| I believe one form of Latin was the official language during that period, since Latin was the Roman Empire's official language. For almost 400 years, Christianity was illegal under Roman law until Emperor Constantine came to power at around 324AD, which he provided compensation for the people who had been oppressed for their Christian beliefs, and he gave Christianity the position of official religion in the empire, and henceforth, the official religion of pretty much the entire continent west of today's Turkey - the eastmost frontier of the Byzantine east Roman Empire. The Pope speaks Latin and it was a tradition started with the Roman Empire, that made me think Latin was their language around the time of Passion. |