Changing the History of Christianity, Research Paper Example

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the apostle Peter (a.k.a. Simon) was confirmed by Jesus on several occasions as head of the apostles which led to Peter being commissioned by Jesus to “feed and defend His flock” by going out into the world of the Romans to preach the gospel. Peter was also designated as the quintessential leader of the “original Christian community in Jerusalem,” and after accepting the mantle as the leader of the Christian church, Peter began an extensive missionary tour through the cities of Lydda, Joppe, and Caesarea. The most important result of this tour was the baptism and conversion of the first non-Jewish Christians (Knight, “St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles”). Therefore, if we were to remove Peter from his pivotal involvement in the spread of Christianity in the world of the Romans and as the undisputed head of the church, then it is plausible that Constantine might never have been converted to Christianity, due to Peter’s widespread influence and his conversion of important non-Christians.

As to the greatest Roman emperor of all time, it was undoubtedly Augustus, born as Gaius Julius Octavius in 63 B.C.E. This is mainly due to his numerous military victories which ultimately shaped the Roman Empire and allowed it become the most powerful entity of the ancient world. The pivotal battle was Actium in Greece that occurred on September 2, 31 B.C.E. with Augustus (then Octavian) and Agrippa as victors over Marc Antony and Cleopatra. In effect, this victory made Augustus the undisputed master of the Roman world which was reinforced when Augustus created a new constitution that restored the Roman Republic and the powers of the Roman Senate. In addition, Augustus was an exceptionally talented administrator, especially related to his reorganization of the Roman Empire and the rehabilitation of his troops and the citizens of Rome (“Augustus: Gaius Julius Octavius”).

Bibliography

“Augustus: Gaius Julius Octavius.” The Roman Empire. Web. 7 March 2012.

Knight, Kevin. “St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles.” New Advent. 2009. Web. 7 March 2012