Outline the Roman Empires attitude to Christianity Essay Example for Free

Outline the Roman Empires attitude to Christianity Essay Q: Outline the Roman Empires attitude to Christianity until the end of the first century. The Christian church from its outset has faced many challenges as a result of external influences; one of the most important of these influences was the persecution of the Christian people by the Roman Empire. From the year 64AD onwards the church was persecuted by the Roman authorities in an intermittent and sporadic manner, not on account of their beliefs, but was a result of chance and circumstance. Christianity was born out of Judaism and appeared as an entity after the death of Christ. Of course Jews of the time felt threatened by the emergence of Christianity as a faith, and so the earliest persecutions of Christians occurred at the hands of Jewish Sadducees, who branded Christians blasphemous. Indeed it is clear that the Jews played a part in persecution of Christians as late on as AD156 in the persecution of Polycarp. The persecution of Christians in the first century by Jews however were minimal in comparison to the much more widespread and systematic persecutions by the Roman authorities from the year AD64 onwards. Before this date Christians were accepted as a national sect of Judaism, and therefore they enjoyed the status of religio licita- a lawful or tolerated faith. The Roman Empire even protected many Christians against Jewish attack in the early years. This all changed however in the year 64AD, during the reign of the emperor Nero. See more: 5 paragraph essay format 64AD was by general concurrence of early Christians, the beginning of imperial repression of Christianity. This fact was supported by early Christian writers such as Tertullian, Eusebius and Sulpicus Severus. This date coincides with the fire of Rome, a devastating blaze which destroyed almost half of the city. The pagan writer Tacitus reports to us in 115 of the fact that Despite Neros efforts the accusation that the fire was ordered could not be quashed. The mounting suspicion had a disastrous effect on Neros popularity (which had been very high before then), so Nero set about searching for a scapegoat. Christians were perfect candidates for a number of reasons; they were a relatively new group that were small in number and there was already an air of suspicion surrounding allegations of anti social behaviour. However the actual circumstances may have been more complex than will never be understood by ourselves, as banks points out: The reasons behind the persecution of Christians included religious, political and social factors which were so inter-related and inter-dependant that it would be historically misleading to separate them out as isolated issues. There are however some other opposing views on the exact circumstances of the fire of Rome. Critics such as Frend have argued that it is possible that Nero originally put blame on the Jewish community, who in turn blamed Christianity. Yet other critics have also suggested that the fire may well have been started by Christian extremists, anxious to fulfil apocalyptic prophecies. The first persecuted Christians were charged with arson and as Tacitus tells us, immense in number, this charge apparently changed to a charge of hatred for the human race. This in itself indicates the immense suspicion of the Roman population towards Christianity and the ability of Roman authorities to exploit this. Wand indicates to us the state of Roman perceptions of Christianity after Neros reign: By the end of the reign of Nero the state had settled down to an attitude of suspicion towards the church. The persecutions themselves were reported to be gruesome and perverse in nature by Tacitus among others. They were deliberately devised to create amusement for the public as well as humiliate the incumbent. Accounts included victims being covered with the hides of dogs and beasts and set upon by dogs, being crucified and being used as streetlights to illuminate the darkness. Even Tacitus the most ardent of anti Christian writers, could not help but feel pity for them. There is much dispute over the impact that Neros persecution had on the Christian church. Some feel that it represents the beginning of Christianitys status as an illegal religion, and that it set the precedent for a further 2 centuries of imperial persecution. What is certain is that the church lost many of its influential early leaders during Neros reign, including St Peter and St Paul as reported by Eusebius. Some commentators believe that without the writings of early evangelists, the Christian faith may have disappeared altogether. After Neros removal from office there was a period of considerable civil unrest within the Roman Empire, and therefore Christians were not seen as an important priority. It was not until the reign of Domitian that persecution of Christians began in earnest. This time though the persecutions were different in nature in that he did not search out the Christian community as a group but sought out individuals by stealth. Domitian is described by Bernard as: A jealous man who went in fear of his life. He kept power (like Stalin in Russia) by a series of sudden blows against those who he felt were plotting against him. There is evidence to suggest during the end of his reign Domitian began to fervently persecute the Christian community as a whole. Showing the mans deep paranoia and distorted frame of mind. The ancient writer Suetonius writes of the Gladiator Glabrio who was executed by Domitian on Christian charges, although the real reason was the Emperors apparent jealousy of his abilities, underlining the unstable nature of Domitians personality. It is widely regarded by many critics such as Banks that a possible source of conflict between Domitian and the Christian church was his enthusiasm for the imperial cult, and therefore he persecuted them because of their refusal to accord him divine honours. However it still remains in dispute whether Domitian persecuted Christians at all. The early church writer Dio Cassius, wrote from Bythinia, a strong Christian province and yet he never mentions any of Domitians victims as Christians. Furthermore, Pliny, a lawyer working in Rome at the time of Domitians reign tells Trajan many years later that he had never been involved in a Christian trial. This indicates at least that Domitians persecution was not exactly widespread or for reaching, if it existed at all. There is little doubt of the immense impact the early persecutions had on the growth of the Christian church. While some argue that it has helped the church in its growth, others claim that it has actually hindered the churches growth. Tertullian observes the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. I believe that because of the limited nature of early persecutions they did not seriously slow down the expansion of Christianity. What is certain though is that the persecutions at the hands of Nero and Domitian set a precedent for future Christian persecution.

