Christianity had a significant impact on the Roman Empire, particularly in the Eastern Roman Empire ruled from Constantinople. While Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity in 312, it wasn’t until Emperor Theodosius I declared it the official religion in 380 that Christianity became more intolerant of religious error. Emperor Justinian, in particular, enforced harsh penalties for those who didn’t convert to Christianity. However, alongside this exclusivity, Christianization also brought about greater concern for the poor and vulnerable, with emperors funding hospitals and orphanages. The rise of asceticism challenged traditional Roman society and provided new options for women. The Catholic Church later asserted itself as the successor to the pagan Empire by appropriating Roman antiquity for its own story. Despite the lack of evidence for Christian martyrs in the Colosseum, it became a symbol of the persecution faced by early Christians. Its preservation was due in part to Christian myth.
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