CHAPTER 3 Persecution Of

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CHAPTER 3Persecution Of The WayThe complex
and often troubling relationship between the
Church and the State is one that began in the
Roman Empire, and still remains with us today.
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CHAPTER 3Persecution of The Way

• In the early Church those Christians who refused
  to renounce the Faith were martyred, often in
  public spectacles in places such as the Coliseum.
• Because the death of the martyrs had occurred
  there, many of the Roman circuses were held as
  sacred by Christians. When the circuses were
  dismantled, their material was used in the
  construction of Christian churches.
• The earliest Christians referred to the Faith as
  the Way.
• Living the Way required integrity and a strong
  commitment. Although living the Faith is always
  difficult, it was especially so for the early
  Christians.

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CHAPTER 3Persecution of The Way

• Many thousands of Christians lost their lives
  during the first three hundred years of
  persecutions.
• Christianity is a religion born in the suffering
  and death of its founder, Jesus Christ.
• In like manner, many of his early followers
  suffered and died for their belief in him.
• The persecutions began with Nero AD 64 and
  climaxed with Diocletian AD 303.
• However, throughout this period, regardless of
  the persecutions, the Church continued to spread.

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PART I The First Roman Persecutions

• The earliest Christians suffered persecution at
  the hands of the Jews.
• The Romans, at this time, simply saw them as a
  Jewish sect and were not bothered by them.
• However, as Christianity distanced itself from
  Judaism, the Roman Empire began to see them as
  enemies of the Empire, and systematic
  persecutions became a way of life for these early
  Christians.

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THE FIRST PERSECUTION UNDER EMPEROR NERO (AD 64)

• The Emperor Nero was a figure of immense cruelty,
  psychological sickness, and paranoia.
• He murdered his mother, beheaded his wife, and
  forced his advisor and tutor, Seneca, to commit
  suicide.
• AD 64 a fire destroyed the city of Rome.
• Because Nero had announced his intention to seize
  private property in the center of Rome for his
  own use, a rumor began to circulate that he began
  the fire.
• Nero quickly acted to remove suspicion from
  himself by falsely accusing the Christians. Nero
  tortured many Christians, elicited false
  confessions, and arrested many others.

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THE FIRST PERSECUTION UNDER EMPEROR NERO (AD 64)

• St. Clement (the third Pope) relates that
  Christians were taken across the Tiber to an
  arena on the Vatican Hill where they were sewn
  into animal skins. Hungry dogs were released,
  which hunted down and ate the trapped Christians.
  Other Christians were martyred in the Circus
  Maximus.
• Finally, Nero coated hundreds of live Christians
  with pitch and resin and set them on fire to
  provide light for him as he passed through the
  gardens and city streets at night.
• Nero was the first to declare Christianity
  illegal, and sought to punish all Christians with
  death.
• His persecution included the martyrdom of St.
  Peter.

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PERSECUTION UNDER EMPEROR DOMITIAN, LORD AND GOD

• Domitian served as emperor beginning AD 81.
• As the years passed he became pathologically
  suspicious of conspirators against him.
• He was intent on stopping the spread of
  Christianity from the lower classes into the
  aristocracy, and even into his own family.
• He murdered his cousin, an office-holding
  Christian.
• Despite heavy taxes placed on Christians and
  Jews, growing numbers of Patricians began to
  convert to Christianity.

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THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (Vox populi)

• The Roman peoples misunderstanding of Christian
  doctrine and practice often led to violent hatred
  and fear.
• Christians were denounced as atheists for
  refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods.
• Christians were accused of sacrificing babies and
  drinking their blood, and of casting evil spells.
• Christians were also blamed for natural
  disasters.
• Angry crowds would loot and destroy churches,
  along with Christian cemeteries and homes.
• Christians served as scapegoats and were
  collectively tortured and killed to provide an
  outlet for peoples anger.

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PART IIThe Five Good Emperors (AD 96-180)

• The five emperors that followed Domitian have
  been called the The five good Emperors because
  they enjoyed the support of the army, senate, and
  the people.
• They worked to secure the borders of the Roman
  Empire and to expand them.
• Although they were more moderate than Nero in
  their treatment of Christians, they by no means
  halted the persecution of Christians, which
  continued throughout their reigns.

