“Jesus was born in the reign of Augustus. Third, he brought vast sums of money from Egypt to pay the soldiers and to help the Roman economy. Second, he brought political and administrative skill, perhaps even brilliance. First, he brought peace because he had defeated all his rivals. He brought three things that turned the tide miraculously. A decree went out from Caesar Augustus: It seemed that the authority of this man changed the chaos of that time in a dramatic way. Rome was full of men who had lost their economic footing and then their moral stability: soldiers who had tasted adventure and had learned to kill citizens who had seen their savings consumed in the taxes and inflation of war and waited vacuously for some returning tide to lift them back to affluence women dizzy with freedom, multiplying divorces, abortions, and adulteries.” (Durant)ĭ. Morals, which had been loosened by riches and luxury, had not been improved by destitution and chaos, for few conditions are more demoralizing than poverty that comes after wealth. Trade diminished, investment stood still, interest rates soared, property values fell. Administration and protection had broken down robbers made every street unsafe at night highwaymen roamed the roads, kidnapped travelers, and sold them into slavery. Its farms had been neglected, its towns had been sacked or besieged, much of its wealth had been stolen or destroyed. “The lusty peninsula was worn out with twenty years of civil war. That all the world: For decades, the world Augustus lived in and Jesus would be born into, the world of the Mediterranean basin, was wrecked by war, destruction, brutality, and immorality. Now Octavian was the sole ruler of the Roman world and took the title Caesar Augustus.Ĭ. Octavian had the better strategy and the more mobile ships, and he defeated the combined forces of Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt at the battle of Actium. Octavian answered with 400 warships, 80,000 infantry and 12,000 horsemen. Antony, with the help of Cleopatra, brought 500 warships, 100,000 foot soldiers, and 12,000 cavalry. For a year, their huge armies assembled and positioned themselves. Even though his sister married Antony, for thirteen years Octavian and Antony existed together as rivals, until 31 B.C. Octavian and Antony soon pushed Lepidus out of the picture. There were years of bloody, brutal fighting for power and money in Rome and the provinces. For decades, the whole Mediterranean world was filled with wars and violence now, under the Triumvirate, it became far worse. Within a year Caesar was murdered, and Octavian joined with two others – Mark Antony and Lepidus – in splitting the domination of Rome three ways. Julius Caesar eventually adopted Octavian as his son, and he was made his official heir in 45 B.C. His grandmother was the sister of Julius Caesar, and being a talented young man, Octavian came to the attention of his great uncle. He was born with the name Octavian, named after his father. A decree went out from Caesar Augustus: The story of Jesus’ birth began during the reign of one of the most remarkable men of ancient history. This is not “once upon a time.” These are not fanciful stories of Zeus and Apollo on Mount Olympus. It came to pass in those days: Luke clearly tells us that he recorded actual history and real events. (1) A decree from Rome reaches the whole Mediterranean world.Īnd it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.Ī.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |