The mixture of pagan and Christian traditions in Christmas imagery serves as a reminder that the celebration was layered over older midwinter festivities, revealing its historical evolution.
The rapid increase in Christian burials and frequency of Christian first names in the third century highlights Christianity's transition from a small sect to a mainstream religion across the Roman Empire.
By AD300, there were approximately 3 million Christians in the Roman Empire, a significant transformation from 150,000 Christians just over a century prior.
Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in 312 marked a pivotal moment, establishing a foundation for Christianity's dominance as he made Sunday a day of rest and allocated public funds for church construction.
Collection
[
|
...
]