Why did the Roman Empire convert to Christianity?

Please support our work and help our channel grow!
www.patreon.com/user?u=56812376
Many thanks to our Patrons!
Diana Ott
#History #HistoryChronicles #Learning

[@PeopleProfilesShorts]

Please check out our main channel The People Profiles www.youtube.com/@PeopleProfiles

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love that channel and your work

[@Sebastian_Snufflepuss]

Sound out of sync on ALL your videos.

[@bvillafuerte765]

Of course.

[@luckynugget9576]

I think this video was handled respectfully, and more videos on specific events or a broader timeline like this video about religions from a historical angle, would be really interesting. I am looking forward to the next one!

[@MrKeet]

Thankyou for the feedback and glad you enjoyed it!

[@bickyboo7789]

I love historical accounts of the different religions. Things change so much overtime, its so interesting contrasting them to their corresponding modern day religions. Islamic history is a wild ride. I think there's still about half a million Zoroastrians left, India could have converted to Islam if their invaders succeeded, China could have become a Christian country if the Tai Ping Rebellion succeeded, etc.

[@maxtroy]

I didn’t think we’d ever see a professor of history of the same calibre as David Starkey ever again. I can’t tell you how delighted I am to have discovered you today. I pray your channel grows so that all may hear your teaching

[@WickedFelina]

Watch "The Trial of Richard III" done sometime in the 1970's. Starkey comes in as a witness. He was very young, and unrecognizable to the man we know today. He didn't really give a good testimony against Richard. We know he personally despises Richard no matter what evidence you present him. At the end of the trial, by jury, Richard is found innocent.

[@WickedFelina]

IOW - This young man may be in fact BETTER than Starkey at this time in his young life.

[@tamaveirene]

Brilliant...as usual...so many other Historical Channels pale into insignificance besides yours!!! Great Narration...obviously in-depth Research....loved it...thank you 🇦🇺❣😘➕

[@MrKeet]

Ah that's very kind, thankyou!

[@BoScotty]

Very educating video thanks for sharing!

[@vietnamesebeauties]

As a non-Christian in Vietnam 🇻🇳, i appreciate this kind of video that let us Vietnamese students learn the historical sense of Christianity⛑️

[@unequivocallybased]

Wow, look at what a unique special snowflakes you are! You're like sooo alternative! Want a medal?

[@TheOne45Peoples]

If you believe in Jesus and repent of sins you will go to Heaven, God wants to have a relationship w you. Jesus loves you I pray you turn to him.

[@JayCasinoOfficial]

@@TheOne45Peoples no

[@JayCasinoOfficial]

@@TheOne45Peoplesgod loved me because I’m grateful and I love god 😊

[@TheOne45Peoples]

@@JayCasinoOfficial Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The only way to be saved is believe in Jesus Christ and turn away from sins. John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. You will not be saved by any works you do. The reason Jesus died was to save sinners, and you can only know God by believing in Jesus and turning from sins.

[@willholmes8295]

Constantine was the big piece in Christianity, I wonder what would be if he wasn’t so accepting

[@bladfadsfblaadsfsadf900]

I’ve wondered that, too, but I feel this idea kinda delves a bit too much into the “great men of history” posture on historical events. Even if the Romans never accepted Christianity, it wouldn’t have mattered, as the barbarian kingdoms outside their borders were readily adopting the faith. If anything, continued Roman persecution would have accelerated this process by having these ousted Christians spreading their faith exclusively outside of Rome’s borders. With the eventual collapse of Western Rome, the Germanic tribes would have simply converted the populace of the former empire gradually, since Pagan institutions were highly reliant on state support. As well, I don’t feel that religion played a significant role, if at all, to the collapse of Western Rome, so whether or not Constantine converted wouldn’t have really influenced events. Constant civil wars and factions within the state relentlessly fighting for legitimacy (why I think Constantine converted to Christianity) were what guaranteed its demise. The one thing I can say would have been significant if Rome hadn’t converted is the adoption of a specific interpretation of Christianity. Without the reach and influence of imperial Rome, I don’t think a council like Nicaea (325) or Ephesus (431) would have been possible in the disparate Germanic kingdoms, allowing Arianism, Nestorianism, and other notable Christian doctrines to hold out for longer. I don’t know if the Nicene creed would have eventually won out as it did in our history. If that kind of fracture persisted, would it have allowed a relatively unified religion like Islam to spread through Europe on a broad scale? It all leads to some pretty interesting alternate history questions!