Hamlet - Act 5 Summary :: essays research papers

I have much to write about on this day, yet I cannot rightfully do it because I have tragically been killed. So, I will tell the story, as a spirit to the world. My life ended in a miserable way. Revenge was on my mind, as well as others. I completed the task that I had set forth to myself. I will start where I last left off.As I am walking with Horatio to the burial of Ophilia, we hear a gravedigger singing of odd things. We stop and watch him for a few moments and then when he begins to throw bones into the air, move out from our cover and inquire of his purpose. He then rambles on and on with strange wording, speaking of his call to be a gravedigger and his life existing since Hamlet Jr. was born. He continues to speak, telling me of a skull that was once Yorick. I tell him of how I had once known him and that he was one of my favorite jesters. Then, I began to carry-on about dying, and how people may be part of the wall. Then, as the funeral people begin to come in, Horatio and I move away, somewhat hidden and listen to the chitchat. The people are complaining of the unluxurious burial. Then, Laertes jumps onto the coffin and begins exclaiming that he wants to be buried next to her. I then enter, jumping onto the coffin with him and tell him of how he could never love her as much as I did. I then leave, after getting a 'load' off my chest.Horatio, still with me, listens as I tell him all the details of my trip to England, and back. I tell of rewriting the letters and being taken captive by the pirates. Then, Osric enters and after much speaking, informs of the request to a dual with Laertes. Then, when I am asked to come, I go to the dual. Laertes thinks I will lose, but I assure him that I have been working on my swordsmanship for some time.When I arrive, most of the royal people are there. I ask Laertes for my forgiveness before the dual begins and he won't except my apology until he has spoken to experts about his honor and reputation. I thank him and request for the swords and tell Laertes that he will be great, but he thinks I am making fun of him.

Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail

Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail University Of Phoenix HIS/110 August 25, 2012 Kim Murphy Life of the Female Pioneer on the Oregon Trail My life as a female pioneer taking the journey down the Oregon Trail was one of hardship and adventure. During the early 1800s settlers began to explore new territory in the New World looking for new opportunities. Through the pioneer journeys of Lewis and Clark a route through America was discovered that would take settlers to new land in the Pacific Northwest portion of the country. To reach the new land pioneers, such as I, had to travel down what became known as the Oregon Trail.Through the Oregon Trail the expansion of the West began but to get to this new part of the country I would have to travel two thousand miles along with other pioneers from my part of the country. We started in Missouri that required us to travel through five states to reach our new destination. To reach the new land offered to myself and the other pioneers in the New World, we would travel in large groups with people in wagons and on horseback. This was to help ensure our safety as we traveled the Oregon Trail to the new land in the West.Our travels included men, women, and children of all ages. Although I made the choice to go myself, there were many women on the trail that had to face the hardships of the long trail because their husbands had chosen to take this adventure. This was difficult for many of them because they were forced to leave their already established homes in exchange for the hardships of the trail and an uncertain future in the Pacific Northwest. To travel down the Oregon Trail, we travelled in horse drawn wagons and had oxen’s pulling carts of supplies.I like other pioneer families left my home with my worldly possessions that I could afford to carry. We faced being robbed at gunpoint by highway men on the trail. Another danger faced by the female pioneers and the wagon train were attacks by Native America ns. The Wagon Trains were attacked and burned and the men were killed leaving the women, children, and wagon supplies to be stolen by the Indians. Women were forced to become the slave of an Indian family or the wife of an Indian brave while the children were adopted by Indian families or made to be slaves.I and the other women were responsible for ensuring the food supply lasted on the long journey as well as packing the wagon. We were also responsible for cooking the meals on the Oregon Trail. We were required to wear long dresses with long sleeves in oppressive heat and care for all of the needs of the men and children as well as tend to the sick. There was a major risk to the female pioneer of losing our husbands or even our children to illness or accidents along the Oregon Trail. If the food supply ran short the men would hunt for food, use supplies meant for our new homes, or die of starvation.Illnesses, such as Typhoid and cholera, were common and would spread through the wag on trains creating more work for us women (Bledsoe, 1984). The overworked women would in turn become more vulnerable to becoming sick and perishing. Women who gave birth while on the Oregon Trail faced vast difficulty and in many cases the female pioneer or the new born would die. Women pioneers were usually fairly young because women during this time married as young as 14 but quickly toughened up because of the major responsibilities we faced on the trail.Despite the many hardships faced by myself and the other female pioneers, we helped to pave the way for future generations of Americans and bravely traveled to an unknown land to build a new life. The Oregon territory was originally jointly owned by American and the British but was acquired by America in 1846 and expanded the territory of the United States (Eddin, 2009). Before Oregon was acquired by America the area was sparsely populated and the single woman, such as I, had little opportunity to find a husband. In most cases we would marry a farm hand or the closest neighbor.Marriages were rarely based on love but instead of convenience and the benefit to the family. A large majority of pioneers became farmers making the pioneer women a farming wife but also required her to deal with the harsh winters that were associated with the area and adjust to a life of constant isolation. Once American acquired the Oregon territory the population began to expand and the pioneer families were offered more opportunity as well as single women, such as I, had more opportunity to meet potential husbands.New towns and cities began to emerge and we women were no longer forced to sew our own clothes. It also provided a more convenient and affordable way for us to buy food than in the past. Once the population began to grow in Oregon the society became more modernized and life for I and the other pioneer women became less harsh. References Bledsoe, L. (1984). Adventuresome Women on the Oregon Trail: 1840-186. http://www. js tor. org/discover/10. 2307/3346237? uid=3739256&uid=2129&uid Eddin, O. (2009). The Oregon Country and Westward Expansion. http://www. thefurtrapper. com/oregon_country. htm

The Policy Reform Government Infrastructure Developments...

Remedial policy reform is necessary to mitigate the benefits of government infrastructure developments from flowing disproportionately to landowners in the form of capital gains. George did not believe necessarily in dividing land among the population as not only would it be impractical but also does not offer a solution to affordable housing. Rather he proposes a land tax which would be efficient in accounting for the economic surplus arising from land ownership. He asserts that revenue raised would be sufficient to fund all public expenditure. Such reform would be advantageous to the economy insofar as the disincentive of increasing production imposed by income tax (as marginal benefit lowers with increased production) would be eradicated. The single land tax would result in a more equitable distribution of wealth which previously accrued only to landowners in the forms of rent and capital gains. The land tax would limit such gains as a portion is repaid to the public for exclusiv e use of a resource that the public is also entitled to. () Subsequently, reduction in wealth inequality results in savings in welfare provisions while revenue from land tax can be directed towards public housing. George ascertains targeting incentives of property speculation would depress property prices allowing for affordable housing to be more widely available. The demand for land incorporates both value in use and value in exchange accounting for the accommodation built on it and itsShow MoreRelatedIslam s Anti Western Appeal1775 Words   |  8 Pagesopposition. Mohammad Reza Shah, the second Pahlavi monarch who ruled Iran from 1941-1979, lived a lavish and alienating lifestyle, trying to emulate western society. With growing discontent towards the Shah and his westernizing reforms, Iranians turned to the Shia Ulema, the Iranian clergy, and other groups for guidance. 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