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There is no real evidence of the Romans persecuting Christians before at least 97 CE, and only sporadic periods of persecution even after that. 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.

Any persecution of the Christians ended early in the fourth century, when Christianity received state patronage under Emperor Constantine. Then, later in the fouth century, Christianity became the official religion of Rome and was in a position to persecute pagans and Mithraists. It seems that persecution does not choose its victims - whichever religion is more powerful at the time persecutes the less powerful.

AnswerEuan Cameron (Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches' Past) says, "Contrary to popular tradition, the first three centuries of Christianity were not times of steady or consistent persecution. Persecution was sporadic, intermittent, and mostly local." It is generally agreed that there was no organised, general, centrally directed persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire before the edict of Emperor Decius in 249, which then only remained in effect until 251 CE. The only prolonged and very widespread "great persecution" of Christians was that initiated by Diocletian in 303 CE. It lasted until 305 in the West, but continued until 311 in the East.

Over a period of almost three centuries, it has been estimated that the Christians suffered a total of about twelve years of official, widespread persecution.

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