[@bulldogsbob]

Christianity was already a force by then. His mother was a Christian,

[@johnharris2337]

Very interesting indeed. The really close up shots whilst narrating are sometimes alarming and distracting, your blessed Fangs viewed on a > 40’ TV screen sent my own Fanged entities scurrying out of the room in fright

[@Muhulali]

Very informative thank you

[@Bluggato]

Very good content, but the sound is a little echoey and is a bit on the higher end. Invest in postfx for your voice my friend.

[@brucewindsor5257]

Your discussion of the rise of Christianity in the Roman world seemed well balanced and thought out. You avoided getting into the quagmire of what we Christians believe, although even today we disagree on many points of doctrine and methods of biblical interpretation. Often Constantine has been blamed for making Christianity an acceptable religion, which avoids challenging people to live without conforming to cultural norms. You avoided that pitfall as well. Nice job. 😊

[@yuanzhiluo]

Good work

[@richarddillon5967]

Excellent video very informative was able to watch the whole thing we're usually I can't do it because other historians are so boring

[@SS33333]

Please do a special feature on Marcus Aurelius

[@katherinecollins4685]

Very informative

[@WickedFelina]

@24:18 Not "Italy" it was the Roman Empire back then. It wasn't "Italy" until forced unification which was after the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was conquered or, "the Southern Italian genocide" (which no one talks about) by the Kingdom of Savoy, Sardinia & Giuseppe Garibaldi of Brazil ("Damn you Garibaldi!!! a/k/a Northern Italians) in 1861. This one trifecta campaign killed more innocent Southern Italians than all the wars of Italy put together. So, there you go! [Before it was the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies it was the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily. Before that, it was a part of the Byzantine Empire. It was probably something else at one time too.]

[@Thor-Orion]

Is that why it’s called Italia in Latin? And why Baduila Badua took the name Totila upon his conquest of the majority of the Italian Peninsula in the 540’s?

[@stingray4real]

Emperor Constantine abolished crucifixion the capital punishment of slow death.

[@Sebastian_Snufflepuss]

None of these videos get the sound synched up with his speech.

[@r0ky_M]

The utterly ruthless ambitious murderous activities of Emperors , their offspring and their imperial courtiers displays little if any Jesus traits.

[@bishop6218]

Wait ! What was that about Marcus Aurelius, rain, an an Egyptian wizard ???

[@LordDirus007]

Anyone else feel Rome had an influence on the church. The Roman Gods-Saints Virgin Priestess-Nuns Temples-Churches

[@Jarbom]

How position of bishop raised in early christianity? Because this is very long and complex process.

[@Marjo273]

Emagine how many Roman empire save and go to heaven

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

The Roman Catholic Church is just The Roman Empire in disguise.

[@libertylovin2359]

It's the Sol Invictus cult.

[@MrKeet]

Perhaps to an extent, but that argument becomes problematic in the divisions of the Roman Empire and how, after Constantine, the Papacy grew in power to become a rival to the Roman Empire of the east (the Byzantines)

[@drgeorgek]

@@MrKeeteh… kinda same same… Byzantine which was ultimately more Greek bs roman which had heavily Greek influences…. I see it as a natural evolution/progression to the next model/iteration

[@Thor-Orion]

27:09 and it’s got a bunch of Mithraic magi on it.

[@alanschuetz9552]

BTW, Joshua the Anointed was not crucified on a Roman cross as most are falsely taught. He was hung on a tree PER TORAH for the false crime of blasphemy on Passover (14 Abib) in 36 CE. Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 9 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus (lit. Joshua), asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”-so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. (NASB 1995) John 19:4 Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus (lit. Joshua) then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” 6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.” (NASB 1995) Deuteronomy 21:22 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance." (NASB 1995) Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”- 14 in order that in Christ Jesus (lit. Joshua) the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (NASB 1995) #QuestionEverything

[@nob1130]

Cross made of what? Wood 🪵

[@Forester2547]

I think the geopolitical antagonism towards anything Persian (Zoroastrian/Mithraic) can’t be overstated in the adoption of Christianity.

[@SharpUchi]

I’ve watched 3 videos on KZbin with the title why did Constantine convert and they never say why lol

[@fantasia55]

Jesus went to Egypt as a child.

[@Kingdho]

8:54 “in 1112” ?? Uh, you’re only 1,000 years off, Pliny’s letter to Trajan was 112 CE.

[@Lemma01]

Seems to me of equal (dare I say even more?) interest is the influence of the Roman Empire on the development of the Christian Church - compromise, expediency and naked opportunism all served to ensure the church in the forth century barely resembled that of the second. A trend which continued, perhaps until Martin Luther...

