ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Christianity in late antiquity

In late antiquity, a lot of people believed in a guy named Jesus, who they considered to be the son of God. They believed that he came to Earth to teach people how to love each other and to forgive each other. They also believed that he died on a cross to save people from their sins and came back to life three days later.

These people were called Christians and they met together in groups called churches to learn more about Jesus and to help each other in their faith. The leader of each church was called a bishop and there were different areas called dioceses that each bishop was responsible for.

Christianity became more and more popular over time, especially after the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the early 4th century. This meant that Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and many people started converting to it.

However, there were also many challenges faced by Christians during this time. The Roman Empire was still mostly pagan and many people didn't like Christianity because it was different from what they were used to. Christians faced persecution and sometimes even death for their beliefs.

In order to have a more unified and organized Christian Church, a council was convened in Nicaea in 325 AD to figure out what Christians should believe about Jesus. They came up with a statement of belief that is now called the Nicene Creed.

Overall, Christianity in late antiquity was a time of growth and change. It faced many challenges but ultimately became more organized and influential as it spread throughout the Roman Empire.