Recent Discovery Upends Our Understanding of Ancient Christianity

What they unearthed was an ancient pagan temple dating to the Roman period. They believe that the building was constructed during the reign of Emperor Constantine, Rome’s ruler from 306 to 337 C.E.

He is remembered for his leadership during a major time of transition in the Roman Empire, as well as for moving the capital of the empire to Byzantium, later rechristened Constantinople. But he is perhaps best known as the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity.

Christianity, though now a major world religion, was a peculiar phenomenon for the Romans, and the early Christians were heavily persecuted. When Constantine converted, however, the Roman Empire gradually adopted more and more elements of Christianity. At least, that’s how the popular story goes.

However, the new archaeological findings at Spello attest to the fact that this is an inaccurate version of reality. Researchers stated in a press release that the uncovered temple “shows the continuities between the classical pagan world and early Christian Roman world that often get blurred out or written out of the sweeping historical narratives.”

The inscription was originally recovered in the 1700s. It states, in language directed to the townspeople of its time, that the creation of the temple constituted a massive undertaking. What intrigued researchers was that it also grants the town inhabitants the ability to celebrate a religious festival in Spello instead of making a long journey elsewhere.

Constantine stipulated that the citizens must build a temple dedicated to his ancestral worship. Specifically, the temple would serve as a place for worship of the Flavian family, Constantine’s own predecessors.

Romans believed that the emperors and certain members of their families were imbued with divinity, and thus required that citizens worship them as divine entities.

The Roman Empire was massive. It spanned three continents, its citizens spoke multiple languages, and there was innumerable local traditions spred across its vast expanses. The Roman imperial cult was a universal glue for the Roman public, which helped unite them around a similar tradition and ideals.

This temple was likely used as a place of pagan worship and religious activities for at least two generations following its construction, when paganism would be officially outlawed by emperor Theodosius in 392 C.E.

It might be well-known among scholars that Christianity didn’t overtake paganism overnight, but this discovery at Spello serves as a reminder to everyone of this fact. This temple shows quite clearly, with tangible evidence, that paganism existed in tandem with Christianity for a significant period of time in ancient history.

While evidence has been recovered to support pagan worship in the 4th century, and evidence likewise shows Christian support of the imperial cult, this temple is the first major discovery that cleanly bridges the gap between those two things.

There were many detours and plenty of unlikely cultural mixtures that took place. It is a testament to how both pagan and Roman Christians blended patriotism, the imperial cult, and other forms of worship into their own brans of religious practice.

Christianity spread fast in Rome among the lower classes in part because it established a community of equals in faith.

Additionally, the faith was easy to adopt for a variety of reasons. There is no denying however that trade and trade routes played a significant role.

Rome however spun things into it’s own unique direction, including it’s own origin story as part of it’s faith, with the twins Romulus and Remus being sons of Mars, the God of War. Politics and culture were intertwined deeply with various forms of faith.

Runaway slaves, criminals, and Christians were all condemned to the beasts, as it were, in the Flavian Amphitheater. Prior to this Emperor Nero had clothed Christians in animal skins and fed them to wild dogs.

The destabilization of the underpinning faith tied to national pride eroded some of the core Roman values and beliefs. It at least weakened the general spine of Roman culture allowing the people to drift apart after centuries of unity across a massive expanse.

The discoveries at Spello show us that there was a clear period of transition between paganism and Christianity. However, this transition really took on a much more prolonged form, which we can take a look at now. This slow evolution might be most easily seen in the development of Halloween.

Of particular significance were the onset of summer and winter, critical junctures dictating whether herds required shelter or open pastures. In essence, the meticulous handling of these seasonal shifts defined the Celtic approach to nurturing a primary food source, underscoring its pivotal role in ensuring the very survival of these ancient peoples.

The Druids highly valued this night for witchcraft and divination. Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, convened lost souls for reevaluation, prompting tributes from the Celts to influence his judgment and improve the fate of their departed loved ones. Offerings of food and wine were also made to fortify ancestors’ souls during their journey to and from the Otherworld.

Communities collectively engaged in the ritual, with members donning masks and parading through villages, strategically deceiving spirits and diverting them away from populated areas. Occasionally, Celts enticed spirits with desserts as a symbolic offering to hasten their departure from the vicinity.

In mythology, Pomona, a woodland nymph, was pursued by various rustic divinities, including Vertumnus, the god of seasons. After multiple disguises failed, Vertumnus, adopting the guise of an old woman, revealed a heartfelt prophecy of love, ultimately winning Pomona’s affection.

Pomona’s celebration aligning with Samhain on the calendar, coupled with the proximity of Roman and Celtic daily life, naturally fused the two festivities. This amalgamation persisted, influencing modern Halloween practices, with the Roman orchard harvest linking to apple-centric Halloween traditions. The encounter with Christianity in the first century A.D. resulted in a synthesis of pagan traditions with the early Catholic Church.

The legalization of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire by emperors Constantine and Licinius in 313 marked a pivotal moment. By the close of the fourth century, the early Catholic Church boasted a significant following, with an estimated 30 million adherents.

Early Christians instilled a need for salvation, practicing to escape eternal torment and gain everlasting reward. By the fourth century’s close, millions of pagans were converted. The success also stemmed from Church leaders’ strategic approach—assimilating, not eradicating, pagan rituals. This gradual transition integrated Samhain and Pomona festivals into All Saints’ and All Souls’ feasts.

Initially dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs, Pope Gregory IV expanded it to encompass all saints. To replace pagan offerings, the Church endorsed “soul cakes,” given to the poor in exchange for prayers. A growing practice, it led to “souling” songs and door-to-door visits for ale and money. The Church also introduced the All Saints’ masquerade, where churches displayed relics or, in poor churches’ case, the congregation dressed as saints, angels, and devils—a Christianized version of pagan parades.

In a folk tale, a shipwrecked pilgrim reported to Odilo that a hermit claimed to hear tormented souls from a flame-engulfed gorge. To honor them, Odilo instituted All Souls’ Day on November 2, emphasizing a “communion of saints.” Pope Sylvester II sanctioned the holiday in 1000, spreading its observance throughout the medieval world.

The Church revitalized pagan masquerades and parades through All Souls’ Day celebrations. Additionally, the introduction of soul cake baking and souling songs arguably laid the groundwork for contemporary trick-or-treating practices.