Editing Christianization (section)

=== Temple conversion within Roman Empire ===
{{main|Christianization of the Roman Empire|Spread of Christianity}}
{{further|Constantine I and Christianity|Persecution of paganism under Theodosius I}}
[[File:Ancient Roman Temple, Évora - Apr 2011.jpg|thumb|Ancient Roman Temple, Évora. Believed to have been dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana, this 2nd or 3rd century temple survived because it was converted to a number of uses over the centuries – such as an armory, theater and animal slaughterhouse.|alt=photo of what remains of Roman temple at Évora]]
[[R. P. C. Hanson]] says the direct conversion of temples into churches began in the mid-fifth century but only in a few isolated incidents.{{sfn|Hanson|1978|p=257}}{{refn|group=note|Scholarship has been divided over whether this was a general effort to demolish the pagan past, simple pragmatism, or perhaps an attempt to preserve the past's art and architecture.{{sfn|Schuddeboom|2017|pp=166–167, 177}}}} According to modern archaeology, of the thousands of temples that existed across the empire, 120 pagan temples were converted to churches with the majority dated after the fifth century. It is likely this stems from the fact that these buildings remained officially in public use, ownership could only be transferred by the emperor, and temples remained protected by law.{{sfn|Schuddeboom|2017|pp=181–182}}{{sfn|Lavan|2011|pp=xx - xxvi}}{{sfn|Lavan|Mulryan|2011|p=xxxix}}{{sfn|Markus|1990|p=142}}

In the fourth century, there were no conversions of temples in the city of Rome itself.{{sfn|Schuddeboom|2017|pp=169}} It is only with the formation of the Papal State in the eighth century, (when the emperor's properties in the West came into the possession of the bishop of Rome), that the conversions of temples in Rome took off in earnest.{{sfn|Schuddeboom|2017|p=179}}

According to Dutch historian Feyo L. Schuddeboom, individual temples and temple sites in the city of Rome were converted to churches primarily to preserve their exceptional architecture. They were also used pragmatically because of the importance of their location at the center of town.{{sfn|Schuddeboom|2017|pp=181–182}}