Christianity, Greece, Rome, and the Visigoths

There was a departure of the Christians that once believed in Greek and Rome beliefs, from the Ancient Greek and Roman beliefs.  Also, there was a relationship between Rome and a group of German barbarians, called Visigoths.  Therefore, how did the Christians represent their departure from Greek and Roman beliefs?  And how was the relationship between the Visigoths and the Romans?

  The Christians showed their departure of believing in Roman and Greek beliefs by several of the following things: by doing charitable works, and discouraging suicide, infanticide, and gladiatorial contests.  Roman and Greek philosophers encouraged that the people of their cities to help the needy but not to draw close relationship with them. In other words, do not show any kind of sympathy toward them.  Just give them what they need and forget about them and don’t care about them anymore.  Christians, on the other hand, said no to that.  They encouraged the people to show sympathy just as Jesus did for everyone and even the people in needy.  The Christians showed a lot of sympathy by not only giving them their needs but creating hospitals for the sick.

The Romans and Greeks said that suicide, killing infants, and having murderous contests is all good.  They said you should kill yourself if you must, because it shows that you have complete control over your life.  Well, yeah it seems you do. So what you going to do, live or die?  Your choice.  The Christians refused this kind of thought.  They said that no suicide is not a good idea, and that you should stay and live out the rest of your life just as God wants you to.   For infanticide it was the same conversation from the side of the Christians.  The Greeks and Romans would kill their babies if they were weak or too abnormal.  Weren’t they sweet to little children? The Christians thought that they weren’t and completely discouraged this.  Finally, before we move on to the relationship between Romans and the Visigoths, what did the Christians have to say about the early Hunger Games?  Yep, that’s what the Romans and Greeks did back in those days, they held their own murderous Hunger Games.  Cool, huh? Nope, said the Christians.  And again they discouraged this saying, is this what God would want and do you even really enjoy this?

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Finally the last essay discussion I will have with you this year in 2014, is about the relationship with the Greek barbarians and the Romans.  First from the side of the Romans.  The Romans accepted the Visigoths into their kingdom, so that the Visigoth could escape the clutches of the Huns.  However, the Visigoths did not know that the Romans were going to make their slaves and hostages.  The Romans disliked the Visigoths.  On the other hand, the Visigoths had a different view towards the Romans.  Yeah, they did not like being slaves and hostages of the Romans, but, I think, that they were grateful that the Romans kept them from the Huns, until they rebelled against Rome.  After defeating the emperor that had kept them under slavery, etc., they started pillaging Rome and other cities.  The Visigoths didn’t really like the Romans, but they were impressed and even loved the Roman writings.

~Perrissa