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TRAJANS RESCRIPT (AD 112)

• Trajan began to rule AD 98.
• Not only was Trajan an able military commander,
  defeating the Dacians, but he also treated the
  poor and abandoned children very humanely.
• He defeated the Parthians and extended the Empire
  to the Persian Gulf, but died while leading his
  army against a Jewish revolt AD 117.
• His expedition was the last major conquest made
  by the Roman Empire, and its borders remained
  stable and secure for the next 150 years.
• With respect to Christians, as evidenced by
  Trajans letter to his governor, Pliny,
  Christians were to be allowed to live as long as
  they renounced their faith and offered sacrifice
  to the gods. Furthermore, anonymous
  denunciations were not to be pursued.
• Trajans rescript left Christians with an awful
  choice death or apostasy.

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ST. IGNATIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH

• St. Ignatius (AD 50AD 107) was the third Bishop
  of Antioch and is thought to have known St. John
  the Evangelist. Having direct contact with the
  Apostles, he is considered an Apostolic Father.
• His letters are considered the most important
  documents linking the early church with the
  Apostles.
• He was arrested during the reign of Trajan, and
  on his way to Rome for trial, wrote Seven
  Epistles.
• His Epistles are explicit evidence of the
  development of the offices of bishop, priest, and
  deacon in the early church, the role of the
  Bishop, the belief of the Real Presence of Christ
  in the Eucharist, and the primacy of the Bishop
  of Rome. He was the first to use the term
  Catholic Church.

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HADRIANS RESCRIPT (AD 123/124)

• The Emperor Hadrian succeeded Trajan AD 117 and
  served until his death AD 138.
• He traveled extensively and fortified the
  frontiers of the Empire. He was responsible for
  building Hadrians wall in Scotland.
• He was a follower of Hellenism and interested in
  science, art, and philosophy.
• He promoted the Roman gods, banned Jewish
  circumcision, and planned to turn Jerusalem into
  a Roman colony called Aelia Capitolina.
• The Jews revolted, and as a result were forbidden
  to enter Jerusalem.
• In regard to Christians, the Emperor decreed that
  Christians could only be prosecuted for actually
  violating a law, not just for professing to be a
  Christian. He also punished false accusers.
  Under Hadrian, Christians enjoyed a relative
  amount of toleration.

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ST. POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA

• St. Polycarp (AD 69 - AD 155) suffered martyrdom
  during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius.
• St. Polycarp spent much of his life defending
  orthodox Catholic belief from various heresies.
• He is an important link between the Apostles and
  later second century writers.
• His martyrdom was recorded by an eyewitness in
  the Church of Smyrna.
• The governor wished to save St. Polycarps life,
  and asked him to curse Christ.
• St. Polycarp refused and was burned alive.
• Unharmed by the flames, he was killed with a
  sword.

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EMPEROR MARCUS AURELIUS

• Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) was an ardent stoic
  and philosophy was the focus of his life.
• His book Meditations is a thoughtful and moving
  work that reflects the profound discipline of a
  Stoics life, living free from passion, unmoved
  by joy or grief, and submitting without complaint
  to unavoidable fate.
• Marcus Aurelius reinstated laws outlawing
  Christianity and persecuted Christians.
• He did not hesitate to kill Christians if it
  served the Empires interests, and permitted mob
  violence against Christians if it served as an
  outlet of popular anger, which otherwise might
  turn against the Empire itself.

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ST. JUSTIN MARTYR

• St. Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) was one of the
  most famous martyrs to die under the persecutions
  of Marcus Aurelius.
• He had studied philosophy before converting to
  Christianity, and used his background in
  philosophy to become an excellent apologist for
  the Faith.
• He worked hard against the pagans who falsely
  accused the Church.
• In his First Apology, addressed to the Emperor
  Antoninus Pius, Justin provided important
  descriptions of the celebration of the Eucharist
  and Baptism.
• His Second Apology was addressed to the Roman
  Senate. Shortly afterwards he was arrested.
  Refusing to offer sacrifice to the gods, he was
  beheaded with six other Christians.

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PART IIILater Persecutions and the Edict of Milan

• The reign of Emperor Septimus Severus (AD
  193-211) was characterized by warfare in Britain
  and Mesopotamia.
• The military played an increasingly important
  role in selecting an Emperor.
• Severus passed a law prohibiting Baptism and
  circumcision, and another round of persecutions
  followed.

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STS. PERPETUA AND FELICITY

• Two victims of Severus persecution were Sts.
  Perpetua and Felicity.
• St. Perpetua was a noblewoman who sought
  Christian instruction for herself and her
  household, and St. Felicity was a slave in that
  household.
• They, along with other catechumens, were
  arrested, and Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were
  forced to raise their children in prison.
• Perpetuas father, a Roman governor, begged her
  to reject Christianity, but she refused.
• They were martyred in the main arena in Carthage
  along with the other catechumens.
• They were first scourged, then attacked by wild
  animals including leopards, bears, and wild
  boars. Finally, not yet dead, they were stabbed
  to death.

