When did the Romans persecute Christians?

Answer 1

The treatment of Christians in Rome and its surrounding empire was a series of intermittent persecutions that stretched approximately 250 years. St. Augustine in his "City of God" (410 AD+) mentions that there were 10 major persecutions that swept from Rome throughout the Empire. Recently, modern scholars have speculated this number to be inflated, and that there were only three. They base this on the absence of particular Roman edicts pertaining to some of the alleged Christian persecutions. Even if this is granted, persecution does not need an edict to exist or become bloody, as history and contemporary society bear witness.

St. Augustine outlines these ten bloody persecutions thus:

The first occurred under Nero in 67 AD. It is alleged he used the Christians as a scapegoat for his fire.

The second transpired under Domitian, beginning in 81 AD., again they were scapegoats for all that went ill in the Empire.

The third was suffered under Trajan, starting 108 AD.

The fourth, done by Marcus Aurelius Antoninas. Begun 162 AD.

The fifth was under Severus in 192 AD.

The sixth, conceived in 235 AD under Maximus and noted for its efficiency.

The seventh is attributed to Decius in 249 AD. His most famous victim being Fabian, bishop of Rome who was executed in 250 AD.

Emperor Valerian is credited for starting the next wave in 257 AD.

The ninth began in 274 AD under Aurelian. Felix, bishop of Rome, was among the executed.

The tenth and last, that of Diocletian in 303 AD. A particularly bloody affair by the accounts.

Rome was among the most religiously tolerant of all ancient civilizations. It basically absorbed the gods and religions of the conquered into its own Pantheon, the better to instill unity and peace. It had two exceptions: no religion was authorized that was hostile to the State, nor any which was exclusive to all others. The Jewish religion was one of these exceptions, yet it was tolerated since it was inextricably meshed with Jewish nationality. The Jews were a small group anyway, that did not grow and did not look for converts. The Romans, however, constantly had trouble with Palestine because of this religion. When Christianity developed, the Romans dismissed it as an internecine quarrel over the identity of the Jewish deity. However, the new group was militant in its desire for conversion and rejection of the Roman gods upon which the State was structured. The Romans reacted disfavorably and then violently for the following reasons:

• Christian were secretive, meeting often at night; their activities were thus speculated as involving orgies if not conspiracies.
• Christians scorned the beliefs of their pagan neighbors and the official deities of Rome.
• As time went on, because in proportion as the difficulties of the Empire increased, the Christians became increasingly disloyal, refusing service and almost exulting in its enfeeblement. The apologist Tertullian being a prime example.

No doubt some Romans truly hated the Christian religion, but few were informed enough to know what that religion was, at least in the beginning. The Pagan Romans truly believed Christianity was undermining the very fabric of their society and had to be combated. The result was that the Romans distrusted the Christians and hence persecution easily flared. The Pagan Suetonius has the first record of Rome's attitude toward the Christians:

"Since the Jews were constantly causing disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he (Claudius) expelled them from the city (Rome)." SUETONIUS, Life of the Emperor Claudius, chapter 25). Some say this passage refers to another, not Christ. Even if so, by the time of Nero the Christians were already in disfavour, as the Jews were already in turmoil over them and their widening dispersement through Jewish quarters.

It is speculated Nero started the infamous fire of Rome as a means of burning down a slum in order that he might build there a palace. It was common enough practice for emperors to do such a thing, as history records. However, the fire seems to have gotten out of hand and Tacitus, a Pagan chronicler, relates Nero's reaction:

"...neither human resources, nor imperial generosity, nor appeasement of the gods, eliminated the sinister suspicion that the fire had been deliberately started. To stop the rumor, Nero, made scapegoats--and punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved Christians (as they were popularly called). Their originator, Christ, had been executed in Tiberius' reign by the Procurator of Judaea, Pontius Pilatus (governor from 26 to 36 A.D.). But in spite of this temporary setback, the deadly superstition had broken out again, not just in Judaea (where the mischief had started) but even in Rome. All degraded and shameful practices collect and flourish in the capital. First, Nero had the self-admitted Christians arrested. Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned--not so much for starting fires as because of their hatred for the human race. Their deaths were made amusing. Dressed in wild animals' skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into torches to be seton fire after dark as illumination.... Despite their guilt as Christians, and the ruthless punishment it deserved, the victims were pitied. For it was felt that they were being sacrificed to one man's brutality rather than to the national interest." TACITUS, The Annals of Imperial Rome Book XV, chapter 47 (A.D. 64). Some modern scholars say this passage was doctored by later Christian writers, as few other Pagan historians even mention the fire. It would seem strange though for the Christians to doctor only one author when it was they who copied out such documents and authors in later centuries for historical preservation. Besides this, no copy of Tacitus has been discovered without this passage intact.

