Rome's Age of Revolution

byTim Whitmarsh

Augustus, Empire and the Making of Christianity

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How did Christianity, starting out as a minor offshoot of Judaism, grow into an international faith that shaped the world as we know it? Rome’s Age of Revolution corrects the triumphalist narrative that the Christian message was so persuasive, and indeed superior, that people converted in huge numbers, abandoning their pagan beliefs, thereby turning a small persecuted sect into the state religion of the Roman Empire.

Tim Whitmarsh shows that Christianity would never have succeeded if it had not taken advantage of the infrastructure and culture of the Roman Empire; in turn the new religion was indelibly shaped and transformed by Roman beliefs and ideas, especially those circulating in the Greek-speaking, or Hellenistic, eastern parts of the empire. This radical transformation, Tim argues, can only be described as a revolution. The consequences are with us to this day.

© Tim Whitmarsh 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

This remarkable book redefines early Christianity, finally situating its leaders, believers, and martyrs within rather than against the Roman Empire. More than persecution Rome provided the Jesus movement with the models, opportunities, and infrastructure it needed to thrive. A joy to read, it sparkles with new insights and ideas that challenge the reader to rethink Roman as well as Christian history. As they come closer together both Romans and Christians become stranger and more interesting

Josephine Quinn, author of How the World Made the West

About Tim Whitmarsh

Tim Whitmarsh is Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge, working on all areas of Greek literature and culture with a particular emphasis on Greeks under the Roman Empire and religion and atheism in the ancient world. He is the author of Battling the Gods, which was shortlisted from the Runciman Award, the London Hellenic Prize and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and has been translated into Dutch, Greek and Chinese.
Details
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • ISBN: 9781529947236
  • Price: £14.00
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