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Paul the Apostle, painted by Rubens (c. 1611), Museo del Prado, Madrid
Paul the Apostle, painted by Rubens (c. 1611), Museo del Prado, Madrid

Peter Paul Rubens · Public domain · Source

Person

Paul the Apostle

Also called: Saint Paul, Saul of Tarsus

Apostle who carried the Christian gospel to non-Jews across the Mediterranean; his letters form part of the New Testament

Born a Jew with Roman citizenship at Tarsus in Asia Minor, he at first persecuted Christians but is said to have been converted on the road to Damascus. On three missionary journeys he founded churches across Asia Minor and Greece and preached to non-Jews, earning the name “Apostle to the Gentiles”. His teaching that salvation comes through faith rather than the law, set out in letters such as Romans, became a foundation of Christian theology. Tradition holds that he was martyred in Rome.

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4 related events

  1. AD 30Resurrection of JesusScripturerelated figure

    A story told in the Gospels and in a letter of Paul in the New Testament: Jesus, who died on the cross and was buried, rose again on the third day and appeared to his disciples. It became the centre of Christian faith.

  2. AD 30 – AD 311Rise and Spread of Christianitykey figure

    In Roman-ruled Palestine Jesus preached God’s love and salvation. Spread across the empire by Paul and others, Christianity was long persecuted for refusing to worship the emperor.

  3. 1
    AD 46 – AD 57Missionary Journeys of Paulkey figure

    Around 46–57 Paul set out from Antioch and travelled the cities of Asia Minor and Greece, preaching to non-Jews and founding churches. The letters he sent them are the oldest writings in the New Testament.

  4. 2
    AD 64Great Fire of Rome and Nero’s Persecution of Christiansrelated figure

    In July 64 a great fire burned most of Rome. When rumour said that Nero had started it, he blamed the Christians and had them cruelly put to death, the first recorded persecution of Christians by the Roman state.

People who appear alongside

  • Jesus4 BC – AD 30

    The central figure of Christianity, who preached God’s love and salvation in Roman-ruled Palestine and was crucified in Jerusalem around AD 30

  • Peter the Apostle

    Foremost of Jesus’ twelve disciples, a fisherman from the Sea of Galilee who led the church in Jerusalem and, by tradition, was martyred in Rome; Catholics honour him as the first pope

  • NeroAD 37 – AD 68

    Roman emperor (r. 54–68) who executed Christians after the Great Fire of Rome in 64; when revolts broke out he took his own life, ending the Julio-Claudian dynasty

Themes this person appears in

  • Greece and Rome2000 BC – AD 476

    From the Aegean civilisation to the fall of the Western Roman Empire — the classical civilisation built by the democracy of the polis and the Roman republic and empire