Suetonius added his own short confirmation in relation to the above:

"punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief."

That Nero's persecution did happen is further advanced by the martyrdoms of Christianity's two greatest leaders, Pater and Paul. The apocryphal Acts of Peter records already in 150 AD+ that Peter was crucified. Clement of Rome, in his Letter to the Corinthians is even earlier (80-98 AD) telling of Peter:

"Let us take the noble examples of our own generation. Through jealousy and envy the greatest and most just pillars of the Church were persecuted, and came even unto death… Peter, through unjust envy, endured not one or two but many labours, and at last, having delivered his testimony, departed unto the place of glory due to him." CLEMENT, Letter to the Corinthians (Chapter 5).

Clement also mentions Paul's demise in his first epistle as a result of this jealousy and strife.

Dionysius of Corinth gives witness to the tradition in 170 AD:

"You have also, by your very admonition, brought together the planting that was made by Peter and Paul at Rome and at Corinth; for both of them alike planted in our Corinth and taught us; and both alike, teaching similarly in Italy, suffered martyrdom at the same time." DIONYSIUS OF CORINTH, Letter to Pope Soter

Tertullian, a Christian writer, writes in 200 AD:

"But if you are near Italy, you have Rome, where authority is at hand for us too. What a happy church that is, on which the apostles poured out their whole doctrine with their blood; where Peter had a passion like that of the Lord, where Paul was crowned with the death of John (the Baptist, by being beheaded)." TERTULLIAN, Against the Heretics,36.

By the fourth century there is Eusebius of Caesarea, who simply states that Paul was beheaded in the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero.

As to the period after Nero, Pliny writes in a letter to Trajan (112 AD):

"I have never been present at an examination of Christians. So, I do not know the nature or the extent of the punishments usually dealt out to them, nor the grounds for starting an investigation and how far it should be carried...For the moment this is the line I have taken with all persons brought before me on the charge of being Christians. I have asked them in person if they are Christians; if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and a third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for punishment; for whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and unshakeable obstinacy ought to be punished. There have been others similarly fanatical who are Roman citizens; I have entered them on the list of persons to be sent to Rome for punishment.... I considered that I should dismiss any who denied that they were or ever had been Christians, once they had repeated after me a formula of invocation to the gods and had made offerings of wine and incense to your statue (which I had ordered to be brought into court for this purpose along with images of the gods), and furthermore had cursed the name of Christ. Real Christians (I understand) can never be induced to do these things....They declared that the sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this: they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath, not for any criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft, robbery and adultery, to commit no breach of trust and not to refuse to return a deposit upon demand. After this ceremony it had been their custom to disperse and later to take food of an ordinary harmless kind. But they had in fact given this up since my edict, issued on your instructions which banned all political societies. This made me decide it was all the more necessary to extract the truth from two slave women (whom they call `deaconesses' by torture. I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths... I have therefore postponed any further examination and hastened to consult you..."

Trajan reply reveals evidence of a general procedure of punishment for Christians, though there is no need to actively seek them:

"You have followed the right course of procedure, my dear Pliny, in your examination of the cases of persons charged with being Christians. For it is impossible to lay down a general rule to a fixed formula. These people must not be hunted out. But if they are brought before you and the charge against them is proved true, they must be punished. But in the case of anyone who denies that he is a Christian, and makes it clear that he is not, by offering prayers to our gods, he is to be pardoned as a result of his repentance--however suspect his conduct may have been in the past. But pamphlets circulated anonymously must play no part in any accusation. They create the worst precedent, and are quite out of keeping with the spirit of our age."

