Early Christian Views of the Roman Empire
Early Christians saw the Roman Empire as a real human power under God, not as a holy kingdom. Writers like Tertullian, Cyprian, Minucius Felix, and Lactantius said Rome could bring order, but they also linked it to violence, greed, taxes, and persecution. The Bible passages most often used with this topic are Romans 13:1-4 and 1 Peter 2:13-17, which tell Christians to respect rulers and submit to lawful authority. The evidence is strongest for Christian submission and public order, and weaker and more mixed for any praise of Rome itself.
177 early-church witnesses · 280 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about the Roman Empire?
Early Christian writers did not give one simple, flat view of the Roman Empire. Writers like Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Cyprian, and Lactantius often treated Rome as a real worldly power, sometimes praising its order and laws, but they also said its rise was tied to violence, greed, taxes, and human rule rather than to true religion. Several Christian writers also used Rome as a sign of a larger end-time story, with Tertullian linking the empire’s continued rule to the delay of final judgment.
The broad picture is clear: Christians were willing to live under Rome and pray for rulers, but they did not treat the empire as holy, final, or beyond critique. The evidence is strong on Roman rule and Christian submission, but thinner and more mixed on whether the empire itself was seen as a positive force. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christians told believers to honor rulers and live peaceably under Roman law.
- They also criticized Rome as a human empire built and kept by violence, greed, and fear.
- Some writers saw the Roman Empire as holding back the end of the world for a time.
- The strongest Bible passages for this topic are Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2.
Questions Answered by the Sources
How did early Christians say believers should act toward the Roman Empire?
The evidence shows a consistent pattern of honoring rulers, praying for peace, and giving Caesar what belongs to Caesar. The sources do not portray this as worship, but as a practical civic posture under God.
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching
...ve been taught by Him. For at that time, some approached Him and asked if one ought to pay taxes to Caesar. He replied, “Tell Me, whose image is on the coin?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then He responded, “Give therefore to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Thus, we worship God alone, but in other matters, we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power, you may also be found to possess sound judgment. However, if you disregard our prayers and honest explanations, we shall not suffer any loss, since we believe (or rather, are convinced) that every person will suffer punishment in eternal fire according to the merit of their deeds and will give an account according to the power they have received from God, as Christ indicated when He said, “To whom God has given more, of them shall more be required.”
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Direct teaching
In your empire, greatest of rulers, different nations have different customs and laws. No one is stopped by law or fear of punishment from following the practices handed down from their ancestors, no matter how ridiculous those practices may be. A citizen of Ilium calls Hector a god and gives divine honor to Helen, thinking she is Adrasteia. The Spartan honors Agamemnon as Zeus, and also Phylonoë, the daughter of Tyndarus. The man of Tenedos worships Tennes. The Athenian offers sacrifice to Erechtheus as Poseidon. The Athenians also carry out sacred rites and celebrate mysteries in honor of Agraulus and Pandrosus, women who were thought guilty of impiety for opening the box. In short, among every nation and people, men offer whatever sacrifices they want and celebrate whatever mysteries they please. The Egyptians count even cats, crocodiles, serpents, asps, and dogs among their gods. And for all these things, both you and the laws allow them to act this way. On the one hand, you judge that believing in no god at all is impious and wicked. On the other hand, you judge that each person must worship whatever gods he prefers, so that through fear of the deity, men may be kept from doin
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Clement of Rome, Connection to Romans 13:1 Direct teaching
Give to them, O Lord, health, peace, concord, and stability, so that they may exercise without offence the sovereignty that Thou hast given them.
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Didache, Connection to 1 Timothy 2:2 Supporting witness
Let us pray "for kings and those in authority," that they may be peaceable toward us, "that so we may have and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
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1 Peter 2:17 Supporting witness
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
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1 Timothy 2:2 Supporting witness
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Did early Christians reject the idea that Rome or its emperors were divine?
Several sources explicitly argue that Roman greatness does not prove divine favor and that emperors or national power are not gods. These texts push back against pagan claims by treating empire as human, temporary, and morally limited.
