Jesus and the Roman Empire | Gregory Aldrete and Lex Fridman

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*GUEST BIO:*
Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history.

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[LexClips]

See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

*GUEST BIO:*
Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history.

*CONTACT LEX:*

*EPISODE LINKS:*

*SPONSORS:*
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
*LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
*Shopify:* Sell stuff online.
*AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks.
*BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling.
*ExpressVPN:* Fast & secure VPN.

*PODCAST LINKS:*

*SOCIAL LINKS:*

[jasonhinkle]

"There is no greater drama in human record than the sight of a few Christians, scorned or oppressed by a succession of emperors, bearing all trials with a fierce tenacity, multiplying quietly, building order while their enemies generated chaos, fighting the sword with the word, brutality with hope, and at last defeating the strongest state that history has known. Caesar and Christ had met in the arena, and Christ had won." -Will Durant

[paulpena]

I think he's leaving out a crucial aspect of what made Christianity so popular. Yes, it did provide for salvation and heaven - an appealing message - but what the Romans witnessed in the coliseum with regards to the torturing and killing of Christians brought great sympathy and respect for that cult. If you look at the story of Saint Euphemia she was to be eaten by a Lion but the beast wasn't feeling it that day and so the emperor ordered a gladiator to kill her. He naturally hesitated during which she grabbed his sword and committed suicide. The Romans valued courage and often saw tremendous resolve from Christians who seemed to be happy dying for their God. It was rare for a Roman to show that kind of willingness to die for, say, Jupiter or Mars.

[anewperspective]

The love of Christ is the brightest light in life.

[brendansaltvick]

When Christianity first arose in the world nobody called it a religion. Even the Romans called Christianity the anti-religion. For two hundred years, the Romans thought Christians were atheists. When the Christian Polycrap was being martyred, the angry Roman crowds shout out “away with the atheists!” (see the text Martyrdom of Polycarp. They made no sacrifices and had no temple dedicated to their God.

The reason why is because what Christians were saying about God was so radically different than what any religion has claimed in history. Jesus is the most anti-religious founder of any religion. Moreover, his claim to be unique son of God (which was a title reserved for Caesar—it was literally on the coins), was a direct challenge to what Rome believed in.

[paulsacramento]

Christianity appealed to many because it freed their minds and spirit, even if their bodies were still enslaved. It showed that under God, all have equal worth, even if not all are equal.
The Christian God asked nothing that He would not do for us, including self-sacrifice. Christ offered love and salvation as a free gift, wanting nothing in return for it to be earned. That love drove them to care for those that needed it, to love those that did not know what it was to be loved. They did all that because HE did all that first, for them, because He loved Us so.

[oscarestrada]

Christianity wasn’t called Christianity then it was simply called by the first Christians “The Way” ☦️

[elijah]

All due respect to Gregory Aldrete, it is not correct to say this was “an act of patriotism.” Beginning with Augustus, the imperial cult in the east began to worship the emperor as a living god while he lived, and would offer sacrifices to his image after his death and apotheosis.

The Christians had accepted Christ as Lord and God and could not in good conscience render such honors to the emperor; and they were willing to die rather than doing so. If there was confusion on behalf of the state in the early days, it didn’t last long. This wasn’t a “miscommunication.” The Roman emperors were tyrants and had the power of life and death, and several chose to exercise that power in an attempt to compel obeisance. Eventually, after centuries of tyranny, the faithfulness of the martyrs and their bravery when facing the terrors of the Roman state won over millions, and even the man who would become the first Christian emperor—Constantine the Great.

[nickangelica]

Pliny was an aristocrat who witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 Anno Domini. He was friendly with one of the most brilliant Roman historians of all time, Tacitus, through his uncle, Pliny the Elder. The Younger was fiercely intelligent, and I'm willing to bet he knew a little more about Christians than he let on in his letters to Trajan... early Roman officials thought Christians were cannibals... their understanding of the Eucharist being obviously skewed... an incredibly fascinating period of Roman history... especially through the lens of Pliny's letters as an eyewitness to Vesuvius.

[chs_ambs]

When he says, "What are the odds?" in response to Lex pointing out that two highly influential figures lived on earth contemporaneously (Augustus and Jesus), I'm reminded of my Astronomy class where my teacher said, "What an amazing coincidence" regarding the moon and sun both appearing nearly identical in size when viewed from the earth, despite the fact that the sun is 400 times further away. Some people just refuse to see providence.

[mjed]

I appreciated the insights. It was odd that he glossed over the disgusting persecutions that early Christians faced. I don't use the word disgusting lightly. I've been learning a lot while reading Eusebius' The Early Church. Perhaps he went into more detail in the longer version though. It's also sad that people who called themselves Christ-ians turned and persecuted pagans. I'm sure thats demoralizing to anyone looking at history. It's just important not to throw the baby out with the bath water -- What Christ taught goes completely against what some people have done in the name of being a Christian. In the end, Jesus came to save us from our terrible slavery to sin -- and its eventual punishment of eternal hell. That's what its really all about. Eternal life with the One who created you and loves you so much He came down and suffered for all your wrong doing, even while you hated him.

[MDCMR]

The appeal of Christianity is that it’s true 😊

[indigokiller]

interesting chat. it must be mentioned that true Christianity isn't just about securing a deal for a nice afterlife. it's about realizing you are a sinner who has offended a holy God, you have no way to save yourself from sin, and only forgiveness and restoration to the Father come through Jesus Christ. the first century believers who were reconciled to Christ but brutally killed by the romans for their faith, died in the knowledge that they were forgiven and had hope for spiritual deliverance in Christ.

[patricktalley]

I think as a principle, a historian should not discount the spiritual reasons given by Constantine for legalizing Christianity and for later converting. To dismiss this as a part of the explanation seems more ideological than historical.

According to multiple accounts, Constantine’s mother, Helena, to whom he was very devoted, was an enthusiastic Christian. Constantine himself claimed to have seen a Christian vision of the cross before battle at Milvian Bridge, and also claimed to receive a second vision about putting the cross on his soldiers shields.

Constantine’s predecessor, Diocletian, instituted one of the most violent pogroms against Christians. So Constantine’s change in direction was quite radical, further indicating the possibility that his sudden support for the Christians and their faith was more than just cynical politics.

Since these are historical facts reported in reliable contemporary sources, they should not simply be dismissed by a historian as something only “normal” people should consider.

[vonroretz]

The question is whether the Pharisees pledged allegiance to the Emperor deity ?

[MrMustang]

Christ conquered the heart of the empire that persecuted Him and His people. Beautiful.

[Notmyrealname]

Christianity is at its heart a revolutionary doctrine of all being equal before god and treating others how you treat yourself. No wonder the Roman’s saw it as a threat

[stingra]

Jesus' conflict was not with Rome, it was with the Jews, his own people.

[Sentinel]

Romans did not want to crucify Jesus, the Jews demanded it. “Let his blood be on us, and our children”

[ivankrushensky]

7:45 as a historian, how could he leave out Constantine here? That played a huge impact on the growth and acceptance in the Roman Empire.