Question

Why do you think Roman leaders so opposed the rise of a new religion among their subjects?

Answer 1

Roman leaders opposed Christianity because it posed a socio-political threat to the existing hierarchy and emperor worship, rejected state cults, and actively sought new converts, leading to persecutions but eventually Christianity prevailed and became the official state religion by 380 CE.

Step-by-step explanation:

Roman leaders opposed the rise of Christianity because it threatened the hierarchical nature of Roman society and the worship of the emperor. Christianity's strict monotheism and its evangelistic nature made it stand out from other religions, including Judaism, which did not actively seek new converts. The refusal to participate in state cults and the tendency of Christians to disrupt traditional religious practices led to their persecution. For instance, Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE, leading to severe repression of the Christian community. Subsequent emperors, like Decius and Diocletian, instigated empire-wide persecutions to restore pagan worship. However, by 380 CE, Christianity had become so entrenched that Emperor Theodosius declared the empire officially Christian, leading to the eventual decline of pagan worship and concurrent acceptance of Christianity.

Answer 2

There were several reasons why Roman leaders so opposed the rise of a new religion among their subjects, but the main reason is that they though this would challenge their authority.