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Tertullian, Apology Direct teaching
...an obstinate refusal to offer sacrifices, he found in their religious services nothing but meetings early in the morning for singing hymns to Christ and God, and sealing their way of life by a united pledge to remain faithful to their religion, forbidding murder, adultery, dishonesty, and other crimes. In reply, Trajan wrote back that Christians were by no means to be sought out. But if they were brought before him, they should be punished. O miserable deliverance. Under the necessities of the case, it is a self-contradiction. It forbids them to be sought out, as innocent, and it commands them to be punished, as guilty. It is at once merciful and cruel. It passes by, and it punishes. Why do you play this game of evasion with yourself, O Judgment? If you condemn, why do you not also inquire? If you do not inquire, why do you not also absolve? Military stations are set throughout all the provinces for tracking robbers. Against traitors and public enemies every man is a soldier. Search is made even for their confederates and accessories. The Christian alone must not be sought, though he may be brought and accused before the judge, as if a search had any other end than that! And so
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Justin Martyr, The Second Apology Direct teaching
...rvants and indulging in drunkenness and vice and wanting him to do the same, accused her of being a Christian when she left without his consent. She presented a request to the Emperor, asking for permission to settle her affairs before defending against the accusation, which was granted. Unable to prosecute her, her husband targeted a man named Ptolemaeus, her teacher in Christian doctrines, with the help of a centurion who was friendly to him. The centurion took Ptolemaeus, interrogating him only on whether he was a Christian. Ptolemaeus, being truthful, confessed, was imprisoned, and later, when questioned by Urbicus, again affirmed his belief truthfully and was sentenced. Lucius, another Christian, witnessing this unjust judgment, questioned Urbicus: “What cause is there for this judgment? Why punish a man not guilty of adultery, immorality, murder, theft, or any crime, but only for being called a Christian? This judgment does not reflect well on Emperor Pius, nor the philosopher, son of Caesar, nor the sacred senate.” Urbicus responded, “You seem to be like this man,” to which Lucius replied, “Most certainly I am,” and was ordered to be executed. Lucius gave thanks, knowing
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Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching
...beheaded. But matrons should be deprived of their property and sent into exile. Moreover, people of Caesar's household, whoever among them had either confessed before or should now confess, should have their property confiscated and should be sent in chains, assigned to Caesar's estates. The Emperor Valerian also added to this address a copy of the letters that he sent to the governors of the provinces concerning us. We are hoping every day that these letters will come, while we wait, according to the strength of our faith, to endure affliction, and expect from the Lord's help and mercy the crown of eternal life. But know that Xistus was martyred in the cemetery on the eighth day before the Ides of August, and with him four deacons. Moreover, the prefects in the City are urging this persecution forward every day, so that if any are brought before them, they are martyred and their property is claimed by the treasury.
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Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistles and Epistolary Fragments Direct teaching
The persecution among us did not begin with the imperial edict. It had started a full year earlier. Before that, a certain prophet and poet, an enemy of this city, whatever else he may have been, had stirred up and angered the crowds of the heathen against us. He set them on fire again with the zeal of their native superstition. Stirred up by him, and having complete freedom to do evil, they thought that this was the only true piety and service to their demons: to kill us.
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Lactantius, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died Direct teaching
...rom insulting even God. This man, partly through greed and partly through fearful advice, threw the Roman Empire into disorder. He chose three men to share the rule with him. So the empire was divided into four parts, the armies were multiplied, and each of the four rulers tried to keep a much larger military force than any one emperor had kept in earlier times. Then there began to be fewer men paying taxes than men receiving wages. So the resources of the farmers were used up by enormous taxes, farms were abandoned, cultivated land became woodland, and fear spread everywhere. Besides this, the provinces were divided into very small parts, and many governors and a crowd of lower officers burdened each region, and almost every city. There were also many stewards of different ranks, and deputies of governors. Very few civil cases came before them. But there were daily condemnations and frequent confiscations of property, taxes on countless goods, and these taxes were not only demanded often, but without end. And in collecting them, intolerable injustice was done.
