Figure 1.-- The persecutions did not inhibit the growth of Christianity. Here we see a Christian sarcophagus, dated around 270 and preserved in the church of St. Maria Antiqua in Rome. Despite the persecutions, art work like this shows that countless Christiana even before Constantine (r306-337) were making no attempt to hide their religious beliefs. We see depiction of several biblical scenes. The right side shows the baptism of Jesus. From a historical point of view, there are interesting inaccuracies. John the Baptist is shown as a Greek philosopher. He is supposed to represent the convergence of human wisdom and faith. Jesus is depicted as a child when he was actually an adult. This probably reflects the customs of the third-century Roman church, which had already introduced child baptism. He is depicted naked. Ritual nudity at baptism in the Latin Church remained in force until the Middle Ages and in the Greek Church persists.
Christianity grew significantly within the Roman Empire despite the many persecutions. There were several religious seasons for this and not all had anything to do with religion. A major factor was the Empire's superb infrastructure, and relative religious tolerance. Christianity spread rapidly especially in the urban centers and along trade routes. This allowed Christianity to meme from Jewish Palestine into very major center of the Empire including the Levant, Anatolia, Europe, Egypt, and North Africa. The Romans were not especially concerned with theology of the many religious sects within the Empire. The Imperial concern was the refusal of many Christians to participate in Roman religious rituals and the Imperial cult. The result was waves of persecution under emperors like Nero (r54-68 AD) and and Diocletian (r284-305). Christianity appealed to the poor and marginalized with a theme of hope and salvation. The persecutions did not inhibit the growth of Christianity. Here we see a Christian sarcophagus, dated around 270 and preserved in the church of St. Maria Antiqua in Rome. Despite the persecutions, art work like this shows that countless Christiana even before Constantine (r306-337) were making no attempt to hide their religious beliefs. We see depiction of several biblical scenes. The right side shows the baptism of Jesus. From a historical point of view, there are interesting inaccuracies. John the Baptist is shown as a Greek philosopher. He is supposed to represent the convergence of human wisdom and faith. Jesus is depicted as a child when he was actually an adult. This probably reflects the customs of the third-century Roman church, which had already introduced child baptism. He is depicted naked. Ritual nudity at baptism in the Latin Church remained in force until the Middle Ages and in the Greek Church persists. Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan legalized Christianity, granting religious freedom to all citizens and paving the way for its further growth (313). The Christian Church grew in power and influence, eventually becoming a major institution in the Roman Empire and beyond. And baptism became a standard practice throughout the Empire.
