Roman Legions and Early Church Christians – A History

Photo by Caio Fernandes

The historical novel Lucius is a story of a soldier facing a fateful reassignment that sets him on a quest for spiritual truth. It’s a tale that strikes at the heart of the great dilemma faced by many legionaries during the Pax Romana. For much of mankind’s history, the popular image of the Roman legions vacillated between armies of dutiful soldiers (who also had great engineering skills) to cold, merciless killers, who would cut down even the most helpless members of a conquered population.

Many stories of Roman legions and Early Church Christians were often about violent persecution (as is widely depicted in Christian media). Yet for all the supposed hostility they had towards this small, strange, underground offshoot of Judaism, the years following Christianity’s rise also saw the conversion of many legionaries.

How did this happen? What could cause an army comprised of fanatically loyal members of Roman society to adopt a religion that promoted civil disobedience, eschewed warfare and cared for the weak? Many of these men were hardened by both disciplinary drills and the horrors of war, all while capable of slaughtering entire city populations as a unit.

The answer lies in many parts of both Roman and Early Church history. And while it may seem moments like the reign of Constantine were pivotal, one can conclude that the seeds for this transformation were planted long before that.

Rome’s Legions During the Pax Romana 

Photo by Jan Jerszyński

First, it’s important to review the historical context of Christianity just as it began to spread in the aftermath of the first Pentecost. The story of the Gospels all squarely took place within the period known as the Pax Romana. 

Today, many still mistakenly believe that the Pax Roman was a ‘peaceful’ time. However, anyone who decides to be more serious about exploring the sociopolitical climate of the Roman Empire during this period would find plenty of bloodshed happening both within the Empire and in its many far-flung corners. 

From rebellions on the Isle of Britain in the west, to the many Jewish revolts in the east, these all gave the Roman legions plenty of work to do. 

Meanwhile, the Early Christian church was effectively an underground movement that attracted many marginalized groups. The encounters between Roman legions and Early Church Christians was often one where the former was part of an occupying force, while the latter was usually attracting a number of people that Roman society would classify as lowborn outsiders. 

Given the social hierarchy in Ancient Rome though, it may not be too impossible to imagine an overlap between two when it comes their society’s have-nots. While the Early Church was still in its infancy, the Roman legions had long began expanding their recruitment to any able-bodied man so long as he wasn’t a slave. That meant that he had a chance, however small, at upward mobility just as a marginalized woman in those days could find alternative support in an underground Christian community.

How Early Church Christians Found Strength in Community

Now, while many theologians today refer to the Early Christian community as a ‘church,’ the degree of organization they had certainly bears little resemblance to the churches of today. This was as underground as any new religion in antiquity could have gotten. 

All they had back then was a loose network. If you are a Christian, then you would certainly believe it was by the grace of God and the promise of Jesus that they would endure despite having practically nothing to hold them together throughout that first century. 

Still, there is definitely no denying that the Early Church had only that faith and collection of teachings from their time as Jews as well as from the Apostles themselves. In contrast, the Roman legions were among the biggest benefactors of the imperial treasury. They had the hierarchy, the discipline, the tactical doctrines etc. Few things in the ancient world could have compared to their level of organization. 

The only thing that early Church Christians had was a message about community, caring for the “least of these” and the belief in the kingdom of God that “is not of this world.” Many of their practices were centered around this one, potent set of core beliefs that then influenced their meetings, their hymns and their practices. For them, any idea of an elaborate, religious ceremony was secondary to the purpose of being one community professing faith the Son of God who welcomed them when the greatest empire in their world did not.

The Big Conflict of Interest Between Christianity and the Roman Legions

 It’d be a lot easy to just say that the Roman legions and the Early Church Christians didn’t get along because of religious intolerance. 

But while that may be one way to put it, it ignores how politics shaped Roman society and how their pagan religion had such a strong civic component on the tapestry of the empire’s political history. There is a reason why the writings of these histories are replete with ascribing supernatural divinity to the likes of Caesar and Nero. 

A recurring theme in Rome’s history is how its highest leaders accomplished the monumental task of uniting a vast, fragmenting empire despite all the death and treachery that came with their ambitions. By the standards of Christian morality, they were all certainly cruel tyrants and despots. Yet in the ancient world, such things were par for the course when an empire needed to do the ‘hard stuff’ to ensure prosperity and peace for its citizens. 

The godhood ascribed to the emperors indicates the powerful influence of politics on Roman society. It was more than just a viper’s nest. A careless grab for power could result in the massacre of entire families and widespread destruction. 

Ultimately, the intertwining of Christian history with the Roman empire’s opened the door to better reforms. Soldiers, including many veterans who have seen more than their fair share of these power struggles, were certainly inclined to welcome such changes. 

Want to learn more about how the first century church looked in the eyes of a Roman legate? Check out Lucius: A Soldier’s Journey. You can find it easily on Amazon.