For this week’s topic on Western Christendom & Byzantium I decided that I wanted to find out more information on Christian persecution. What I found was an explanation of the top ten primitive mass persecutions found in Foxes Book of Martyrs.
1. In 67 BC Nero blamed the Christians for setting Rome aflame and the death and destruction caused by that fire. Some christens were sewn up in skins of wild beasts, and fed to the dogs, while others were made to wear stiff shirts coated in wax, then fixed to trees while they were set on fire, so they would light the gardens.
2. Under the rule of Domitian in 81 BC Christians were blamed for any famine, pestilence, and earthquakes that happened, and were put to death.
3. In 108 AD, Trajan Christians were beaten, behead, and eaten by wild beasts, killing over ten thousand people.
4. Marcus Aurelius Antoninas in 162 BC Christians were burned at the stake, beheaded, had hot tar poured over their heads, and eaten by wild beasts.
5. In 192 BC Severus continued Antoninas techniques to persecute Christians.
6. Maximus in 235 BC killed Christians for no reason, and had them buried in mass graves.
7. Under the rule of Decius in 249 BC who beheaded Fabian the Bishop of Rome, as well as countless others.
8. Valerian in 257 BC had Christians tortured for entertainment.
9. Under Aurelian in 274 BC the Roman Bishop Felix was martyred.
10. In 303 BC Diocletian had Christians persecuted was done by swords, daggers, crosses, poisons, famine.
Despite the number mass persecutions the Romans carried out, Christianity as a religion still survived much to the despite of the roman aristocrats. Some of these persecutions are incredibly gruesome. Also, it’s hard to believe that people actual tortoured others for entertainment. What I find truly horrifying about all of this though, is the fact that, persecution no matter what religion a person is, still happens today.
References
http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/early-christian-persecution-faq.ht
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