CHAPTER 3

ee URCH — HISTORY OF THE CHUUY = = .

> am ; . t me 2270 Human life must be respected and > | 1231 Where infant Baptism nas nes eters protected absolutely trom the moment of '. 5

~- ' ) p the form in which this sacrament IS U> se -onception. From the first moment of his { E) fe celebrated, it has become a single act existence, 3 human being must be recognized

@ encapsulating the preparatory Pie | way as having the rights of a person— among ' spe nea : a6 pe Rar tis =e sa which Is Be in\ Reel ight © :me ) a r post-baptismal catechumenate. Not only st ; The complex andoften troubling relationship between xi need for instruction after Baptism. but Before I formed you in the womb I knew :

Se TNS sel et ood ey ee pete ¥ d before you were born I conse ; ; j store necessary flowering ofbaptsmal _—_you, and before you were bornI consecrate the Gburch andthe state is one that began in the Roman Gmpire, cace in personal growth. The Catechism has you (Jer 1:5; cf. Job 10: 8-12; Ps 22:10-11), | its proper place here My frame was not hidden from you, when | and still remains with us today.

| | = ; tithe v4 Latin and was being made in secret, intricately wrought .

— Today in ali the see rao es Beets in the depths of the earth (Ps 139: 15).

|| tae a . sariel cr is ss "=e ————————— "

> . with their entry into the catechumenat« ae 9271 Since the first century the Church has : mifirmatior and the Eucharist (ci.

> % uo =— _ by Confirmation and the Eucharist, while in You shall not kill the embryo by abortion TS. the Roman rite it is followed by years if ind shall not cause the newborn to perish .

' catechesis before being completed later by (Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae | ie ®& g '

00) God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men =. ar'

& 'oe aes immit of the Christian life" (LG 11).

"The nen must carry it out in a manner worthy of \\ »)) Ae | ther sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical themselves.

Life must be protected with the él p—- | .

I Euchar ri I rientec I i | ; , ¢ | — HURCH PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY HISTORY OF THE C sil | | ————eoeeS"—.

| CHAPTER 3 = | , é | a I a :

; ; | | abesiepecarrt ffer it to God—into an instrument of salvation, and into : a, . — = | er . io ] \ barptonned= ma us get to heaven. For a Christian, pain is no reason for , a a an « '

| a sacred way which helps joy of knowing that on the Cross of Christ ; ; .

% \. eu gloominess but for joy: the joy 0 :

. ry A 7. all suffering has a redemptive value. ee | | \ e * — John Paul II, Address to the Sick, Cordoba Cathedral, April 8, 1987

| Un | | n the times of the early Church, the Romans carried fear andei ie to an Caps & ae .a ANS' J a. - P fiat, In the first three centuries, rulers and mobs alike delighted 2 inding ae an Pa a=

4 ee ant ae ~~i en 9-6 Lara | ways to torture and kill the followers of Christ in public eevee anew oO re used to Last Praferi. of the Chirletian Maiives by JeaieL don Garon renounce their Faith were martyred in many different places, including the Circus of Hadrian, the | | Circus Flaminius, and Nero's Circus. Because some of the circuses in Rome had been the site of so be shaken by the brutality with which they were killed. It is important, however, to understand the many martyrs' deaths, they were held as sacred by the early Church. When these circuses were reasons behind their persecution and to focus upon the courage shown by so many otherwise

| | dismantled, their material was used in the construction of churches. The Coliseum, also known as ordinary men and women. These martyrs lived with their families, had normal occupations in life,

| | Flavian's amphitheater, which is the last and greatest of these arenas still standing, has become and were simply devoted to Christ. Despite the tremendous pressure put on them by the i associated with the many cruelties and injustices endured by the early martyrs of the Faith, even emperors to renounce their Faith, the early Christians remained faithful to the teachings of Jesus.

| | ) | 1ough it is unclear how many w artyred within its walls. to ") :

| wii le ame sel es m '

Christianity is a religion born in the suffering and death of its founder, Jesus Christ. In like manner. i | In the earliest years. the Christians referred to the Faith as "the Way" (cf. Acts 9: 2 and 19:9), Living many of his first followers also suffered and died for their belief in him. The Acts of the Apostles

| the Way requireda life of integrity according to the commandments and counsels of the Gospels describe a number of localized attacks on the Apostles and disciples in Palestine. But the greatest ie | and a strong commitment to become a disciple of Christ. Although living the Way is always difficult persecutions began under the watchful eye of Rome. Beginning with limited persecution under the | | | and requires much sacrifice, the early Christians especially suffered in the pursuit of its ideals.

