Persecution of Christians by the Romans by Theresa Gulinello Raymond

Jackson

2014-09-29 17:11:27 UTC

The Jewish people had to pay a "Jewish Tax" to keep up with their religion. Christians, being considered a sect of Judaism, also had to pay this tax in order to practice their religion. This all changed, however, when they were no longer considered a sect of Judaism but it's own religion. The new religion was regarded as superstition, no longer a harmless(and profitable) sect of the Jewish faith. It was now considered corrosive, not only to society, but to the average Christian's mind.

Megan

2014-09-29 17:13:18 UTC

Christians were persecuted under the emperor Nero, who blamed them for the Great Rome Fire (64 AD)

Adri

2014-09-29 17:13:20 UTC

Christians were persecuted by local authorities on a sporadic basis, often more according to whims of the local community than to the opinion of imperial authority

Adri

2014-09-29 17:14:21 UTC

Provincial governors in the Roman Empire had a great deal of personal discretion and power to do what they felt was needed in their jurisdiction

Adri

2014-09-29 17:14:56 UTC

There was no empire-wide policy against the Christians, and the only solid precedent was that set by Trajan in his reply to Pliny: the name of "Christian" alone was sufficient grounds for punishment and Christians were not to be sought out by the government

Adri

2014-09-29 17:15:40 UTC

They asked if the accused individuals were Christians, gave those who answered in the affirmative a chance to recant, and offered those who denied or recanted a chance to prove their sincerity by making a sacrifice to the Roman gods and swearing by the emperor's genius. Those who persisted were executed

Megan

2014-09-29 17:16:35 UTC

pardon was available to those willing to renounce their religion by offering sacrifice to the emperor or Roman gods

Adri

2014-09-29 17:16:52 UTC

During the Great Persecution which lasted from 303 to 312/313, governors were given direct edicts from the emperor. Christian churches and texts were to be destroyed, meeting for Christian worship was forbidden, and those Christians who refused to recant lost their legal rights

Megan

2014-09-29 17:18:43 UTC

Christian refusal to sacrifice to the Roman gods was suspicious and considered an insult to the gods and potentially endangered the empire which they deigned to protect

Megan

2014-09-29 17:22:01 UTC

As many of the religious sect that could be found were rounded up and put to death in the most horrific manner for the amusement of the citizens of Rome

Adri

2014-09-29 17:22:46 UTC

Trajan told Pliny that it was to be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Megan

2014-09-29 17:24:14 UTC

the classic test of a Christian’s faith was to force him or her, on pain of death, to swear by the emperor and offer incense to his images, or to sacrifice to the gods

Megan

2014-09-29 17:25:06 UTC

Persecutions were often sparked by specific events