How Roman superstition led to persecution?

Answer 1

Roman persecution of the Christians had more to do with politics than religion. The Roman Empire was huge and embraced many peoples, religious beliefs, and customs. The Romans, by and large, allowed conquered territories to retain their local customs and religious beliefs, as long as they kept the peace and paid their taxes.

The empire would have become unmanageable if the Romans had insisted on making Roman religion the sole religion and the Romans, immensely practical, knew this. They asked only that the state religion not be disrespected.

Christians, like the Jews, were not happy with this situation. They believed their faith was the one true faith and wanted not only the freedom to practice that faith - which the Romans probably would have granted - but wanted all other faiths suppressed, something the Roman authorities could not tolerate.

The Romans did not persecute the Christians because of their faith, but because the Christian intolerance of other religions - including the Roman state religion - was seen as seditious, thus undermining Roman authority.