Early Christianity

Early Christianity took place in the period of 330-800 C.E. It was a time of a new religion that differed from past practices. Christianity began with the death of Christ. This took place in Ancient Judea; an eastern outpost of the Roman Empire. Because Christianity was a new religion, Rome did not tolerate it whatsoever. They considered it as a threat to the Emperor. The Emperor was considered head of the government at that time. They believed that Christians could not declare the divinity of the Emperor. The refusal of Christianity and the new practices resulted in the persecution of the early Christians in Rome. Although the new religion was constantly rejected, they still prospered under the persecution. They thrived with their underground religion. Christianity appealed to several people; many adherents were of the lower class. This new practice promoted access to God through the death of Jesus Christ. This provided great hope to those in the lower classes.

In 313 C.E., the Emperor Constantine sworn the validity of Christianity. He ended up legalizing the religion through the Edict of Milan. It was declared that Christianity was an official religion with all rights and privileges as other state religions. This meant that instead of keeping it underground like before, they now had access to houses of worship and could display holy artifacts.

Throughout this time, architectural improvements were a must to support Christianity. They needed new facilities for worship due to the rising number of believers. The Roman temples were not structured to accommodate the worship or taking of the Eucharist; a ceremony reserved for the believers. After much consideration, the basilica came about. The basilica is a large oblong hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse.

One of the most monumental places of worship is the Old St. Peter's Cathedral. It was the chief monument of Christianity. It is believed that it is the tomb of St. Peter the apostle. The exterior was very plain as opposed to the very elaborate exterior. Masonry walls, clerestory windows, a wood roof, and wood truss ceilings lined the architectural elements throughout. The total length was 700 feet.

After awhile, two different types of architectural layouts came about. There was the centralized and the basilica. The centralized had a rounded plan with the focus being in the center. The worshiping focus would be towards the middle while the worshipers encompassed the exterior. It was very different from the basilica due to it being oblong.

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