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ST. IRENAEUS, BISHOP OF LYONS

• St. Irenaeus (AD 130200) was a disciple of St.
  Polycarp.
• He served as bishop of Lyons and was a prominent
  figure in the early Church in Gaul.
• He spent much time combating heresies, especially
  Gnosticism.
• He defended key aspects of orthodoxy, including
  the episcopacy, Sacred Scripture, and Tradition.
• His writings are of special interest as they
  describe the origin of each heresy before
  contrasting it with orthodox Catholic teaching.
• He was bishop of Lyons for twenty-five years
  before being martyred during the reign of Emperor
  Septimus Severus.

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THE EDICT OF DECIUS (AD 250)

• After the reign of Septimus Severus, Christians
  enjoyed a fifty year period of relative peace.
• Emperor Alexander Severus (AD 222235) allowed
  Christians to own private property and to build
  churches.
• However, in the second half of the third century
  the empire suffered a difficult period, and there
  were eighteen emperors in forty-six years.
• Emperor Decius, who reigned for three years,
  beginning AD 249, began an empire-wide
  persecution of Christians.
• Seeking to strengthen the empire, he sought to
  destroy Christianity, which called for ultimate
  allegiance to Christ, not to the state.

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THE EDICT OF DECIUS (AD 250)

• All suspected Christians had to offer sacrifice
  to the gods or produce a certificate saying that
  they had done so.
• Christians who offered sacrifice to the gods were
  known as sacrificanti.
• Christians who burnt incense to the gods were
  known as thurificati.
• Christians who bought a certificate saying that
  they had offered sacrifice were called
  libellatici.
• Those refusing to renounce the Faith were exiled
  or executed, and their property confiscated.

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APOSTASY

• St. Thomas Aquinas defined apostasy of perfidity
  as when a person withdraws from or gives up the
  Faith.
• This is different from heresy, in which a person
  denies one or more doctrines of the faith.
• The persecutions of Decius resulted in many
  apostates called lapsi, and the leaders of the
  Church had the difficult decision as to what to
  do with those who had renounced the Faith and
  then wished readmittance to the Church after the
  persecution had passed.
• The Roman presbyter Novatian taught that the
  lapsi could never be readmitted. This view
  eventually led to a schism.
• The Popes decided that the lapsi could be
  readmitted after undergoing a long penance.

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ORIGEN THEOLOGIAN AND BIBLICAL EXEGETE

• Origen (AD 185254) was one of the most important
  theologians in the eastern part of the empire.
• He was Egyptian and spent much time working and
  teaching in Alexandria.
• Later, he became the head of the first
  Catechetical School in Alexandria.
• He came into conflict with his own bishop in
  Alexandria when as a layman, he preached a homily
  during a visit to Palestine, and was later
  ordained to the priesthood during a second visit
  to Palestine.
• His bishop stripped him of all teaching power as
  well as his faculties to exercise his priesthood.

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ORIGEN THEOLOGIAN AND BIBLICAL EXEGETE

• Origen moved to Caesarea where he founded a new
  Catechetical School.
• Arrested during the persecutions of Decius, he
  was brutally tortured, but refused to renounce
  the Faith and was eventually released.
• It is estimated that he wrote between two to five
  thousand tracts and is considered to have
  initiated the concept of the homily.

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POPE ST. SIXTUS II AND DEACON ST. LAWRENCE

• Emperor Valerian issued a rescript AD 257
  forbidding Christians from meeting in public
  places and from celebrating the Eucharist in the
  catacombs and another in AD 258 calling for the
  arrest of all bishops, priests, and deacons.
• During this persecution, Pope St. Sixtus II was
  arrested while celebrating Mass, along with seven
  of his deacons.
• Pope St. Sixtus and six of his deacons were
  beheaded soon after, but St. Lawrence was spared
  for some time.
• When his captors demanded that he bring the
  Churchs treasure, St. Lawrence brought him a
  group of poor people and declared them to be the
  treasure of the Church.
• In response, he was sentenced to be roasted
  alive.
• Tradition holds that St. Lawrence told his
  executioners, I am roasted enough on this side
  turn me around.

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PERSECUTIONS UNDER DIOCLETIAN

• When the Roman emperor was murdered, the army
  made Diocletian the new emperor.
• Spending much of his early reign battling the
  barbarians, he was too busy to concern himself
  with the Christians.
• However, AD 303, with the barbarians defeated, he
  issued an edict beginning a great persecution.
• Churches were destroyed, books were burned, and
  Christians imprisoned, tortured, and martyred.
• These persecutions continued until the Edict of
  Milan AD 312.

