter, at the same time as the Spring solstice holiday pagans held to celebrate the Near Eastern fertility goddess Astarte. Plus, try telling an adult Greco/Roman male, flirting with the monotheistic ideals of Judaism, he had to get circumcised first, as well as give up pork and shell food. Not an easy sell at that point.

[@cartire8666]

Happy to see you're back

[@hugofioriosorio3064]

Thanks but I stay with Jupiter

[@workingproleinc.676]

Why worrship a middle east Religion?

[@zm1786]

It was actually a Greek cult at first .

[@zm1786]

Greek cults were all the rage

[@tsurugi5]

christsisters...our response?

[@auraguard0212]

What a creative way to do this!

[@homoe7976]

So this is how they convert you in Mount and Blade.

[@richardm9934]

This channel is such quality, what the heck

[@buddy.boyo88]

" Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." do I need to say more ?

[@locomotora6921]

Points minus, you don’t mention Jews or at the very least the Pharisees.

[@jesusisdead]

Constantine stopped killing Christians because he was killing his best men. You forgot that part

[@civilizedhuman7875]

Yah

[@ikengaspirit3063]

That whole Calmness bit seems riped from Stoicism.

[@zm1786]

Accepting christ Is the only way to truly be stoic

[@dannewman8809]

Bro said the bible was "easy to read" 😅

[@patrickliu822]

'Cause JC is lit 🔥

[@shidelerdantheogre8487]

So much cringe in this comment section from people who can’t see

[@ವರುಣ್ರಾಜು]

Chad Augustus vs Useless Constantine

[@rockstar450]

Constantine is probably number 3 or 4 greatest emperor after Augustus.

[@Jeff-wg5kt]

Its made very well, beside some catholic tradition momements, but no wonder. Early christianity is Right christianity (orthodox literally means right praising)

[@Trigathus]

Jesus Christ is so based

[@donjeremias4240]

The jews crucified Jesus.

[@jimbowars9682]

Technically it was the Romans

[@civilizedhuman7875]

Ya

[@ವರುಣ್ರಾಜು]

Roman was their nationality

[@donjeremias4240]

@@jimbowars9682 Revelations 2:9

[@loelholmes-ficko8868]

Thats a mistranslation of Eph 5:22. Its not: "As if it[The Husband] were the Lord himself". Rather, as in almost all english translations of the bible: "As TO the Lord", meaning your service to your husband is done not because you treat him as God, but because by being a servant, you honor God. Christ was a servant in his earthly ministry(Matthew 20:28), so we as Christians ought to model his lifestyle as well, not just women, but men also.

[@johnrockwell5834]

And the Husband is to treat his wife as Jesus treats the Church. So the reading is quite accurate. And 1 Peter 3 involves the wife submitting to her Husband by obedience and calling him her Master. A person can serve by ruling. And Jesus is Lord by serving his Father and by submitting to his Father's will. And Jesus served by commanding his disciples who obeyed him.

[@Jack-iu2gl]

Perfect timing

[@Vang2009]

The wife and husband should submit to each other, it literally says this the verse prior of verse 22.

[@BillSuge-w2s]

Oversimplified. The Romans persecuted Christians and thought that they were weird (superstitious). Even after Constantine's conversion and his legalization of Christianity, Christians were still persecuted in Rome. Street preaching wouldn't have been enough to convert Rome to Christianity.

[@4ndr3c3s4r1n0]

2:55 - How dare you mock our great emperor Honorius? I'm sure great men such as Stilicho will raise him into a proper Roman!

[@chadafiy]

Christianity was woke

[@Endicott2577]

Says the guy who has a nigga as his profile picture

[@GaetanoBonaparte]

Woke and Christianity are same thing

[@Davidbirdman101]

love the shotgun wedding scene

[@fakename3208]

So I know the fact that Christians seem to “borrow” from pagans is supposed to be a slam dunk on Christians…but it’s no secret and it’s something we celebrate. Christianity can sanctify and make holy pagan practices, and reorients them towards Christ.

[@barrysorento3572]

At least we get to enjoy bacon still