Romans viewed a triumph as “a celebration for a conquering general, usually accompanied with an arch of triumph.” A triumph was a grand show of Roman glory and success above all its neighbors, memorialized into magnificent arches like the Arch of Constantine, shown below. This largest of Roman triumphal arches was situated between Palatine Hill and the Roman Colosseum and, erected or refurbished by the Senate to commemorate Constantine I's victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge (http://www.romeacrosseurope.com/?paged=6&cat=3#sthash.oFB1yOxv.dpbs).
Would the Romans have created such a display for Christianity? They did. The Arch of Constantine is inscribed by the words instinctu divinitatis (“inspired by the divine”). Early Christians relate an account of Constantine’s divine vision during the battle and his victory at the sign of the cross at Milvian Bridge. In this way the greatest Roman Arc de Triomphe shown below) is in very fact a material celebration of the victory of Christianity together with the victory of the Roman empire. Through Roman support Christianity was able to rise to new heights, not so differently from the rise of Rome itself, by being inclusive, improving the lives of its followers and adapting to its surroundings.
In Rodney Stark’s the Rise of Christianity, he garners extensive evidence that early Christianity prospered not by fiat from the Roman emperor, but by providing a better, happier and more secure way of life for those who chose it. Combining expertise in social science and the estimation of Christianity’s spread through social networks with historical evidence, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the poor rather than the privileged, that most early converts were women or marginalized Jews—and “that Christianity was a success because it provided those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life”.
This mirrors the rise of Rome, as its success was also attributed to its inclusiveness and extension of prosperity. “By the time of the events described above, for example, Roman citizenship had been extended to large parts of the Mediterranean population and could be acquired by people anywhere in the Roman empire, usually by serving in the army or in regional government. This bestowed the same nominal legal rights on the inhabitants of Egypt and Britain as were enjoyed by the citizens of the city of Rome.”
Roman citizenship was not just reserved for original or local Italians, it was extended to people from different regions and former enemies who had been conquered. People from distinct backgrounds were made equal in citizenship and the requirements to reach this status, by serving in the army or government. This is similar to Christianity’s even more equalizing effect as it also accepted people from all backgrounds, and gave a prominent role for women, who were largely excluded from the political sphere.
Another reason for Christianity’s triumph was its ability to adapt to its surroundings and cultural landscape. It changed and evolved as it was adopted, and so, what triumphed in the end had altered and evolved its own cultural character. As Christianity was adopted by the Greeks, it became more Greek, such that the God of the Nicene creed contained features, such as God’s incomprehensibility, derived from Greek philosophy.
Another example of Christianity’s triumphal (de)volution is the birth of Christmas (more details in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliqvacoNu8&t=257s). Jesus was born in the springtime, but Christian missionaries adopted Yule holidays in order to appease and convert pagans who were attached to their own holidays. The two most memorable pagan winter holidays were Germanic Yule and Roman Saturnalia. Christian missionaries gave these holidays a makeover now known to us as Christmas. As the Romans appeased their enemies and conquests by including them in society, so Christians were able to flourish by adapting to the needs of their adversaries—other competing faiths.
Through inclusivity, improving the lives of its followers and adapting to its environment, Christianity was able to triumph and stand the test of time. Its rise paralleled that of Rome, and it continued beyond that long standing empire. When we consider the Arch on Constantine, the greatest and latest of the existing triumphal arches in Rome, archeologists and classicists have discovered that it is has its own deep history. The arch is a collage, with much of its decorative material from before Constantine, memorializing victories of Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. It was finally renovated under Constantine to honor his victory alongside Christianity, his new source of power, and it spans the Via triumphalis, the road taken by all subsequent emperors when they entered the city in triumph. Would the Romans have created a triumphal arch for Christianity? They did, it was the biggest, and outlasts the empire to this day.
