Christianity and the Roman Empire

Christianity, after much persecution, was eventually adopted by the Romans and became their country’s most prominent religion. Ever since the adoption of Christianity, Rome has maintained its dedication to the Christian religion –– to this day, 97.67% of all Italians are baptized with Catholic rites (Freedom). Why was Christianity so strongly grasped by the Romans? The answer to this question can be unveiled through analyzing the Roman culture and morals and comparing them to the culture and morals of early Christianity. The Roman population accepted Christianity with such vigor because it was structurally similar to the moral ideology of Rome; however, Christianity was different in that it gave an opportunity for the common individual to experience the type of honor that once was only held by traditional Roman heroes.

One of the structural similarities between the Roman and early Christian cultures is their commitment to honoring their ancestry. In the song, Onward Christian Soldiers, there is a phrase that says, “Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod” (Onward). This phrase shows the reverence that the Christians had for people who came before them. Honoring these saints later becomes a strong catholic tradition and many people today have alters for saints and believe that the saints protect their homes and bless them. This tradition of having alters for saints is similar to the Roman’s tradition of honoring their ancestry though the use of death masks (Togatus). The Romans kept these masks in their houses and deified their dead; these ancestors would later become known as the house gods. The Romans believed that their house gods performed a similar function to what Christians believed the saints did –– protecting and guiding their families. 

Family is the basic unit of human unity and unity was one of the strongest aspects of Roman culture. One example of this unity is when Caesar’s men all decided to follow him even if it meant treason to cross the Rubicon. Similarly, in the song Onward Christian Soldiers, we see that the early Christians also had this strong view of togetherness, “We are not divided; all one body we: one in hope and doctrine, one in charity” (Onward). While togetherness was definitely one of the strongest passions within the Roman empire, this group usually had a strong leader that guided them to attain a certain purpose. In the Roman empire, this leader could take on the form of Aeneas from the Aeneid who was destined to establish Rome or Caesar, who was mightily expanded the Roman empire. In comparison, the Christian leader took on the form of Jesus Christ. The idea of Romans following a leader without doubting can be compared to early Christians following Christ through their faith. Just as Aeneas’ troops left comfortable Carthage to follow him to Italy in the Aeneid (59-60), so too did Christ’s disciples leave behind their fishing to follow Christ (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Mathew 4:19). In essence, the Roman leader and Christ are very similar. This is exemplified in the image of Christ where he is portrayed in a painting as a Roman commander (Christ). This idea of Christ being a war general is furthermore seen in the lyrics of Onward Christian Soldier, “Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banners go!” (Onward). This view of Christ as a type of Roman leader, along with other similarities, made Christianity easier for Romans to adopt and later to maintain for long periods of time. 

The similarities between the Christian and Roman cultures are not the only reasons why Christianity was easily adopted by the Romans. While the similarities between the two cultures would make the transition from ancient Roman tradition to Christian tradition easier, people would need something more to encourage them to adopt it over their past beliefs. The driving point of accepting Christianity comes from its differences to ancient Roman tradition. One of these differences is the idea of what brings someone honor. To earn honor in ancient Rome, someone had to beautiful, physically strong, and intelligent. One of the most perfect examples of this is Aeneas. In the Aeneid, when Aeneas appears in front of Dido, he does not appear to her as a disheveled traveler, but Venus makes him beautiful so that all could recognize him for the hero he is (19). He is also powerful as seen when he battles and defeats Turnus (195-196). Finally, Aeneas is intelligent, for he is not easily fooled by the false appearances of the gods (12-13). In the Christian tradition, someone did not need to be strong, or beautiful, or even intelligent, but of sound heart and mind. This is especially evident in the beatitudes where Christ says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Mathew 5:11-12). In essence, Christ is saying even the lowliest of people, the ones who are insulted and persecuted, can be great. Christ even compares these people to prophets of old which shows that they too can attain noteworthy honor.

Gaining honor and power, even if one was considered weak, must have been a very appealing aspect of Christianity to the Romans. This appealing concept along with the many similarities between the Christian tradition and the Roman tradition made for a smooth adoption of Christianity for Romans. It may have taken years for Christianity to take hold in the Roman empire, but now it seems as if Rome will never let it go.

Works Cited

“Christ Treading on the Beasts.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 July 2019, 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_treading_on_the_beasts.

“Crossing the Rubicon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Nov. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon.

“Freedom of Religion in Italy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Mar. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Italy.

“Jesus the Christ.” Jesus the Christ, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/images/jesus-christ-39623?lang=eng.

“Onward, Christian Soldiers.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onward,_Christian_Soldiers.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Hendrickson Publishers, 2014.

“Togatus Barberini.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 June 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togatus_Barberini.

Virgil, and Stanley Lombardo. The Essential Aeneid. Hackett Pub. Co., 2006.

The Structural Role of Honor

The Oxford English Dictionary defines honor as a “quality of character entitling a person to great respect; nobility of mind or spirit” (Honor). While the denotation of honor is set by dictionaries, the specific qualities that imbue this great respect are not — they are defined by the society in which one lives. Brigham Young University (BYU) values different qualities than the ancient Greeks but both use honor as an important aspect of structuring their society. The two groups define honor within their societies by idolizing the characteristics that will most benefit the community and by shaming the actions or characteristics that would harm it.

Physical prowess in battle was the epitome of honor for ancient Greek men and was central to defining their social construct. In the Iliad and Odyssey, we read epithets such as powerful Agamemnon (Iliad 79) and God-like Odysseus (Odyssey 343) — these are men who have been glorified for their abilities in battle. This glorification of might reveals that the Greeks actively strived to build a powerful army capable of conquering other countries, increasing their wealth and proving their superiority. The men who helped most to strengthen this vision became revered by their peers and immortalized in literature. Achilles is a perfect example of this immortalization as he single-handedly turns the tides of battle and wins eternal glory from the Gods and Greeks alike (Iliad 197-230). Literary works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, however, are not the only evidence of honor impacting the structure of Greek life. Artwork, such as the Spearman statue by Polykleitos, further exhibit how honor gained through physical prowess was not an idea exclusive to the battlefield, but a central theme in all of Greek culture. 

