Conversion to Christianity

I was wondering if any of you out there could clear up something that has had me puzzled for some time. Why did Christianity rise to become the official religion and later only religion of the Roman Empire. Please don't give me "because Yahweh was the one true god". I've never understood why the Roman Emperors in particular would abandon a loose polytheistic faith well suited for keeping an empire together for a religion known since its beginnings for its intolerance particularly towards its fellow christians. This is all well put by the last "pagan" emperor, Julian, in one of his many books in which he tries to hold back the tide of christianity. He write:

"would not any man be justified in detesting the wise amongst you and pitying the fools who follow you, to the depth of ruin, and abandon the eternal Gods for the corpse of a Jew, and kill Heretics because they do not wail in the same manner as you"

I wouldn't say that Romans were "usually" polytheistic and faithful to their mythology. Many emperors were stoics, largely influenced by the philosophical movements. One century before Constantine legalized Christianity, the Emperor Elagabalus brough his cult of Sol Invictus, which was essentially montheistic sun worship, to Rome. Around this time, another similar cult, that of Mithra, became popular especially among eastern Legionaires. When Aurealian became emperor, he essentially made Sol Invictus, at this point somewhat indistinguisable from Mithraism, the official religion. Constantine was a worshippper of Sol Invictus, not Iuppiter.

Futhermore, religion was not constant in the empire. There were many fringe cults like the cult of Isis.


Edited by Imperator Invictus

Christianity was spreading fast. Constantine just kept upt with time.

Yes, romans were great politics. No doubt about it.

The story of Mithras should be oddly familiar to any christian. Born on the 25th of December of Virgin birth. He was known as the light of the world and saved mankind by sacfrifing a bull. Exchange the bull for himself and he becomes remarkably similar to another saviour.

miller, thanks.
the first site is pretty full with BS
the second ... i found something

maybe the name mitra /mitre left here because of the bogomils and their great influence in the area.

i wonder if those names apear anywhere else

Originally posted by Vercingetorix The story of Mithras should be oddly familiar to any christian. Born on the 25th of December of Virgin birth. He was known as the light of the world and saved mankind by sacfrifing a bull. Exchange the bull for himself and he becomes remarkably similar to another saviour.

That's hardly the same kind of sacrifice. It's not quite as being nailed to a cross. But anyway, it would be interesting to hear the paraboles of the bull! 

And, btw, how can one save mankind by killing a bull? Did he stand for the sins of man?

Originally posted by Vercingetorix The story of Mithras should be oddly familiar to any christian. Born on the 25th of December of Virgin birth. He was known as the light of the world and saved mankind by sacfrifing a bull. Exchange the bull for himself and he becomes remarkably similar to another saviour.

Yes, it is as if the Christians stole this myth or something.

This name is recent.

There are not old or of misterious origin names of Romanians.

Never heard of this names.

Names terminated in "ila" or "ala" could be an ancient vestige from Dacian times, when some names were terminating in "ilo".

We see these terminations as and accentuation of the characteristic expressed by the word of origin. These names are mostly nicks, for example Flamanzila from "a flamanzi"= to be hungry, ori Negrila from "negru"=black.


I know that the "ila" termination was meet also in Gothic names and ofcourse in the name of Atilla.