| Diocletian Persecution |
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The persecution began in 303 when Diocletian issued an edict ordering that the meeting-places of Christians be demolished, their sacred books burned, and the Christians themselves stripped of civil rights and honors. Those that refused to surrender their sacred writings faced imprisonment and death. Later that year, after a fire in Nicomedia and insurrections in Syria and Armenia , Diocletian issued two further edicts, one ordering that the Christians of Nicomedia be put to torture and death as punishment for Arson , the other ordering that the bishops and teachers of the churches throughout his domains be imprisoned and forced by Torture to sacrifice to the gods of Roman paganism. In 304 , a fourth edict made the persecution general: not merely the Christian leaders, but all Christians, were to offer sacrifices to the gods, compelled by torture if necessary. Due to the authority structure of the Roman Tetrachy , the persecution was not general throughout the empire. In the eastern part of the empire, Diocletian and Galerius enforced the persecution, as did Maximian in Italy. However, Constantius Chlorus continued to extend toleration to the Christians in his domain, and so the Christians of Gaul and Britain remained relatively unmolested. |
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