threat to Nero's reign and life if left gods and bring back a respect for ancient Throwing Christians to the unchecked. He therefore decided to blame custom. After a particularly intense period the antisocial and subversive Christians for of persecution under Diocletian, Christians Lions: Fact and Legend starting the fire. after all, didn't they hold were finally given the legal right to worship worship services underground in the city as they pleased under the Edict of Milan, During the first three centuries after Christ it tombs known as catacombs? To make sure issued in A. D. 313 by Constantine I. rarely happened that the Church was free he was believed in accusing the Christians Seventy five years later, Christianity had from persecution, but when we speak of the of setting the fire, he had many of them become so influential and Christians had ten General Persecutions we mean those killed. Some were crucified in the arena, such power that the emperor Gratian had the periods during which the laws against the others thrown to wild animals, and still ancient statue of Victory removed from the Christians were more severe, and when others were burned alive as living torches to Roman Senate House on the insistence of greater numbers suffered for the Faith. light Nero's garden at his Golden House. St. the very powerful and influential Peter died during the Neronian persecutions. Archbishop Ambrose of Milan. First Persecution, under Nero, AD.64-68. Because of this most well known persecution, Nero was written into history as The Evangelization Station Second persecution, under Domitian, AD. one of the most depraved and cruel of the Hudson, Florida, USA 95-96. Roman emperors. E-mail: [email protected] www.evangelizationstation.com Third persecution, under Trajan, AD. 106- Persecutions were renewed under Septimius 117. Severus, Trajan Decius, Valerian, Gallienus, Pamphlet 346 and Diocletian. The Second Century Fourth persecution, under Marcus Aurelius, emperor Trajan instructed one of his AD. 161-180. provincial governors, Pliny the Younger, to not actively seek out Christians who were in Fifth persecution, under Septimius Severus, violation of the law. Nevertheless, some AD. 202-211. Christians desired the crown of martyrdom so greatly that they openly proclaimed their Sixth persecution, under Maximun, AD.235- faith. Some, but not very many, were 238. condemned to death under Trajan. Severus Alexander and his mother, Julia Mamaea, Seventh persecution, under Decius, AD. were interested in all gods, philosophies, and 249-251. religions. It is said that Severus Alexander actually kept a statue of Jesus amongst the Eighth persecution, under Valerian, AD. statues of other gods in his own personal 257-260. shrine. Ninth persecution, under Aurelian, AD. 274- Persecutions were particularly acute under 275. Decius and Diocletian. These emperors sought to revive worship of the old Roman Tenth persecution, under Diocletian, AD. Deep in despair and illness, Diocletian may the only true empire was in heaven. As a 303-305. have committed suicide. result, the Roman government saw fit to persecute the Christians from time to time, Fate of the Persecutors ************* especially during unsettled periods when a The persecution of Christians by the Roman popular reform movement arose to return to Nero committed suicide by driving a dagger Government was not a consistent policy that the old Roman ways and values. Most into his throat. was enforced the same way by every Roman Roman magistrates believed themselves to provincial governor or government official be enlightened and the government they Domitian was assassinated by court or even by different emperors. Most of the represented to be merciful. and gave the officials. time, Christians were tolerated but were Christians many opportunities to renounce viewed as strange and somewhat antisocial their "strange unpatriotic beliefs" before Trajan’s cause of death is believed to have by most of the Roman people. condemning Christians to death in the arena been heart failure. or by formal execution. They absolutely Because the Roman gods were actually a could not understand why a Christian would Marcus Aurelius died after a long lasting part of the state religion, and it was thought choose a shameful, agonizing public death illness, - he had for some years complained that they must be worshipped regularly in over being reinstated as a full citizen with all of stomach and chest pains. order for the Romans to have victory in war privileges when all the person needed to do and prosperity at home, it was considered a was make a sacrifice for the health of the Septimius Severus died a natural death from roman's patriotic duty to sacrifice regularly emperor or even just sprinkle a little incense “a most grievous disease.” to Jupiter, Mars, Juno, Vesta, and leave over a lighted altar. The crowds who came offerings out for the household gods, the to witness the games were a different matter Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus,was Lares and Penates. The Christians, on the altogether. Sometimes they became worked assassinated along with his son and his chief other hand, believed in one God and worship up into a frenzy of hate. They considered the ministers by the Praetorian guards. Their Him in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Christians to be antisocial scum and heads were cut off, placed on poles, and Ghost. Making sacrifice to Jupiter or clamored for a painful death for them in the carried to Rome by cavalrymen. Poseidon was (and still is) abhorrent to a arena, being mauled and torn apart by wild Christian. Because the Romans believed that beasts or forced to fight gladiators who Decius ended miserably in a swamp, during the favor of the gods was necessary to the killed them for a public spectacle. a battle with the Goths. security of the state, the Christians were believed to be not only impious and anti- The most famous of the Christian Valerian was killed by being flayed alive religious but unpatriotic as well. In addition, persecutions was under Nero. A disastrous and then his body was skinned and his skin many Christians refused to serve in the army fire destroyed much of Rome in the year A. stuffed with straw and preserved as a trophy because they might have to kill other human D. 64. Somehow, a rumor started circulating in the main Persian temple. beings and thus violate the commandments that Nero himself started the fire in order to of Christ. Similarly, some Christians refused rebuild the city. It was well-known that Nero Aurelian was murdered by officers of the to hold government posts, engage in considered much of Rome ugly and squalid. Praetorian Guard. commerce, or loan money because they saw Whether or not he had any part in setting the these activities as lending approval to a fire is still being debated to this day, but the corrupt earthly system. They believed that rumors started to spread and might become a