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Persecution of Christians
The Persecution of
Christians
During the reign of
Diocletian the Roman Empire was divided between the four
powerful men referred to as the Tetrarchy:
Diocletian was Augustus of the
East: Ruling Asia, Egypt and Thrace
*** Galerius: Controlled the
legions of the Danube
Maximian was
Augustus of the
West: Ruling Italy and Africa
***
Constantius: Britain, Spain
and Gaul
The
Tetrarchy and
the Persecution of Christians
Diocletian was esteemed the most just and kind of the
Emperors; Maximian, the fiercest and most savage. Maximian
had a bitter hatred of the Christian name, which was shared
by Galerius; but, on the other hand, the wife of Diocletian
was believed to be a Christian, and Helena, the wife of
Constantius, was certainly one. However, Maximian and
Galerius were determined to put down the faith. Maximian is
said to have had a whole legion of Christians in his army,
called the Theban, from the Egyptian Thebes. These he
commanded to sacrifice, and on their refusal had them
decimated, that is, every tenth man was slain. The Theban
Legion were called on again to sacrifice, but still were
staunch, and after a last summons were, every man of them,
slain as they stood with their tribune Maurice, whose name
is still held in high honor in the Engadine.
Christian Martyrs at the Colosseum
Emperor
Diocletian and the
Persecution of Christians
Diocletian was slow to become a persecutor, until
a fire broke out in his palace at Nicomedia, which caused
great destruction in the city, but spared the chief
Christian church. The enemies of the Christians accused them
of having caused it, and Diocletian required every one in
his household to clear themselves by offering sacrifice to
Jupiter, so starting the Persecution of the Christians by
Diocletian. His wife and daughter yielded, but most of his
officers and slaves held out, and died in cruel torments.
One slave was scourged till the flesh parted from his bones,
and then the wounds were rubbed with salt and vinegar;
others were racked till their bones were out of joint, and
others hung up by their hands to hooks, with weights
fastened to their feet. A city in Phrygia was surrounded by
soldiers and every person in it slaughtered; and the
Christians were hunted down like wild beasts from one end of
the empire to the other, everywhere save in Britain, where,
under Constantius, only one martyrdom is reported to have
taken place, namely, that of the soldier at Verulam, St.
Alban. This period was the worst of all the persecutions of
Christians and lasted the longest.
The Persecution of the Christians and the
Edict of Diocletian
Diocletian passed laws or Edicts to force people who lived
in the Roman Empire to worship the ancient gods of the
Romans. The Edict of Diocletian relating to the persecution
of Christians were as follows:
The edict of Diocletian
ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures *** The destruction of
Christian places of worship *** The Edict of Diocletian
prohibited Christians from assembling for worship *** The arrest of the
Christian clergy *** The Edict demanded acts
of sacrifice and homage to be paid to the Roman gods and goddesses *** Sentences of Torture
and Death passed on Christians who refused to renounce the Christian
Faith
The persecution of
Christians began A.D. 303, and continued for nearly ten
years, after the death of Diocletian. The persecution of Christians eased in 311 when the
general edict of toleration was issued. So many Christians
perished that the emperors of the Tetrarchy boasted that they had totally
eliminated the sect. Many Christian Martyrs were later
canonised. Details of these Saints, their tortures and
deaths are detailed in the following section:
Christian
Persecution
Lives and Deaths
of Catholic Saints
Persecution of Christians
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