Pax Romana = The Roman Peace 31 B.C. to AD 180 A period of
peace and prosperity in the ancient world.
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In many ways the Pax Romana was an artificial peace. Rome had
won her empire and her peace by war and had to maintain it by
force. Even today a false or forced peace is referred to as a Pax
Romana. Is there such a thing as Pax Americana?
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Ironically, during the Pax Romana, the Prince of Peace entered
the world. He secured a true and lasting peace for mankind.
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John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.
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Octavian defeated Antony @ Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. In 27
B.C. he announced that he planned to restore the Roman Republic.
Senate. Princeps First citizen
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In reality, Octavian held all the power (monarch) and the
Republic was a sham. Head of the army Title of Emperor Caesar
Augustus title of divinity, reserved for Roman gods.
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Ruled Rome from 31 B.C. - A.D. 14.
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Economic Prosperity Agriculture Growth of trade Roman currency
became the standard Elimination of Mediterranean piracy Greek then
Latin - the universal language International Trade: India, China,
Africa
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Other benefits under Augustus Government stability Honesty
& efficiency Qualified officials Police and fire service Postal
service Building programs (roads, temples, aqueducts, coliseums,
etc) Attempted to restore virtue and morality
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o Census to be taken every 14 years o Purpose to see how much
taxes each province should be paying. o And it came to pass in
those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that
all the world should be taxed (registered. ) Luke 2:1
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Augustus Caesar left no designated successor. Most of his
successors had a family connection to Julius Caesar. Almost all
were morally decadent and corrupt. The Roman people were also
corrupted. Bread & Circuses
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Tiberius 14-37 Caligula 37-41 Claudius 41-54 Nero 54-68
Vespasian 69-79 Titus 79-81 Domitian 81-96 Trajan 98-117 Hadrian
117-138 Antonius Pius 138-161 Marcus Aurelius 161-80
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A melting pot of ancient culture Influenced heavily by Greek
culture Greeks eye for beauty vs. Roman eye for usefulness. Greeks
contributions to art & philosophy Roman contributions to law
& politics
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System of Justice Citizens had equal rights before the
law.
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Many modern European countries and the United States include
many principles based on Roman law.
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Some Roman Legal Principles Justice is applied to all citizens
equally. Liberty is invaluable (cannot place a price on it) Freedom
is beloved above all things. The burden of proof is on the accuser,
not the defender. In deciding penalties, the age and inexperience
of the guilty should be taken into account. Evidence is needed to
convict a person, not just an accusation.
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More Roman Legal Principles A witness credibility is important
and should be weighed. The person in possession has the stronger
case in a dispute. Each person is responsible for himself and not
the actions of his kinsmen.
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Cicero master of Latin prose Virgil the Homer of Rome, wrote
the Aeneid, which exalted Rome as the ideal state. Horace the Poet
of the Augustan Age Ovid poet who wrote of mythology and love.
Metamorphoses collection of 200 myths of the ancient world.
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Livy historian who wrote a lengthy history of Rome based on
unreliable legends, but championed the traditional virtues and
patriotism of the Roman people as the foundation of Romes
greatness.
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Juvenal Tacitus Plutarch Galen Ptolemy geocentric theory
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Roman art and architecture borrowed from the Greeks. Some
differences though: Roman art is more realistic. Romans used relief
sculpture.
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Romans had excellent engineering skills. Arches and Vaults
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Vaults
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The Romans could not have built their big cities without
aqueducts. Some Roman cities wouldn't have existed at all. Romans
sometimes built cities on dry plains, which would not have been
possible without the transported water. With the water, they could
have their baths, their fountains, and their drinking water.
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The Coliseum dedicated by Titus in AD 80.
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Chariot Races Gladiator Contests Wild Beast Fights Circus
Maximus in Rome
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See Chart on Page 107
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Epicureans believed happiness rested in the virtues of simple
pleasure & peace of mind. This belief was corrupted to a
seeking pleasure as the greatest good and became an excuse for the
worse excesses of behavior.
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Stoicism teaches that the highest good is the pursuit of the
virtues of courage, dignity, duty, simplicity of life, and service
to fellow men. All of these virtues are Christian virtues, but
without Christ they are empty. Good behavior doesnt make one good
in the sight of God.
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Christianity was born under the Roman Empire. Why then?
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Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had
come, God sent forth His Son, born [a] of a woman, born under the
law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons.a
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From where do we get most of our knowledge about Jesus?
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Why did Jesus come?
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John 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV) 16 For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him.
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How did the Jews respond to the arrival of the Messiah?
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John 8:56-59 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and
he saw it and was glad." 57 The Jews therefore said to Him, "You
are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus
said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born,
I am." 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but
Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple." John 8:56-59
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John 10:27-36John 10:27-36, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and
they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My
hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 "I
and the Father are one." 31 The Jews took up stones again to stone
Him. 32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the
Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 33 The Jews answered
Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and
because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." 34 Jesus
answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you
are gods'? 35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came
(and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom
the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are
blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"
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How did the Romans respond to the arrival of this King of the
Jews? John 18:28-29 Matthew 27:54
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_______________ was the Roman governor in Judea at the time of
Jesus arrest. (Pontius Pilate) _______________ was the Roman
Emperor at the time of Jesus death. (Tiberius)
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What was proven when Jesus rose from the dead? His life and
death constitute the turning point of history.
