WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On February 27, 380, in Thessaloniki, the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I (347-395) signed a decree in the presence of the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian II (371-392) that made Christianity the religion of the state and punished the practice of pagan rituals.

Detailed explanation-2: -The emperor Theodosius I (r. 379-95) makes Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire in 380. More pagans and heretics are persecuted.

Detailed explanation-3: -Paganism appears to have ceased to have any significant foothold only around 600 AD.

Detailed explanation-4: -Since its humble beginnings and legendary foundation in 753 BCE by Romulus and Remus, Rome had always been a pagan kingdom, republic, and eventually expansive empire. Massive temples dedicated to pagan gods like Jupiter and eventually deified emperors could be found in any Roman town.

Detailed explanation-5: -These tensions survived the settlement of the Arian dispute in 381, when the Council of Constantinople (381) proclaimed Catholic Christianity the official religion of the empire, thus eliminating Arianism in the East, but also asserted Constantinople, as the new Rome, to be the second see of Christendom.