The teachings of Jesus were spead widely by His followers after His death. At first, the Christians were ignored by the Romans, especially as they did not joined in the Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in AD 66. However, the early Christians began to travel around the Roman Empire, and when they reached Rome they began to recruit new followers. The Roman authorities became concerned that this new religion would threaten the establised order. The romans did not object to the new religion itself, but they did object to the fact that it denied the emperor's divinity. The new religion appealed to the poor and to the slaves, and its popularity was seen as a threat to Roman society.
Fact file
The symbol of a fish was used by the early Christians in Rome as a secret symbol to identify themselves to other Christians. The symbol was simple and quick to draw. It was not likely to be noticed by the Romans.
resources: Tell me why (Chancellor Press)
image 1: https://cache-graphicslib.viator.com/graphicslib/thumbs674x446/20217/SITours/christianity-in-the-ancient-rome-private-tour-in-rome-299104.jpg
image 2: http://www.cleansingfire.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2-01-300dpi1.jpg