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Lactantius, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died Supporting witness
...knew. But some of his legions hated this wicked campaign of a father against his son-in-law, and of Romans against Rome. They rejected his authority and brought their standards over to the enemy. His remaining soldiers had already begun to lose heart, when Galerius, fearing an end like that of Severus, and with his proud spirit crushed and humbled, threw himself at the feet of his soldiers. He kept begging them not to hand him over to the enemy, until he won them over by promising great rewards. Then he withdrew from Rome and fled in great confusion. He could easily have been destroyed in his flight if anyone had followed him, even with a small force. He knew his danger, and so he allowed his soldiers to spread out and plunder and destroy far and wide. In that way, if any pursuers came after him, they would be left without any means of support in a ruined land. So the parts of Italy through which that deadly band passed were laid waste. Everything was plundered. Married women were assaulted. Virgins were violated. Parents and husbands were forced by torture to reveal where they had hidden their property, and also their wives and daughters. Flocks and herds of cattle were driven
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Lactantius, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died Supporting witness
...n another alarming report was brought to him: his son-in-law Maxentius had been declared emperor at Rome. The cause was this. Galerius had decided to consume the empire with permanent taxes. He went so far in his foolish excess that he would not even allow the Roman people to be free from that slavery. Therefore tax collectors were appointed to go to Rome and make lists of the citizens. At about the same time, Galerius had reduced the Praetorian Guards. A few soldiers from that body remained at Rome. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they killed some magistrates and, with the consent of the disorderly crowd, clothed Maxentius in the imperial purple. When Galerius received this news, he was troubled by the strangeness of what had happened, but he was not greatly frightened. He hated Maxentius, and he could not grant him the rank of Caesar, which was already held by two others, Daia and Constantine. Besides, he thought it was enough that he had once already granted that rank against his will. So he sent for Severus and urged him to recover his rule and sovereign power. He placed under his command the army that Maximian Herculius had formerly commanded, so that he might attack M
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
...And when they refuse, they drag them before the court, accuse them of acting against the decrees of Caesar, and condemn them to death.
Did early Christians think the Roman Empire had a role in prophecy or the end times?
A smaller set of sources treats Rome as part of a broader prophetic or historical framework, including Daniel imagery and the idea that Rome restrains final judgment for a time. This theme is present, but it is less direct and less uniform than the teaching on civic submission.
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Tertullian, Apology Direct teaching
For we know that a mighty shock impending over the whole earth — in fact, the very end of all things threatening dreadful woes — is only retarded by the continued existence of the Roman empire.
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Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Supporting witness
And who are these but the Romans? Which (kingdom) is meant by the iron — the kingdom which is now established;
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
Who, then, are meant by this but the Romans, whose kingdom, the kingdom that still stands, is expressed by the iron?
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
After them came the Romans, who were the iron legs of the image, for they were strong as iron.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Background
After which time, the empire of the Romans, till the death of Commodus, lasted for two hundred and twenty-two years.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Background
...there are two hundred thirty-six years and six months. And the whole time from Romulus, who founded Rome, to the death of Commodus comes to nine hundred fifty-three years and six months. And our Lord was born in the twenty-eighth year, when the census was first ordered to be taken in the reign of Augustus. And to prove that this is true, it is written in the Gospel by Luke as follows: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zacharias.” And again in the same book: “And Jesus was coming to His baptism, being about thirty years old,” and so on. And it was necessary for Him to preach for only one year. This also is written: “He has sent Me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Both the prophet and the Gospel spoke this. Accordingly, in the fifteen years of Tiberius and the fifteen years of Augustus, the thirty years were completed until the time He suffered. And from the time that He suffered to the destruction of Jerusalem are forty-two years and three months. And from the destruction of Jerusalem to the death of Commodus are one hundred twenty-eight years, ten months, and three days. Therefore, from the birth of
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Background
and after the destruction of them all, the chief power came to the Romans also.
Common Questions
Did early Christians tell people to obey the Roman Empire?
Yes. They taught Christians to submit to rulers and honor the emperor, as long as obedience to God came first.
Did early Christians think Rome was good in itself?
Not usually. Many writers treated Rome as a powerful human empire, but they also criticized its violence, greed, and persecution.
Did early Christians see Rome in prophecy?
Some did. Tertullian and later writers treated Rome as part of the larger story of history and the end times.
Source Index for the Roman Empire
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 280 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 177
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Clement of Rome, Connection to Romans 9:5
Bible Passages 80 shown of 103
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.