Christianity in the Roman Empire Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Around what year did Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Empire?

Answer: 392 AD

Christianity started as a new religion in the Roman Empire in Palestine. Despite early persecution, Christianity and its followers rapidly spread throughout the Roman Empire. When the Empire collapsed, the Christian Church took over the Empire's role of the central institution for Western civilization.

2. Before Christianity, the only consistently monotheistic religion in the Roman Empire was Judaism.

Answer: false

A monotheistic religion is a religion which recognizes only one god, as opposed to a polytheistic religion, which recognizes more than one or many. It is sometimes - erroneously - said that the only monotheistic religion in the Roman Empire before Christianity was Judaism. However, Zoroastrianism and Mithraism were also montheistic.

3. Jesus Christ is generally regarded as the founder of Christianity?

Answer: True

The little we know about the life of Jesus is from a collection of four books known as the Gospels that documented Jesus' life here on earth. He started his public life at thirty, until he was sentenced to death and died on a cross.

4. Which person is credited with starting to spread Christianity throughout the Roman world?

Answer: Paul

After Jesus' death, Christianity remained a small sect within Judaism. However, Paul, a Jew from Asia Minor, had a vision that converted him to Christianity and told him to start spreading this religion through the world.

5. In 313 AD Constantine issued a document that stopped the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. What was its name?

Answer: Edict of Milan

The Edict of Milan was not only limited to Christians - it granted everyone in the Empire to worship as they chose. Constantine was greatly influenced by his mother, who was a very devout Christian.

6. Paul, the first missionary in Christianity, was killed during the reign of what Roman emperor?

Answer: Nero

Whenever trouble broke out in the Ancient Roman world the Christians were used as scapegoats - being accused of using black magic against the Roman Empire. Many early Christians became martyrs, meaning that they suffered or died for their faith.

7. Which of these areas around these major cities was not a major Christian area around 325 AD?

Answer: Milan

Carthage and Alexandria in Northern Africa, Rome in Italy, Constantinople in Asia Minor, Athens in Greece, and Antioch and Jerusalem in the year 325 AD were all major Christian centers.

8. In the early Christian church, what were the leaders at the top of the Christian hierarchy called?

Answer: Bishops

The Pope came along later in history in the Catholic church. However, at the beginning of Christianity when all Christians were united, bishops were in charge of an area called a diocese.

9. After Jesus' death, many people were sent out to preach Christianity to the world. What were these people known as?

Answer: Apostles

The word "apostles" comes from the Greek word "a person sent forth". The apostles sent forth and started to first preach Christianity to the Judean Jews and then spread out to scattered Jewish communities throughout the world.

10. Which Emperor finally made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire?

Answer: Theodosius

Even before becoming Emperor, Theodosius was a very strong Catholic, as was his mother. One of his major acts other than making Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire was driving all polytheistic religions and pagan religions out of the empire.

Source: Author NatureKid034

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Christian religion played an interesting role in the Ancient Roman Empire. How much do you know about it?

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