Causes and Effects of the Popularization of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
The spread of early Christianity in throughout the Roman empire was based on what it wasn’t rather than what it was. At the time Christianity began spreading through the Roman Empire, religion had fractured into the main Roman religion which was comprised of the Parthenon of Roman Gods and mystery cults. The mystery cults were based on myths that focused on the cycle of death and renewal and promised a better afterlife. The major mystery cults were the cult of Isis and Osiris, of Dionysus and Bacchus, Cybill and Adonis, and Demeter and Orpheus. These cults were not exclusionary — you could join them all and still follow the main religion — however each of these cults required sizable offerings from their participants so only the wealthy could afford to join them.
