Religious life in the western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire finally fell into two parts in 395 AD. In the east, since the time of Emperor Constantine (325), Christianity took official positions, pagan beliefs were persecuted, the ancient temples of Jupiter, Artemis, Vesta were destroyed. In the West, Christianity came into force only in the 5th century. Although the bishops of Rome trace their accounts to the apostle Peter, paganism was popular among the Romans for many decades. The ideas of Neoplatonism, Eastern and Egyptian cults had many adherents. It took several centuries to eradicate pagan customs in the Eastern Empire. In the west, which had collapsed under the blows of the barbarians, life was restored for a long time. The Christian Church has become a significant force in restoring statehood in Italy.