BIBLE DICTIONARY
Roman Empire

In the apostolic age the Roman Empire was the one great power of the world. It included everything between the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, the Atlantic, and the Sahara desert. Palestine became a client state in 63 B.C., when Pompeius took Jerusalem; and at the banishment of Archelaus (A.D. 6) Judaea was placed under a Roman procurator. For a list of the Emperors during the period covered by the N.T., with the dates of their accessions, see Caesar and Chronological Tables.

The Empire included a great variety of peoples. Broadly speaking, the eastern half was Greek, the western Latin; but the Greek language was understood not only throughout the whole of the East, but in a great part of the West as well, and was the language of commerce everywhere. It was only in the Lycaonian mountains (Acts 14: 11) that Paul's Greek was not enough. The three largest cities of the Empire were Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch in Syria. In each of these there were large Jewish colonies. The Roman government of the provinces was not on the whole oppressive, though taxation was always heavy. It was the policy of Rome to treat all national religions with respect. The cohort in the Tower of Antonia at Jerusalem was there only to guard the peace of the temple. The Emperor made regular offerings, and (Acts 21: 29) no gentile was allowed to set foot in the Court of Israel. The Jews had express permission to put to death even a Roman citizen, if he was found inside the middle wall of partition. (See Temple of Herod.) The Jewish parts of Palestine were practically governed by the high priest and Sanhedrin, except that capital sentences needed the procurator's confirmation (John 18: 31). The Jews also had exceptional privileges, e.g., freedom from military service and from legal business on the Sabbath. The high priest could even send Saul to bring the Christians of Damascus to Jerusalem for punishment (Acts 9: 2). Yet the Jews always hated Roman rule, and were constantly in rebellion. Even a census could not be taken without a dangerous rising (Acts 5: 37). Judaea was certainly unfortunate in having as procurators such men as Pilate, Felix, Albinus, and Gessius Florus. Only Festus was a better sort of man. All through the apostolic age the storm was gathering that broke in seventy years (A.D. 66-135) of war between Rome and Israel.

During the first thirty-six years after the Ascension, Roman officials were a protection to the Christian Church. At Philippi (Acts 16: 37-39) and at Jerusalem. (Acts 22: 25-29; Acts 23: 27) Paul pleaded with success his rights as a Roman citizen. At Corinth the proconsul Gallio dismissed the charge brought against him (Acts 19: 12-17); while at Ephesus the town clerk protected him from the fury of the mob (Acts 19: 35-41), and the captain of the guard did the same at Jerusalem (Acts 21: 31-32). Christianity was at first regarded by the government as a form of Judaism, a religion recognized by the state. Persecution began in A.D. 64. The Emperor Nero was suspected of being responsible for the great fire that occurred that year in Rome, and to stifle the report he laid the blame upon the Christians. This persecution lasted till A.D. 68, and among others who suffered were Peter and Paul. There was no further persecution till the reign of Domitian, A.D. 95.