Lecture Notes: Early Christian Persecution by the Romans

Introduction

• Timeframe: 155-160 AD
• Location: Samara (Modern-day Izmir, Turkey)
• Focus: The persecution of the Christian Church in the earliest centuries
• Highlighted Figure: Polycarp (Christian Bishop)

The Story of Polycarp

• Polycarp, around age 86, was a prominent bishop, discipled by the Apostle John
• Fought for orthodoxy, confronted heretics like Marcion and Gnostics
• Was ready to be executed by the Romans for his faith
• Demonstrated calmness in the face of execution, even serving his captors
• Accused of atheism by Romans for not believing in their pantheon
• Executed by burning; refused nails, claimed strength from God
• His story is one of the earliest documents of Christian persecution

Roman Persecution of Christians

• Misconceptions exist about the nature of persecution
• Persecutions were sporadic, local, and not systemic ethnic cleansing
• Early persecution under the Roman Principate (31 BC - 284 AD)
  • Emperor considered first among equals
  • Christians largely ignored due to non-violence and being a minor group

Shift to the Dominate (284 - 476 AD)

• Emperor became more autocratic, known as Dominus (Lord)
• Persecution worsened before Constantine, who later legalized Christianity
• Lack of first-hand accounts of martyrdom; rely heavily on Eusebius’s writings

Relationship with Judaism

• Christians and Jews often distinguished by Romans
• Jewish diaspora and intellectualism, significant Jewish population in Roman Empire
• Jews respected for ancient faith but faced Roman misunderstandings

Key Historical Events

• AD 49: Claudius expels Jews from Rome over controversy about "Crestos" (Christ)
• AD 64: Great Fire of Rome leads to Nero's persecution of Christians
  • Nero used Christians as scapegoats, inventing tortures
• Early 2nd Century: Pliny the Younger writes to Trajan about Christians
  • Trajan's policy: Don't seek Christians, but punish if accused publicly

Roman Attitude Towards Christians

• Christians were pacifists, unlike Jews who could be militant
• Seen as new and strange, leading to scapegoating and persecution
• Christianity illegal, leading to suppression and execution particularly of leaders
• Policies implemented were sometimes cold-blooded, systemic

Conclusion

• Early Christianity was a period of sporadic persecution
• Christians were not subject to ethnic cleansing but faced consistent legal and societal opposition
• Traditions hold that most Apostles died violently, reflecting the broader persecution faced by early Christians

[Music]