Aridius

Aridius t1_iz68jab wrote

Yes, the office of the tribune was used by the Gracci to destabilize the politically fragile late Roman republic; though I doubt they were meaning to do so.

Clodius was a contemporary of Caesar in the same vein, famously giving up his patrician status and being adopted into a plebeian family to run for the office.

1

Aridius t1_iz67xex wrote

Christianity became the official religion of Rome after Constantine saw the Chi Rho in a vision before the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

Before that, it was a widely persecuted cult, and wasn’t even considered a religion by contemporary Romans. The thinking at that time was that religions belonged to different ethnic groups/nations; since Christianity was open to all individuals, it was seen as a cult, like that of Mithra.

Christianity was persecuted because 1. It’s always nice to have a scapegoat and 2. Christians wouldn’t offer burnt offerings to the health of the emperor. In contrast, the Jews in the empire would do so on behalf of hashem, but Christians were not permitted burnt offerings by their beliefs. Not burning an offering for the emperor was seen as treason. Roman religion was much more intertwined into its politics than any modern system.

27