Gordon Dirks

Early Christians baffled the Roman world because their counter-cultural way of life, radical compassion, and refusal to conform to civic religion turned traditional Roman values upside down... Christians worshipped only one God and refused to burn incense to Caesar or participate in state polytheistic rituals. Romans viewed this as a dangerous form of atheism and treason that could anger the gods and destabilize the empire. Roman society was deeply hierarchical and honor-driven, built on class, slavery, and status. Christians treated slaves, masters, the poor, and elites as spiritual equals before Christ. Romans routinely exposed unwanted or disabled infants to die of exposure. Christians actively combed public dumpsters and streets to rescue these babies and raise them as their own—an act so foreign to Romans that they falsely accused Christians of bizarre rituals like child sacrifice. While Roman culture prized honor, strength, and retribution against enemies, Christians practiced radical forgiveness and charity. They cared for widows, orphans, the poor, and even plague victims regardless of whether they were believers, prompting early writers like Tertullian to note observers saying, "See how they love one another!" Unlike other oppressed groups or zealots who fought the Roman legions with the sword, Christians refused violent revolution. When dragged before magistrates or executed in the arenas, many faced death with calm resolve or song rather than armed resistance, which baffled authorities who only understood power backed by military might. . . . Early Christians in Roman Empire showed a high level of devotion to their God that made their persecution backfire. On many occasions, the martyrs sang while awaiting execution in arenas. While Roman authorities at the time intended for public executions to serve as a warning to anyone who refused to honor traditional gods, the strategy did not work. Roman Emperor Nero started the trend in 64 CE after a great fire destroyed much of Rome. At the time, he needed people to blame for the disaster and chose the Christians as they were a small group of secretive people that lived on the fringes of society. The plan to scare the public away from the new faith failed as instead of fear, the lurid sights of their devotion to their faith even in the face of death, created curiosity among Roman citizens. The public executions of Christians were meant to humiliate victims, their displays of courage when facing persecution were rare in a society built on power and self-interest. As a result, many Romans began to wonder what kind of god could give a person such strength. Tertullian, a famous writer from that era, notably wrote that the blood of martyrs acted as the seed of the church. Every time the state killed a believer, more people signed up to join the movement. While most people in the empire easily added the Roman Emperor to their list of gods in order to avoid trouble, the Christians refused to burn incense to the image of the ruler. Over time, the church became more organized and created a welfare system that the Roman government simply did not provide. When the Plague of Cyprian that emerged in 251 CE killed thousands of people, pagan priests and wealthy citizens fled to their country estates to avoid the sickness. Christians by contrast stayed in the cities to nurse the sick and bury the dead regardless of whether the victims were believers or not. This level of kindness earned them deep respect among the poor and middle classes. The actions also helped to earn the trust of the people. 📷 : Faithful unto Death (Christianae ad Leones!) or Christians to the Lions; an 1888 oil-on-canvas work by British artist Herbert Gustave Schmalz (1856-1935) that depicts Christian martyrs awaiting their fate in the Colosseum. #archaeohistories