Questions: The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire
4 questions to test your understanding
Score: 0 / 4
Question 1 Multiple Choice
What did the Edict of Milan (313 CE) do?
AIt made Christianity the only legal religion
BIt granted toleration to Christians and to other religions
CIt banned pagan sacrifices across the empire
DIt moved the capital to Constantinople
Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius agreed to allow freedom of worship, which ended the Great Persecution. Making Christianity the official religion and banning pagan sacrifice came later under Theodosius I.
Question 2 True / False
Before 250 CE, persecution of Christians was usually local and occasional, not a constant empire-wide policy.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
Christians could be punished if accused before a governor, as Pliny's letter to Trajan shows, but there was no general campaign to hunt them down. Decius in 250 was the first emperor to order everyone to sacrifice to the gods, which forced Christians into conflict with the state.
Question 3 Short Answer
Name two features of the Roman world that helped Christianity spread.
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Any two of: Roman roads and safe sea travel; the common use of Greek in the eastern empire; large cities where new groups could form; Jewish communities across the Mediterranean where early missionaries began; relative peace inside the empire.
The same features that made Rome an integrated empire let missionaries such as Paul travel, write letters and found congregations in many cities within a few decades.
Question 4 Multiple Choice
Why did many Roman officials see Christians as a threat?
AChristians refused to pay taxes
BChristians refused to honor the Roman gods and the emperor's cult, which many Romans believed protected the state
CChristians formed a large army in the provinces
DChristians demanded the end of the emperor's rule
Romans generally accepted many gods, but they expected people to take part in public rites. Christians refused, so in times of crisis they could be blamed for angering the gods.