What was the roman empires views on Christianity at various points in its history? What caused them to change over time? Make it super short and like how a 6th grader would

Answer 1

The Roman Empire had different views about Christianity over time:

1. Early Days (1st - 2nd Century): At first, Romans thought Christians were weird because they didn’t worship the Roman gods. Some Christians were persecuted or punished for their beliefs.

2. Mid-Imperial Period (3rd Century): More Christians popped up, and some emperors like Nero blamed them for problems, leading to harsh persecutions.

3. Change of Heart (4th Century): Emperor Constantine had a big change in heart when he converted to Christianity. In 313 AD, he made it legal with the Edict of Milan, saying Christians could practice freely.

4. Theodosius I (Late 4th Century): Later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, and other religions were banned.

The main reasons for these changes were the growing number of Christians, political leaders’ beliefs, and how Christianity became important for uniting the empire.