It was Emperor Nero, Emperor Decius and Emperor Diocletian
Unquestionably, Christians were persecuted by the orders of Decius, Valerian and Diocletian. There also appears to have been a local persecution of Christians under Nero, who blamed the Roman Christians for the Great Fire of Rome.
It has been established that the Great Fire of Rome began in slum areas, almost certainly by accident. Nero was emperor at the time, but was absent from Rome and is most unlikely to have been implicated. On receiving news of the fire, he hurried back and personally took charge of the efforts to contain the fire. He provided essentials for those made homeless and opened the lawns of the palace for them to live there. Finally, he insisted on improved building codes so that there should be no repeat of the fire. The legend of Nero fiddling while Rome burnt did not arise until a century later.
However, Nero made the mistake of deciding to take over some of the land where some houses had been for a great palace, a most unpopular decision at a time of crisis. Some also thought that the fire was the revenge of the gods for some wrong that the emperor must have done. Probably to divert these concerns, blamed the fire on the Christian community of Rome and is believed to have punished them severely. However, there is no evidence that Nero persecuted Christians for their religion, and the punishments were only meted out to Roman Christians.
The Great Persecution of Christians was instituted by Diocletian. This was not only longer than any previous persecution (303-305 CE in the west, 303-311 in the eastern empire), it was the most severe.
Shorter and less sever periods of persecution occurred under Decius and Valerian.
This is answered by the following quote from Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches' Past, by Euan Cameron: "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."
So, there was a short period of official persecution under Emperor Decius, but the Roman Emperor who was really responsible for widespread persecution of Christians was Emperor Diocletian.
In 303 CE, shortly before his abdication, Emperor Diocletian initiated the 'great persecution' of Christians that lasted until 305 in the West, but continued, under Galerius, until 311 in the East. There was also a much briefer and less intense period of official persecution that took place around 250 CE.
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Certainly Nero, ( Claudius Nero Caesar ) who ruled from 54 AD to 68 AD, has the infamous reputation of being one of the most vicious persecutors of Christians.
The Roman Emperor Nero is known for launching one of the first and most severe persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire. In the aftermath of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, Nero blamed and persecuted Christians, accusing them of starting the fire. This resulted in widespread arrests, tortures, and killings of Christians in Rome.
We know that Christians were persecuted by Decius, then during the reign of Valerian, and finally the Great Persecution at the end of Diocletian's reign. There was localised persecution under the emperor Maximinus Thrax. It is unclear whether any persecution took place under Domitian, but Edward Gibbon says that if it did it was of short duration. Most famously, Nero was said to have persecuted the Christians, but scholars say that this seems to have been limited to the city of Rome, and that Christians were not pursued and persecuted for their religion, but as scapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome. In the reigns of all other pagan emperors, Christianity was not officially persecuted and some emperors were quite liberal in their attitudes towards Christianity.
Christians were falsely suspected of plotting to overthrow Rome. They worshipped privately and/or secretly, which understandably caused others to suspect them of plotting something. Beause Jesus stressed pacifism, Christians refused to fight in the Roman Army, which led people to think that they were anti-Roman. This was not true; they just did not want to kill. In the same way, the Christians' understanding that the barriers of peoples/countries are artificial and that all are one in Jesus was also misinterpreted as an anti-Roman belief. For these reasons, the Roman rulers, and most non-Christian Romans, were afraid of Christianity.
The emperor Valens is known the most for his defeat at the Battle of Adrianople by the Goths. This was one of the biggest Roman defeats in Roman history.
Constantine was an Emperor of Rome who stopped the persecution of Christians and in 324 made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Then in 330 he moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople.
It seems likely that Decius (249-251) was the first Roman emperor to officially persecute Christians.AnswerYou could loosely say it was Nero, although he did not persecute them for their faith, but for the crime of arson. Some authorities say there was a persecution under the emperor Domitian, other doubt this. The major persecutions came under the emperors Decius, Valerian and Diocletian.
Until Christianity became a tolerated (and then the "official") religion in the Roman Empire, Christians were persecuted in various ways. Perhaps the most famous form of persecution was the use of Christians in public spectacles: here, they were condemned to death by being "thrown to the beasts" in arenas designed for the entertainment of Roman citizens.
The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.The first persecution of the Christians was actually under the emperor Domitian. Now, it is claimed by some that Nero was the emperor who first persecuted the Christians, but Nero prosecuted them rather than persecuted them. In Nero's time they were charged with the crime of arson which was a capitol offence in ancient Rome. According to the ancient writers they had trials and were found guilty, rounded up and executed. When most of the Christian ringleaders had been arrested, the prosecution stopped an the remaining Christians were able to return to the practice of their religion.
The Roman Emperor Nero is known for launching one of the first and most severe persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire. In the aftermath of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, Nero blamed and persecuted Christians, accusing them of starting the fire. This resulted in widespread arrests, tortures, and killings of Christians in Rome.
Christians who were persecuted were Saint Paul,Peter and all the apostles excluding John.The time of the Roman Empire, they are some great saints like Lawrence,Ignatius of Antioch,Most of the pope of the first,second, third century.In the modern times,Christians were persecuted in China,Vietnam,Myanmar and the North Korea.During world war 2,Saint Maiximilian Kolbe is one of them.
We know that Christians were persecuted by Decius, then during the reign of Valerian, and finally the Great Persecution at the end of Diocletian's reign. There was localised persecution under the emperor Maximinus Thrax. It is unclear whether any persecution took place under Domitian, but Edward Gibbon says that if it did it was of short duration. Most famously, Nero was said to have persecuted the Christians, but scholars say that this seems to have been limited to the city of Rome, and that Christians were not pursued and persecuted for their religion, but as scapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome. In the reigns of all other pagan emperors, Christianity was not officially persecuted and some emperors were quite liberal in their attitudes towards Christianity.
The most famous secret sign in early Christianity was the Ichtys sometimes spelled ikhthus that resembles a fish and is today known as the Jesus fish. Early Christians developed this sign to mark meeting places or friend from foe. They had to do this because Early Christians were persecuted constantly by the Roman Empire up until it was made the official religion of the roman empire.
Christians were falsely suspected of plotting to overthrow Rome. They worshipped privately and/or secretly, which understandably caused others to suspect them of plotting something. Beause Jesus stressed pacifism, Christians refused to fight in the Roman Army, which led people to think that they were anti-Roman. This was not true; they just did not want to kill. In the same way, the Christians' understanding that the barriers of peoples/countries are artificial and that all are one in Jesus was also misinterpreted as an anti-Roman belief. For these reasons, the Roman rulers, and most non-Christian Romans, were afraid of Christianity.
Emperors who carried out persecutions of the Christians were Nero, Decius, Trebonius Gallus, Valerian, Diocletian and Galerius.
Never Refer to question below.
Shortly after Jesus' death, a pharisee named Saul was hired to persecute the Christians. However, on one of his journies, he was struck blind, and God spoke to him. He told him to stop persecuting his people. After that, Saul changed his name to Paul and went on to write more than half of the New Testament. He became one of the most influential people in the formation of the Christian Church.
Until Christianity became a tolerated (and then the "official") religion in the Roman Empire, Christians were persecuted in various ways. Perhaps the most famous form of persecution was the use of Christians in public spectacles: here, they were condemned to death by being "thrown to the beasts" in arenas designed for the entertainment of Roman citizens.