[@Thor-Orion]

Actually, it wasn’t until a little after that. The Nicene Council was influential for a bit, but Arianism came right back afterwards, and several other sects just went underground and became isolated themselves from the mainstream of Christianity. It wasn’t until after Julian that the Roman Catholics began forcing all the other sects out and destroying the diversity of early Christianity, and that was only within areas under Roman Imperial influence. You’re also greatly overestimating the extent to which these strands of Christianity were actually extinguished.

[@worldview730]

Wow very interesting

[@walkialyon8507]

I have a theory as to why Christianity became so prevalent in Rome; in the beggining Rome was a highly superstitious and religious empire that took faith as a fundamental reason why Rome succeeded. When it became the empire, however, you can see how it gradually became more communistic in nature; social programs, absolute adherence to the state, the key example being the deification of the Roman emperor creating a cult of personality. As it went on, "worship" of the old gods became more a doctrine of control rather then a legitimate connection to divinity. When Christianity came around, it appealed to people because it was the only source of divinity in what essentially was a pious state indoctrination program

[@Dee-mj3pu]

Constantinople was in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire.

[@Darth_Traitorous]

It is weird that they did that, because the Roman emperor Tiberius ordered the Roman governor of judaea Pontius Pilatus to crucify Christ. Why would you kill a guy and then later on start worshipping him and his father.

[@pauldegroot3361]

Mate this is exactly what I have been trying to find out .. I believe they might have thought to themselves after sometime that Christianity isn’t going away so why not accept it and use it to our advantage .. but I’m too trying to educate myself on this question

[@Doriesep6622]

Exactly. That is the answer I'm looking for. And then have the Vatican in Rome.

[@gotmilk3555]

There was at least 400 years between Tiberius and Constantine. That’s like asking why Americans enslaved Africans in the 1600s, 1700s and then celebrate their culture in 21st century.

[@rubenstukken6940]

Because they started seeing the truth.

[@michaelthompson7217]

there’s literally zero evidence tiberius ordered jesus execution. there were plenty of apocalyptic prophets at the time mentioned by josephus, jesus was not the only person being executed at the tkme

[@Blueboy97]

The illustration would be better without his face

[@willempasterkamp862]

It didn't, ceasarism (the venerating of the julio-claudians) murphed into the venerating of the saints (there is overlap between these 2 groups) unnoticed by fellow romans. only perceived by some intelectual historians. Embracing the christian rituals was not that different as the 'gentile' practises. It is very doubtful the romans ever considered themselves as unbelievers at any moment. Conclusion must be ; gradual change without conversion. ( claudians ) ( saints) ( famous 7 ) Germanicus James the Just/St. Paul Primus/Maximilian Claudius Justus/St. Joseph Secundus Drusus JC James the less/St. Stephanus Tertius Nero JC Phillippus the baptizer/ St. John Quartus L A Seneca (minor Simon/ St. Peter Pentius/ Pontius Brittannicus Lazarus Sixtus Nerones chrestus Septimus Agrippina maior Mary the elder Elisabeth/ Salome Agrippina minor Mary the blessed Lady Pompeia Paulina Magdalena Claudia Procula Poppea Sabina Martha Augusta The temples weren't demolished but changed into churches. Paganism took on an other coat. The priesthood of Jupiter/mithras became the pope and clergy.

[@Jaylaco77]

Roman Empire could not control such a vast empire. The adoption of Christianity was a last ditch effort to hold on to power. Turn the other cheek and pay your taxes.

[@ByGugasan]

I think "Roman Empire" is not a person, and if it's not a person, but multiple, they maybe had many points of views and didn't compreended all the landscape of political/religious landscape, making it impossible to the "Roman Empire" act by himself like a person would do. So, why is it so hard to just assume that the romans where really being convinced by universal cristianism and converted by free will over time? Trying to guess "big plots" is not making history and it is not scientific.

[@2IDSGT]

You need to fix your audio quality. 😕

[@MrKeet]

Yes - I appreciate the mic was problematic on this one...

[@rolandrabier5984]

That move bent western history for ever, but what christianity brought to the western civilisation ?

[@gregorymerritt2528]

The church of Rome is not the same church of the 1st century A.D. . They introduced a false Christianity of Dionysus as Jesus

[@momrodrigues5365]

Not only that but the brought all heresies from the time of Babylon n medo Persia Greek n roman pagans introduced it in their worship as another deity, along with all their other images statue n shrine icons etc .

[@idanthyrsus6887]

Pagan gods were weak and decentralized. All powerful sky emperor more fit the new Roman attitude.

[@MrKeet]

Yes good point - the angle focusing on the appeal of the Christian god vs pagan deities is something I could have expanded on here

[@AntonioBrandao]

Didn’t answer the question.

[@user-gp9vk8he5g]

Why? You may ask that superstition destroyed them.

