RELIGION IN ANCIENT ROME Ms. Berry

Sixth grade Social Studies

Housekeeping: Agenda • Do you owe me any work? • Warm-ups? • Current Event? • Timeline? • Project?

• Write it in your agenda. Due ASAP!!

• AIG presentations will be today and tomorrow. You must present!

Roman Religion • Romans adopted the religion of cultures that they

conquered• They believed in the 12 main gods and goddesses like the

Greeks.

• Jupiter/Zeus Venus/Aphrodite• Juno/Hera Minerva/Athena• Mars/Ares Ceres/Demeter• Neptune/Posieden Bachus/Dionysus • Pluto/Hades Vulcan/Hephesteus• Apollo Vesta/Hestia

12 Gods and Goddesses• Romans believed that if they did not respect the

gods/goddesses then harm would come to the empire.

• Roman laws punished those who did not worship the

Roman gods/goddesses.

• After some time, the emperor was seen as a god. • Anyone who spoke out against the emperor was punished.

Jews in Ancient Rome • However, Romans did allow Jews to practice their own

religion in the empire.

• But, they were often mistreated.

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Beginning of Christianity:• During this time Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He lived in

a small town called Nazareth.

• He traveled and taught the belief in one God, which is called monotheism, and the 10 commandments.

• Followers of Jesus were called disciples. Many believed Jesus was the messiah, the one who would save the world.

Crucifixion of Christ • Christianity became illegal.

• In 30 A.D. the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, ordered that Jesus be put to death.

• He was nailed to a cross and left to die.

• Stories spread of Jesus’s resurrection and his teachings.

• Greek word for messiah is Christos so he became known as Jesus Christ

Romans and Christians • Romans believed that since Christians did not worship

their gods that the gods were angry so they persecuted, or killed them.

• These persecutions did not stop the spread of Christianity.

• It was under the rule of Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. that the persecutions stopped.

• Glorious Battle

Christianity becomes official religion• In 392 A.D. Christianity became the official religion of the

Roman Empire under the rule of Emperor Theodosius.

• Christian writings such as the gospels, New Testament, and Old Testament helped with the spread of Christianity.

• As it grew, it became more organized under one leader.

• Today the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church and he resides in the Vatican City in Rome.