SCIENCE AND REVOLUTION 



It spread like wildfire among the proletariat of 

 the entire Roman empire, for the soil had been 

 well prepared for it by the historical conditions. 

 Christ is reported to have been crucified about 

 the year 33. About thirty years later, Nero 

 burned Rome in order to set loose the fury of the 

 Roman plebs against the Christians, who were 

 permeating the entire fabric of the Roman world. 

 But religion is a double-edged sword and cannot 

 be overcome by any persecutions. The Roman 

 emperors had ample opportunity to learn this dur-' 

 ing the next 300 years. In spite of all persecu- 

 tions, Christianity worked its way into the very 

 heart of Roman society and into the remotest 

 provinces. It thrived on persecution. At last 

 the ruling class discovered that it had neglected 

 its best weapon when it failed to identify itself 

 with this new religious movement. Religion can 

 be overcome only by two things : Either by an- 

 other religion, or by science. But the ruling class 

 had neither science nor any other religion to op- 

 pose to this new creed. In 312, six years after 

 the advent of Constantine to the throne, matters 

 had reached such a climax that there remained 

 only one alternative to the ruling class: Either 

 to succumb between the invading hordes of Goths, 



