Christianity arose in the first
century CE. Over the next centuries,
it spread despite persecution.
Christians refused to honor the state
gods or sacrifice to them. Roman
authorities associated Christianity
with civil unrest. Many early
Christians were killed in an effort
to stamp out the new religion. But
Christianity grew and spread. In
313 CE, the emperor lifted laws
against Christians. By the 400s CE,
Christianity was the official religion.
CURSE TABLETS
The Romans believed their gods
listened to their requests. They
asked the gods to curse their
enemies or other people who
wronged them. They wrote a curse
on a sheet of lead. The writer
promised to give the god some
kind of gift. Then the tablet was
folded up and dropped in a deep
well, river, or spring, or was buried.
Sometimes the curse came true.
Then people had to keep their
promises to the gods.
30
Years a priestess called
a Vestal Virgin served
without marrying while
tending to the Temple
of Vesta, goddess of
the hearth.
• Romans had many gods
and goddesses.
• Rome accepted other
religions and gods.
• Early Christians were
persecuted, but
Christianity spread
anyway.
23
The Temple of
Saturn was built
to worship the god
Saturn and still
stands today.
