a religion is a belief in a god or gods and the practices the belief says to live by, such as praying and worshipping in a church, temple or mosque

a follower is a person who believes in the teachings of a leader

Judea is the mountainous region of ancient Palestine and once a kingdom of the Jewish people

a scapegoat is someone who carries the blame for others' mistakes and wrongdoings

a martyr is someone who would rather die or suffer than give up their religious or political beliefs

Early Christianity

History

Constantine's conversion to Christianity

Christianity in Western Europe

Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire

The Christian Church in Aksum

Early Christianity's story

In 'The Romans: what is the story of Christianity's rise?' pupils build on their knowledge of the Roman Empire by studying an overview of Christianity's spread across the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Near East. In ‘Britain after the Romans: how did Christianity survive in the British Isles?’ pupils explore the evidence of where Christianity survived in Britain.

In 'The Romans: What impact did the Romans have on Britain?' pupils will examine, in depth, the way that Roman invasion and settlement changed life in Britain. In 'The Romans: what is the story of Christianity's rise?' pupils will build on their knowledge of the Roman Empire by studying an overview of Christianity's spread across the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Near East.

In this unit, pupils learn about the history of early Christianity's changing fortunes: from a persecuted faith to the official religion of the Roman Empire. They also learn about three great centres of this religion: Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the East African kingdom of Aksum.

The Romans: what is the story of Christianity's rise?

to convert to a new religion or belief is to change to a different religion or belief

a rival is a person who competes with someone else to get what only one of them can have

a vision is a dream or idea in your imagination

a bishop is a religious leader in some Christian churches

a council is a group of people that meet to give advice or make decisions

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire

to have supremacy is to have ultimate power and authority

a monk is a man who devotes his life to a religion and gives up regular, worldly life

a nun is a woman who devotes her life to a religion and gives up regular, worldly life

the Byzantine Empire is the name given by historians to the eastern half of the Roman Empire

a hippodrome is an arena for chariot or horse races

laws are a set of rules that everyone agrees to follow

to worship is to show love and respect to a god

the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

people trade by buying or selling items they need or want

a missionary is a religious person who is sent to other places to tell others about that religion

persecution is the unfair and cruel treatment of people because of their beliefs

Constantine was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire

a tradition is the beliefs and behaviours of a group of people that develop over a long period of time

the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

The Romans: what is the story of Christianity's rise?

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