While physical prowess was a central ideal for Greek culture,  it was mainly directed toward the men. Women, on the other hand, had different criteria for what was considered honorable. In the book, The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World, a woman’s honor is said to be closely tied to their sexuality, especially as pertains to her capacity to bring forth legitimate children for her husband (Roberts). While the ancient Greeks separated the honor criteria for men and women, the BYU code of conduct is mostly gender neutral. The honor code says, “Students must be in good Honor Code standing to be admitted to, continue enrollment at, and graduate from BYU” (Church). The word “students” is not gender specific and sets forth the requirements that both men and women need to fulfill to successfully integrate themselves into the BYU community. Similar to the purpose of Greek honor, BYU established an honor code to provide a framework for students to follow so as to promote the ideal BYU community, which is to gain “education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (Church).

Honor can be used positively, such as shaping the educational atmosphere at BYU; however, dishonor can also be used to shape a community. One example of dishonor shaping the community is the story behind the Ajax suicide vase by Exekias. It emotionally depicts Ajax removing himself from society by falling on his own sword after he lost his honor (Suicide). Likewise, in Oedipus Rex, there are two more examples of how the feeling of dishonor and shame drive the removal of undesirable characteristics from society. The first example is Jocasta when she commits suicide upon discovering maternal relationship to her husband/son, Oedipus. The second example deals with Oedipus, who does not commit suicide like Ajax or Jocasta, but exiles himself from society after symbolically gouging his own eyes out. 

The ancient Greeks are not the only ones who used dishonor as a tool to remove unwanted qualities from a society — BYU also utilizes this strategy. The honor code stipulates that “Students who are not in good Honor Code standing must discontinue enrollment. Also, they are not eligible for graduation, even if they have otherwise completed all necessary coursework” (Church). In essence, the BYU honor code states that students who do not abide by the honor code are acting dishonorably and will be removed from the university. This action is comparable to the exiling found in ancient Greek culture. One of the biggest differences between BYU and Greek exile, however, is the fact that many BYU students will be able to return to the university after a probationary period whereas the Greeks exiled a person for life. 

In conclusion, honor is an important device used by people to establish the society that they want in the future. Since this future society is not universally defined, the actions that bring honor will differ depending on the people who make up the community. While the characteristics that bring honor to the society are drastically different among cultures, the structural role of honor remains unchanged. The idea of honor being used in the same way across multiple cultures is evident by comparing the ancient Greeks with BYU. Ancient Greece separately defined the criteria as to what gave a man and a woman honor. For men, it was honorable to be physically strong and capable of great feats. Women, on the other hand, were honored for their virtue, sexuality and ability to deliver children to their husbands. BYU stands in contrast to these two ideas because it holds both genders to practically the same level, which is keeping the standards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even though ancient Greece and BYU have different criteria for what brings honor, both use honor in a similar fashion. Both will praise and respect the people with characteristics that contribute to their ideal version of society. Likewise, both will also remove individuals from their society if they deem their actions dishonorable. Honor is an integral part of any society and defines not only the present actions of individuals, but also the future development of the whole community. 

Works Cited

Church Educational System Honor Code, https://policy.byu.edu/view/index.php?p=26.

Homer, et al. Iliad. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1997.

Homer, and Stanley Lombardo. Odyssey. Hackett Pub. Co., 2000.

“Honor.” Oxford English Dictionary, https://www-oed-com.erl.lib.byu.edu/view/Entry                /8822?rskey=jTdaZc&result=1#eid

Roberts, John Willoby. The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World. Oxford                              University Press,  2016.

“Suicide of Ajax Vase.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Dec. 2018,https://                        en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Ajax_Vase#/media/File:Exekias_Suicide_                d_Ajax_01.jpg.

Gamer of Old

I come from a family that loves video games. When the family gets together, we play a variety of video games from Mario cart to Call of Duty Zombies. At our last Christmas party, my mom beat my nieces in Mario cart while some of us taught my brother's fiancée how to play super smash brothers. We do not just play video games in silence; we yell out in excitement, joke around, and laugh our heads off. More than anything, video games have given us time to talk about our lives. While some people may bag on video games, they are the reason why my siblings are my best friends. 

Climber of Mountains

I like to rock climb, but I pretty much only go outdoors. Why pay for a membership when you can do it for free outdoors? Okay, obviously you have to buy the gear, but once you have it, it’s so much more fun to be out in nature! Some people have told me that you can't rock climb during the winter, but I am from St. George, Utah which means that I am used to climbing year-round. Also, winter is the time that there are no people at the climbing spots. I have totally climbed when snow was still on the ground. It just depends on how much you really want to climb! 

Nerd of Chemistry

I am a biochemistry major and finished my medical school applications this summer! My favorite class is a toss-up between organic chemistry and biochemistry. I have some glassware for running experiments but basically only use them to help my nieces in science fair projects. Currently I am in a biochemistry research lab working on characterizing the post-translational modification machinery of an enzyme used in the biosynthesis of an antimicrobial.

Lover of Languages

Before choosing biochemistry as a major, I thought about going into linguistics and learning lots of languages. One of my dreams is to learn Latin and Greek! My favorite parts of history are about the Greeks and the Romans. More than anything I have always been curious about what it would be like to read the classical works in the language they were first written in. I have a similar interest with reading the Bible in Hebrew.