Originally posted by Bill the Cat
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Originally posted by Bill the Cat
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The important thing for Rome was to maintain order and peace in its provinces, to ensure taxes were duly collected, and rid any areas of mali homines [bad men].
Originally posted by Bill the Cat
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The Decian persecution also has to be viewed in its contemporary historical context. Decius was concerned with unity in the Empire. In 235 CE Emperor Alexander Severus was murdered by his troops during a campaign along the Rhine. This, combined with increased raids by barbarian tribes and the inevitable political instability saw civil war including in 238 CE the Year of the Six Emperors. Hence when he became Emperor in 250 CE Decius decreed that everyone in the Empire should sacrifice to the divine spirit (genius) of the Emperor. This was to be done in front of a Roman magistrate and each subject would receive a libellus (literally a “little book”) as evidence of participation. These libelli were formally signed in the presence of witnesses. However, yet again, the decree did not see mass persecutions of Christians. Many chose exile, including Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage, who in the 240s decided to take a rural retreat and sit out events. Many other Christians, once in front of the magistrate, decided to comply. We cannot know how many Christians escaped persecution by choosing exile, apostasy, or simply “lying low”.
The letters between Pliny the Younger and Trajan dating from the early years of the second century also make it plain that a state organised rooting out of Christians was unknown, and Trajan’s reply that Christians should not be hunted down or accused anonymously stands as evidence that Rome was not undertaking a systematic purge of Christians.
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