Augustus and Christianity

Augustus had a specific view of Christianity’s role in history.  We Christians are supposed to fear God.  We are supposed to not fear opposition from persecutors.  Christians are to obey God’s Law.  Augustus tells us this, and he’s not far off from what the Bible tells Christians to do.

Martyrs and Hell

Polycarp, Perpetua, Felicity, and Augustus were all martyrs, people who were persecuted or killed for keeping their faith and trust in their beliefs and choosing not to believe in the persecutors’ beliefs.  Polycarp and the rest were all killed because they were Christians and they stood firmly on the ground for their beliefs, not accepting the killers’ religion.  However, the martyrs used doctrines of Hell to try to convert the killers.

Seneca and Roman Art

Seneca (not Seneca Crane) was a tutor, an adviser, a writer, a moral philosopher, etc.  He was a tutor and then an adviser to the emperor Nero.  He was a philosopher, but he didn’t come up with his own ideas of what life means, is, will be, etc.  He was more of a philosopher who believed in another philosopher’s beliefs.  He believed in similar lines around Aristotle’s Ethics (link tells you a bit about the Ethics, if you don’t know about it).

The Augustan Settlement

The Augustan Settlement had to do with Augustus’ problems.  He was in control of Rome.  However, he didn’t want to seem an whole-powerful human being to the citizens of Rome.  He used his powers, not too much of it, to do some things that are approved by the people.