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THE TETRARCHY (AD 293)

• Diocletian divided the Empire into four
  administrative districts, each with its own
  Caesar.
• While retaining the ultimate authority for
  himself, he granted each Caesar considerable
  power in their own sphere.
• This effectively split the Roman Empire into two
  halves, Eastern and Western, and in doing so
  reduced the status of Rome and the Senate.
• He also created administrative units called
  dioceses.
• When Diocletian abdicated AD 305, the tetrarchy
  failed to function effectively with each
  competing for absolute supremacy.

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FOUR EDICTS

• The Four Edicts issued by Diocletian resulted in
  the worst persecutions that Christians had
  suffered under the Romans.
• The First Edict Commanded the destruction of
  churches, the burning of the Scriptures, and the
  banning of all Christian gatherings.
• The Second Edict Sanctioned the imprisonment of
  the clergy.
• The Third Edict Demanded pagan sacrifice from
  the clergy.
• The Fourth Edict Demanded pagan sacrifice from
  all Christians.
• The Fourth Edict resulted in the deaths of
  thousands of Christians who refused to offer
  pagan sacrifice.

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ST. AGNES A CHILD MARTYR FOR CHRIST

• St. Agnes was martyred during the persecutions of
  Diocletian when she was only twelve or thirteen
  years old.
• She was a beautiful young woman who had many
  young men desiring her hand in marriage, but she
  decided to consecrate herself to Christ as a
  virgin. This so enraged her would be suitors that
  she was denounced before the Magistrate. She
  refused to renounce the Faith, even when tortured
  by fire, and eventually she was beheaded.

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THE CHURCH TRIUMPHS

• AD 307 Constantine, upon the death of his father,
  took over control of the Western Roman Empire.
• He was friendly to Christians, although not one
  himself.
• Galerius, who ruled in the East, was stricken
  with leprosy. Believing it to be a punishment
  from God for his persecution of Christians, he
  allowed Christians the free exercise of religion
  as long as they prayed for him and obeyed the
  laws.
• This edict was also adopted in the West and
  finally, the last great persecution of Christians
  gave way to peace.

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THE CHURCH TRIUMPHS

• With the death of Galerius, there ensued a
  struggle for the control of the Empire, and the
  two armies, those of Constantine and Maxentius,
  met at the Milvian Bridge.
• Before the battle Constantine claimed to have had
  a vision of a cross in the sky with the words In
  this sign you shall conquer.
• Believing this to be a sign from God, Constantine
  had his soldiers put this sign on their shields.
• Winning the battle against great odds,
  Constantine effectively secured his rule in the
  West.
• Declaring that the Christian God had favored him,
  he restored the property of the Church and began
  aiding in the construction of new churches.

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THE EDICT OF MILAN (AD 313)

• The Edict of Milan restored all property taken
  from the Church and granted Christians the
  freedom to practice their religion. It finally
  legitimized a religion that had been outlawed
  since the time of Nero.
• Although there might have been some political
  motives for his support of Christianity,
  Constantine is known to have prayed daily and
  received instruction in the Faith. He received
  the Sacrament of Baptism on his deathbed.

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ST. HELEN IN JERUSALEM

• Although converting later in life, St. Helen,
  mother of Constantine, was deeply devout and
  inspired many others. After her son became
  emperor, she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
  She was determined to find artifacts from Jesus
  life, and consulted locals about the legends and
  traditions regarding the sites relating to
  Christ. Legend has her finding Mount Calvary,
  Christs sepulcher, and the true Cross.

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CONCLUSION

• The Church suffered through nearly three hundred
  years of persecution until emerging as an
  imperially sanctioned religion of the Roman
  Empire in AD 313.
• This period of the Churchs history has many
  lessons that are applicable for us today.
• The martyrs continue to inspire Christians,
  especially those who are undergoing persecution.
• The troubling relationship between Church and
  state is one that continues today.
• The structure of the episcopacy and the
  importance of Tradition for resolving theological
  disputes found expression in the teachings of the
  early Christian writers.
• An understanding of the early Christian
  theologians is essential for an adequately
  informed conception of the structure and
  doctrines of Christianity.

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Supplemental MaterialAD METALLA

• One of the worst sentences a Christian could
  receive was Ad Metalla (to the metal mines).
• Unsanitary and dangerous conditions, inadequate
  and contaminated food, brutal guards, lack of
  air, and overcrowded living quarters, meant an
  eventual death sentence for those sent to the
  mines.

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The End