[@bvillafuerte765]

1. Don't forget that Jesus was condemned to die on the cross by the Jews, not the Romans. 2. Now a video about the Christianization of America.

[@Marjo273]

Thus is how Christ powerful

[@shanicestella2226]

Every Roman Emperors are Narcissist , superior complex and power hunger even Constantine is no exception Constantine : I’m no Narcissist Me : You indeed Narcissist , You ordered thousand men to build a glorious grandeur monument of yourself as a solar deity for the sake create your own personality cult and also power hunger and driven with paranoia that your own wife and son might plotting a coup detat against you

[@popp6]

Thats a face for radio 📻

[@MrKeet]

That's a comment for deletion... ;)

[@eklips661]

wait wait , so that means at first romans are not christians.

[@linuswidell7659]

Arguably the non-Christian Rome is even more classic

[@user-su7yg2sd4d]

Romans before they became Christians are prophesied to BECOME THE HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD per ROMANS 1;6-7. It took four (4) centuries before the words in the bible are fulfilled. All words in the bible happened and still happening in accordance with the will of God.

[@sentotalkacili7407]

has been discussed too often

[@edwardhill7045]

TO REGAIN ALL OF THE PEOPLE THEY LOST TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

[@takethepowerback83]

Are you Christian yourself?

[@tamaveirene]

Are you? I am and loved this vid. How about yourself?

[@MrKeet]

I'm not but I love studying religious history

[@rvx5392]

How a handful of Jews convinced so many people to convert?

[@nob1130]

It's the teaching of Jesus + resurrection story + Torah(Base) If u listen Jordon petterson you'll notice how great it aligns with the Human Psyche

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

Please do a video (or video series) on the subject "How Christianity Became Catholicism". This video is good but it doesn't cover the necessary doctrinal changes that had to take place for a harmless religion like Christianity to become the bloodthirsty monster we know as Catholicism. How did Christianity devolve into a "State Religion" when the fundamentals of the faith do not at all lend themselves to such a thing.

[@riha6468]

I think that both Ortodox and Catolic Christians harmed people wherever they came. Constantin I destroyed planty of temples of ANCIENT religions and from that moment he became as like Roman's when they tried to destroy Christianity! Instead of beeing tolerant he he began to chase down all of them who won't become Christians! No difference between Roman's and Christian atrocities!

[@rubenstukken6940]

It doesn't cover it because that is pure protestant nonsense. The doctrines of the Catholic Church all go back to the early church and scriptures.

[@worldgripe]

They were losing their grip on their empire so decided to highjack christianity and alter it with their mythology aka trinity and divinity of Jesus

[@ElCineHefe]

The Roman empire took over Christianity by the sword of Constantine and made God in the image of Caesar's Triumvirate.

[@Aces77777]

This was what made Rome so great, they lead Europe into the great kingdoms of Christianity

[@Bobby__B]

If not for Rome, there wouldn't be a Charlemagne. 🙏

[@dimatha7]

Sadly that was the downfall of Rome and of the evolution of science and arts.

[@TheListOf]

Says the atheist.

[@svdgnl]

Yeah atheist have a thing for telling the truth@@TheListOf

[@TheListOf]

@@svdgnl Only an opinion. No one knows the truth, atheist.

[@svdgnl]

@@TheListOf not all the the truth, but some truth, theist

[@TheListOf]

@@svdgnl Again, only an opinion, atheist. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

[@tilllindelman265]

Christianity destroyed the Roman Empire

[@williammcelmurray8059]

Maybe we should all be speaking Latin in harmony ....interesting

[@AntonioNin-vd7rt]

Almost everyone I know says that.

[@WailOfDoom]

According to Nietzsche, Christianity was a slave morality, that has brought about to weakness to societies since its inception. An unearned welfare salvation, feel-good “none beyond the grace of God” justice, and utter supposed tolerance. No matter what it is, Christianity was at least a large factor to the destruction of Roman Empire simply by fragmenting of its citizens. Due to the greed of an Emperor adopting a religion on a whim.

[@kelva3397]

Actually a plethora of reasons, but you tried.

[@lowther7046]

No. The greed of men and their lust for power did that.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Thank God it did though🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@svdgnl]

So they can destroy other cultures and colonized the world

[@billybobwombat2231]

Tell that to the millions of indigenous cultures that had their spiritual and cultural ways destroyed by the religions evil, they might tell you a contrary account of its spread.

[@Mr.Jeshurun]

Facts ​@@billybobwombat2231

[@supajesse14]

True chriistians did not accept the mix between pangan and christianity and were still executed for it. The cathlics church is not of God

[@user-gp9vk8he5g]

Such a shame that the silly fairy tale destroyed a great empire.