1. 2nd and 3rd Century Christianity
Persecution
2nd and 3rd Century Christianity

2. Keeping the gods pacified was the top priority
The Roman empire allowed its people to believe whatever they wanted to believe as long as they observed the State Religion
The Romans took very seriously the public sacrifices
Believed that if you do not offer sacrifices to the gods, they get angry and abandon you
Keeping the gods pacified was the top priority

3. Exceptions
Jews were the only ones exempt from performing the State Religion
The earliest Christians were exempted from performing sacrifices
As Christianity separated from Judaism, Romans no longer felt obligated to grant them the exclusion
Religions needed official approval to operate legally
Judaism had this status
Christians didn’t
It did not help that Christians were followers of someone the Romans had executed as a political threat

4. What started the persecutions?
Christians refused to offer sacrifices
violating Roman law
if a group of people refused to offer sacrifices, this was seen as a flat rejection of Roman rule
Especially if they did this because they were worshiping what the Romans viewed as a competing god
It meant you were politically opposed to the empire and would revolt if only you got the change

5. The Emperor
The people were also expected to pay homage to the “genius” of the Roman emperor.
Genius refers to the divine spirit of the emperor
Most emperors claimed to be divine
Making a sacrifice to the emperor’s genius was really a patriotic duty - today: Pledge of Allegiance to the flag today
Christians saw it as sacrificing to a pagan idol
If only a few people had resisted, it would not have been a problem; but as the number of Christians grew, authorities faced the prospect of widespread resistance to the roman rule - an intolerable situation

6. Christians’ fault= persecution
Many believed that the empire almost collapsed due to the direct result of the gods’ disapproval of Christians
The empire’s survival depended on suppressing Christianity and getting people to turn back to traditional customs and religion
Christians were persecuted

7. Catacombs

8. These Christians are called martyrs
Christians were executed by facing fire, wild animals, or gladiators in huge arenas.
This was a form of public entertainment as well as political propaganda that communicated a clear message about the danger of disloyalty to the empire.
Those Christians who refused to sacrifice to Roman gods and goddesses were often murdered.
These Christians are called martyrs
The word martyr means witness
It refers to those who choose to die rather than renounce their beliefs

9. Facing the test
Not all Christians were able to face up the prospect of torture and death
Some failed to stand up for their faith and were called lapsi
Lapsi means lapsed or failed
Included: laypeople, priests, bishops, and even a pope
Pope Marcellinus handed over copies of the sacred books and offered incense to the gods
He was called a traditor= traitor
Means one who hands over

10. Reforming the lapsi
Some Christians said the lapsi should be readmitted
Others believed they should be excommunicated for life
The Church as a whole came to a decision that those who lapsed needed to do penance but afterwards could once more join the Christian community
Not everyone agreed with the church’s decision

11. Martyrdom in the ancient world
Martyrdom was uncommon in the ancient world
Earliest account of martyrdom appears in 2nd Maccabees
The mother and her seven sons
This kind of faithfulness was unheard of in the ancient world
No one’s lord required absolute fidelity

12. martyrologies
A body of literature that related the heroic and horrifying tales of honor, torture, death, and glory.
The format included:
A first person narrative by the martyr - explaining his or her desire to share in Christ’s suffering or leave this life for the greater one awaiting
An account of the execution written by an observer of the events