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He required all citizens to carry written certificates, that they had offered sacrifice to pagan gods of the empire.

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Christianity was punishable by death if discovered. He did not hunt the Christians because other Romes were searching for them. St. Ignatius of Antioch was killed during his reign (98 A.D-117 A.D.)

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He decided to uproot Christianity from the empire. He confiscated the property of Christians such as Churches and sacred books. Emperor Diocletian sentenced Christians to hard labor and were put to death. This was the worst persecution.

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In 64 A.D Emperor Nero was blamed for starting a fire that burned Rome. He blamed the Christians and began persecution and took the life of St. Peter. In the second persecution St. Paul was beheaded. He made the deaths of Christians a public recreation.

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"The blood of martyrs is the seed of  Christians." Tertullian
Those who found faith worth dying for inspired others.
The Church was able to thrive, despite frequent persecution, because of the courage of martyrs.

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Crucified upside down per request because he was not worthy enough to be crucified in the same way as his master, Jesus Christ.
Martyred during Emperor Nero's reign

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Gentile from Samaria who converted to Christianity at age thirty. Martyred in 165 AD under Emperor Marcus Aurelius for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. His writings tell of the powerful conversion he had.

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Beheaded for being a follower and preacher of Christ.
His martyrdom occurred during the second persecution led by Nero.

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He was sent to carry a message to Rome and while he was the , the Church in Lyons suffered a severe persecution. When he returned to Lyons he was the second Bishop. He was martyred in 155 A.D.