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Chapter 3

Persecution of “The Way”

“The Way” • The Faith • Life of integrity (Law

of Moses/Gospels) • Followers often killed

The Greatest Persecutions…

• Began under the Emperors of Rome

Nero (64 AD)

• Reign began the limited persecutions of Christians

Diocletian (303 AD)

• Persecutions reached their climax

Despite the Persecutions…

• The Church grew

PART I

The First Roman Persecutions

Nero (56-68 AD)• Last of Augustinian line • Emperor at Seventeen• Advised by Seneca (a Stoic) • Immensely Cruel

Nero (56-68 AD)

• Murdered own Mother

• Forced Seneca to Commit Suicide

• “Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned” (July 19th AD 64)

• Accused Christians of “Hating the Human Race”

Nero’s Circus

• Animals were sewn into the skins of Christians then fed to dogs

• Christians were burned on stakes to provide light at night

The Death of Nero• Suicide or Murder?• “What an artist dies with

me!”

Domitian (51-96 AD)

• Emperor 81 AD• “Our lord god order

that this be done!” • Dominus et Deus

(Lord and God) • Focused on stopping

the spread of Christianity

• Tax Jews and Christians (money paid for a temple dedicated to Jupiter)

Domitian (51-96 AD)• Rarely polite • Arrogant • Cruel • Granted himself

unlimited power • Assonated

Senators who opposed him

• Reduced corruption within the courts

PART II The Five Good Emperors

Trajan

• Reign began in 98 AD

• Helped abandoned children and the poor

• Eastern expedition was last major Roman Empire conquest

Trajan’s Rescript 112 AD

• If Christians renounced their faith and offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, they would be allowed to live despite being Christians in the past

Trajan’s Rescript 112 AD

• Anonymous denunciations were not to be pursued

Trajan’s Rescript 112 AD

• Anyone who denounced the Roman gods openly and who admitted their status as a Christian, would be killed

St. Ignatius of Antioch

• AD 50- 107• Third Bishop of Antioch • Listened at the feet of St.

John • Writings are the most

important docs that link Apostles to the early Church

St. Ignatius of Antioch

• Catholic Church • Sought out Martyrdom • Seven Epistles • Denounced all heresy • Unity in Christ found in

the episcopacy • Elaborated on the

Incarnation, death, and Resurrection

• Supported the primacy of the papacy

St. Ignatius of Antioch

• “It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ than to reign over all the ends of the earth.”

• I do not want people to look to me as an example, for at best I can only be a pale reflection of Christ Jesus; let people look away from the reflection and turn to the reality.

• "May I become agreeable bread to the Lord.“ (Last Words)

•

The Coliseum

• Place of Christian martyrdom?

• Venerated by Christians as a sacred site

• Well organized games held in it

The Coliseum: Arguments AGAINST

• No tombs/catacombs found near site

• Site not sought in the Middle Ages as place of heroism (pilgrimages)

• Crusaders told it was a temple to the Sun God

Emperor Hadrian (123/124 AD)

• Rule came after Trajan

• Advocate for Hellenism

• Promoted cult of gods

• Designed special temple for Venus and Roma

Hadrian’s Rescript

• Emphasized primacy of Roman Law over the mob (people)

• Christians cannot be prosecuted for their faith

• Accusers who made false allegations were punished

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)

• Adopted son of Hadrian

• AD 161 Reign began

• Meditations: Reflection on a Stoic’s life

• Had little/no tolerance for Christians

Marcus Aurelius • Adhered to Trajan’s Rescript• Outlawed Christianity • Reinstated practice of

anonymous denouncements • Killed Christians when it

served the interest of the Empire

St. Justin Martyr • AD 100-165• Born of pagan

parents • Studied philosophy • Converted to

Christianity• Apologist • Most famous

martyr under Marcus Aurelius

St. Justin Martyr Quotes • “We pray for our enemies; we seek to persuade

those who hate us without cause to live conformably to the goodly precepts of Christ, that they may become partakers with us of the joyful hope of blessings from God, the Lord of all.”

• “You can kill us, but you can’t hurt us.”

PART III

Later Persecutions and the Edict of Milan

Septimus Severus • Controlled Roman Empire

in 193 AD• Issued decree in 202 AD

that outlawed circumcision and baptism

St. Perpetua and St. Felicity

• Perpetua sought Christian instruction for her household

• Both her and her slave (Felicity) were martyred together in Carthage

St. Perpetua • Daughter of pagan

parents • Came from a wealthy

family• Became Christian

knowing it could lead to death

• Baby son allowed to stay with her: “Prison became a palace”

• "Stand fast in the faith and love one another."

St. Felicity

• Slave to Perpetua • Tormented as she

gave birth in prison • "Now I'm the one who is

suffering, but in the arena Another will be in me suffering for me because I will be suffering for him."

St. Irenaeus • Bishop of Lyons • Disciple of St. Polycarp • Combated Gnosticism • Emphasized the episcopacy, Sacred

Scripture, and Tradition in writings • Martyred under Septimus Severus

St. Irenaeus • “These have all declared to us that there is one

God, Creator of heaven and earth, announced by the law and the prophets; and one Christ the Son of God. If any one do not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord; nay more, he despises Christ Himself the Lord; yea, he despises the Father also, and stands self-condemned, resisting and opposing his own salvation, as is the case with all heretics.”

• Against Heresies Book III Chapter 1

After Septimus Severus…

• Christians enjoyed about fifty years of peace

• Alexander Severus allowed Christians to own property

Decius (AD 249-251)

• Inaugurated the first EMPIRE wide persecutions of Christians

• Wanted to unify empire under one common religion

Edict of Decius (AD 250)• Edict of Extermination:

Anyone suspected of practicing Christianity was summoned to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Edict of Decius (AD 250)

• Sacrificanti: Those who offered sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Edict of Decius (AD 250)• Libellatici:

Christians who purchased certificates as proof that they had already offered sacrifice to the pagan gods

Edict of Decius (AD 250)

• Thurificati:Those who burned incense to the pagan gods

Apostasy • Denotes backsliding from

GodThree types:

• Apostasy from Religious Life

• Rebelling your mind against the Ten Commandments

• Apostasy of Perfidy (Giving up the Faith)

Origen • AD 185 – 254 • Head of the first

Catechetical school in Alexandria

• Ordained a priest after giving two homilies in public

• Developed the Homily

Origen

• Stripped of vocation by Bishop

• Taken into custody for two years

• Teachings on the Trinity rejected by later Church Fathers

Pope Sixtus and Deacon St. Lawrence

• Arrested by Roman soldiers while celebrating Mass

• Pope Sixtus was beheaded

• St. Lawrence was asked to bring back the treasures of the Church

• Brought back a group of poor people

• St. Lawrence was roasted upon a fire

Diocletian: Four Edicts• The First Edict –

Commanded the destruction of Churches, the burning of Scriptures, and the banning of Christian gatherings

• The Second Edict –Sanctioned the imprisonment of the clergy

Diocletian: Four Edicts• Third Edict –

Demanded pagan sacrifice from the clergy

• Fourth Edict –Demanded pagan sacrifice by every Christian

St. Agnes: Child Martyr • Virgin Martyr • Dedicated life to God• Professed faith while

being burned• Sent to work as a

prostitute• First to look at her

lustfully was struck blind

• Beheaded

Edict of Milan • 313 AD• Constantine the Great

grants religious freedom to all