Christianisation of the Roman Empire
Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
Christianisation means the slow spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire. It began after Constantine became a Christian in 312 and made Christianity the official religion. The change was gradual and complicated. Polytheism (the worship of many gods, such as Jupiter, Juno, Minerva and Mars) did not disappear overnight. In the fourth century, the lines between religious groups were still loose.
Example
Over time, bishops made these lines sharper by disciplining the laity (ordinary believers who were not priests) and pushing for stricter belief. The destruction of the Serapeum, a famous temple at Alexandria, in 391 shows the growing pressure on the old religions.
Don't confuse with
- Constantine's conversion (312): this was a single event. Christianisation was a long process that lasted for centuries after it.
Related concepts
- Diocletian
- Constantine
- Edict of Milan 313
- Constantinople
- Post-Roman kingdoms
- Byzantine empire
- Justinian
- Late antiquity
- Prophet Muhammad
- Hijra