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What is the gospel? God sent his son Jesus to life a sinless
life and to die in the place of sinful humans so they may be
forgiven of their sins.
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What is the Great Commission? Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:18-19
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What were the conditions that were favorable for the spread of
Christianity? 1. Jerusalem center of Judaism. 2. Many Jews believe.
3. New believers are persecuted. 4. Christians scatter and take
their message. 5. Roman roads. 6. Latin/Greek common
languages.
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The early Christians took their call to teach others about
Jesus very seriously and under the early leaders such as Paul
Christians went out as missionaries or messengers to tell others of
Christ.
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The common Greek language allowed them to tell others easily
without having to translate. The Roman roads allowed the
missionaries to travel with relative ease.
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The Destruction of ________________ in 70A.D. also led to the
dispersion of the Jews and Christians from the area of Palestine.
This caused people to separate Judaism and Christianity in their
minds.
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Simple Met in private homes or synagogues Read Scripture, pray,
sing Partake of the Lords Supper (Communion)
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Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the
Lord's Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my
instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The
Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having
given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, broken for
you. Do this to remember me. After supper, he did the same thing
with the cup: This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each
time you drink this cup, remember me. What you must solemnly
realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you
drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of
the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again
until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed
contempt.
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Why were Christians persecuted in the Roman Empire? Charged
with being disloyal because they refused to worship the emperor as
god. They were weird and didnt participate in Roman cultural events
(pagan festivals, gladiator games, etc.) The Romans were afraid of
the rapid growth of the Church.
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The Christians were blamed for many of the evils that plagued
the empire. The fire that burned Rome. Earthquakes, etc.
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At first, persecution was _______ and confined to __________
____________. Sporadic Small areas Nero - persecutor Polycarp -
persecuted
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Later persecution became more widespread throughout the empire
as the Romans hoped that persecution would cause Christians to
recant and others to fear converting to Christianity. Destroying
churches Burning Scriptures Execution
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Emperor Constantine publicly embraces Christianity. In the
Edict of Milan 313 AD, he declares Christianity legal.
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Rome went from being the persecutor of the Church to a
protector of the Church. Property which had been confiscated from
Christians was restored. Sunday became a legal holiday. The Roman
government gave funds for building churches. The Roman government
encouraged people to become Christians.
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The Government and the Church are now tied together. Is this a
good idea?
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Decline in purity of the Church as people joined because it was
fashionable to do so. Pagan ideas, practices, and heresies entered
the Church. Arianism denied the Deity of Christ Monasticism people
wanted to separate themselves to live holy lives
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John 17:14-16 (New International Version) 14 I have given them
your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the
world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you
take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil
one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
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Church developed hierarchical structure. Followed the political
and geographic divisions of the Roman empire Parish, Diocese,
Bishop, Archbishop, Patriarchates Patriarchs bishops of the most
important cities
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Patriarch of Rome became the Pope.
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Constantine moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to
Byzantium, later called Constantinople.
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Political disorder Inefficiency Waste Unstable leadership
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Economic troubles Cost of maintaining the army Expenses of a
large government bureaucracy Increasing tax burden Reduction of
silver content in coins devaluation of currency-> inflation
Trade deficit
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Moral decay Greed Government provided free food and amusement
(bread & circuses) Family life disintegrated Superstition
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Reforms of Diocletian & Constantine Reorganized government
Supreme authority of emperor Established a co-emperor called
augustus Divided empire into east and west Each co-emperor
assistant called caesar Set price controls (maximum prices) New
gold & silver coins
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The reform attempts led to greater government control and
regulation. Also increased the problems. System of joint rule fell
apart Constantine moved capital to Byzantium, later Constantinople.
Empire permanently divided in 395 A.D. under Theodosius I.
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Germanic peoples: Angles, Saxons, Franks, Vandals, Goths Called
barbarians by the Romans because they did not share in Greek &
Roman culture.
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Increased the ranks of the Roman army with these barbarians.
Rome had many foreigners in her army.
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Huns came from the Far East in the late 4 th century.
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Germanic tribes, such as the Visigoths, fled into Roman
territory. Roman mistreatment led the Visigoths to rebel and kill
the emperor at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 A.D. defeating the
Roman legions
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Alaric led the Visigoths into the Italian peninsula to plunder
the city of Rome in 410 A.D. The Visigoths settled in Spain.
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The Franks moved into northern Gaul and later shaped France.
The Angles and Saxons went to Britania. Attila the Hun also invaded
Rome but was repelled.
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Later the Vandals, another Germanic tribe, raided and pillaged
Rome. The very word vandal became associated with the destruction
of property. (vandalism) 476 A.D. Roman rule ended with the
establishment of a non-Roman as emperor in the west.
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The Eastern Empire, however, endured for another 1,000
years.