Stella Porta ⚭ Founder of 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙗 on Instagram: "What rarely gets mentioned is how intentional this shift was. In the Roman Empire, 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 originally meant rural dweller and, later, civilian. It was used to distinguish country people from urban citizens and sol diers. Only later did Church writers begin using it to mark those who remained outside Christian governance. Christianity took hold first in cities, courts, and administrative centers. Rural regions changed more slowly.