Romans and Jews
Why didn’t the Romans persecute Jewish monotheists?
Romans, as I have discussed elsewhere, believed that the success of their empire hinged on maintaining peace with the gods — the pax deorum. If citizens honored their obligations to the gods, if they maintained a right relationship with the divine, the gods would reciprocate with success and prosperity for the Roman state. The evidence for this relationship was self-evident. The Romans pointed to their great empire as the strongest argument for the truth of their belief. How could a small town in central Italy have conquered the known world, were it not for the gods’ assistance?
Monotheism — the belief that there is only one god — challenged this well-established worldview. When Christians refused to worship the traditional Roman gods — and, more disturbingly, discouraged others from honoring the gods — the Romans took action. Worshiping Jesus was not a problem, but Christians were obliged to offer proper respect for the gods that made Rome great. Christians who did not comply, those who stubbornly refused to sacrifice to the gods, faced execution. As the new religion gained adherents, the Romans began to persecute Christians, hoping to drive these misguided souls back to a sensible respect for Rome’s gods.