That the persecutions continued is best found in the writings of the Christian apologists. Ignatius of Antioch was arrested and brought to Rome, where he was executed in the Colosseum in 110 AD. Both Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) and Tertullian (155-222 AD), who wrote his Apologeticus, addressed the Roman governors and people in defense of persecuted Christians. Many popes from the time of Nero to Constantine were martyrs or sent into exile as examples to the followers of this stubborn sect. The famed Origen was among those martyred in 254 AD under Decius, who determined the Plague of Cyprian was brought on by the blasphemous Christians who scorned his divinity.

Christian persecutions culminated with Diocletian and Galerius at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century. This period is known as the Great Persecution. Preceding it was a series of four edicts banning Christian practices and ordering the imprisonment of Christian clergy. The persecution intensified until all Christians in the empire were commanded to sacrifice to the gods or face immediate execution. Over 20,000 Christians are thought to have died during Diocletian's reign.

The end of persecution was finally brought to head by the ascent of Constantine who issued the edict of Milan in 313 AD., ostensibly to counter the real persecution of the Christian Church. He was sympathetic to Christianity and ultimately converted.

Answer 2

Persecution of Christians began with the crucifixion of Jesus. From that day forward Christians have been persecuted across the world.

Answer: WHEN Jesus first sent out his apostles to preach the Kingdom, he warned them that they would encounter opposition. He told them: "You will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name." (Matthew 10:5-18, 22) Earlier, however, in his Sermon on the Mount, he gave his apostles and others the assurance that such opposition would not necessarily endanger their deep-felt happiness. In fact, Jesus even linked being happy with being persecuted as Christians. The eighth happiness that Jesus stated is: "Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them." (Matthew 5:10) Suffering in itself is not meritorious. The apostle Peter wrote: "What merit is there in it if, when you are sinning and being slapped, you endure it? But if, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God." He further stated: "However, let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a busybody in other people's matters. But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name." (1 Peter 2:20; 4:15, 16) According to Jesus' words, suffering brings happiness when it is endured for righteousness' sake.True righteousness is measured by conformity to God's will and his commands. Suffering for righteousness' sake, therefore, means suffering because one resists pressure to violate God's standards or requirements. The apostles were persecuted by the Jewish leaders because of refusing to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29, 40)This persecution brought them joy and renewed their zeal in the preaching work. Later, the early Christians were persecuted by the Romans because of refusing to practice emperor worship.

Answer 3

Historians have established that official persecution of Christians took place in 249-251 CE (18 months), 257 CE and 303-311 CE. It is possible that some limited official persecution also took place in 97 CE, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Answer 4

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

Answer 5

The persecution of Christians didn't really start until the reign of Domitian. Now many think that the first persecution was under the emperor Nero, but Nero did not punish the Christians for their religious beliefs, he punished them for the crime of arson. As soon as the accused ringleaders were thought to be rounded up, the Christians were free to practice their religion, although under suspicion.

Answer 6

A Christian tradition holds that Nero persecuted the Christians living in Rome because he blamed them for the Great Fire, but historians have been unable to find any evidence of such persecution or even a reason for Nero to want to blame them unjustly. The alleged persecution of Christians following the great fire was never even mentioned by Christian commentators for the next several centuries.
There is some evidence that persecution of Christians occurred for a limited time around 97 CE. However, Professor Keith Hopkins (A world full of gods: the Strange Triumph of Christianity) says that although in its early years Christianity was both illegal and at loggerheads with the state, it was largely ignored until the three purges of 250, 257 and 303- 311. So, outright persecution of Christians, by the Romans, seems to have lasted about 12 years in total.

Answer 7

The only prolonged and very widespread "great persecution" of Christians was that initiated by Diocletian in 303 CE. This was enforced in the West until 305, but continued in the East until 311, when Galerius rescinded the edict because the persecution had failed to bring Christians back to traditional religion.
The "Edict of Milan", issued in 313 CE, in the names of the Western tetrarch, Constantine, and the Eastern tetrarch, Licinius, declared that the Roman Empire would be neutral with regard to religious worship, officially ending all government-sanctioned persecution of other religions, including Christianity.

Licinius broke the pact with Constantine and began to persecute the Christians in the eastern Empire, resulting in the great civil war of 324, in which Constantine defeated Licinius.

Answer 8

The roman emperor Constantine

The Roman emperor Galerius was the first to pass a law that the Christians were not to be persecuted.

Answer 9

A.d. 313, when the new ruler said that he was a christian.

I think his name was Constantine

Answer 10

About 300 years