Emperor Nero in A.D. 64, the intensity of the persecutions in Rome increased until they reached Many thousands of early Christians lost their lives during three hundred years of persecutions in their climax under the Emperor Diocletian in A.D. 303. For the first three centuries of the Church's the Roman Empire. There are numerous accounts of martyrs from this period, many of whom existence, Christians were a minority and were considered criminals in the eyes of the state. In were priests and bishops of the early Church. Scores of lay men and women from all walks oflife short, becoming a Christian meant putting one's life at high risk. In spite of harsh persecution, comprised the majority of the martyrs. When reading the accounts of the martyrs, it is hard notto however, the Church continued to spread the teaching of Jesus at any cost.

| : lest Sydtcae hera St. Ignatius of Antioch martyred St. Justin Martyr dedicates St. Polycarp martyred Tertullian begins writing Edict of Decius (emp. 249-251) pcthaeter ot Chri in roan earn eS Tralan's rin} In his First Apology RS : orders empire-wide persecution Constantine adopts Christian ; a ite s Rescnpt in response to Pliny St. Justin Martyr dedicates Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are of Christians symbol before battle inte his Second Anoloov martyred in the arena at Carthage Destructionof SU Clemei| is cope' recinrat tha | | St Sixtus | is pope; died in 125 S Second Apology , ' erusalém by Titus or aly» Origen (ca.185-254) Valerian Great Persecution ) Jerusalem by Titus | sacrament of confirmation according Hadrian's Rescript St enaeus Writes

) (emp. 253-260) begins under Diocletian to the rite of St. Peter: martyred in 97 | F begins writing Rescripts in 257 } Nie ten Mh 8 IL | St Telesphorus is pope; martyred in 136;

| Against Heresies escripts in 257 — iocietian créaine — st = He composed the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and 258 the Tetrarchy . ee Se —

— | Soto es Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius> <A.Pius Marcus Aurelius | ; :

— ————————— —— oe Chapter Three 95 ee — a —— eeE_—_ RCH "

HISTORY OF THE CHU aS PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY — —_——— } e i ; First Roman ers S WH | sn at the hands of the Jews, but . c 1s had suffered persecution at the hands o

; the Roman | il L neltic qristians ad SUIICIeY 2 ee +s arely le earliest Chiis 3 4 not trouble itself with what 4PPs ared to be merely a small group¢

| | "mnire for a time did not tyes me : ad itcelf fro se Tew) Pee | Empire for p re he early Church grew and distanced itself from the Jewish tradition, the | | SEEN Ne these early Christians as enemies of the empire who, through thelr

| | Roman 4 pir res imperial institutions and traditions, were seen as a breeding ground for if j gard for Some IMNPCtiah uiotkn" die imnerial arcer - . ales io , and discord within the empire. Soon. periodic imperial persecutlons, Iii of which | cormuption and discore wae 4) part of the life of an early Christian.

} were incredibly brutal, became a normal part Of Mit Ss © é _ Hi TI THE FIRST PERSECUTION ew t | Hi - ] ; UNDER EMPEROR NERO (A.D. 64) m fin oe | io d Gaga Ste | . wo \ 1) 27.48 emperor A.D.

54-68) was a figure of immense cruel The Emperor Nero (A.D. 37-68, emperor "4 D. 54-68) was = BPs TY. Psycho: logical sickness, and paranoia. Even the Roman historical tradition portrays him as a Cyrant,

The stepson of Emperor Claudius and the nephew of Emperor Caligula (infamous for his depravity . and psychosis), Nero was the last of the Augustinian line. His rule began in A.D. 54 at the age(of . seventeen, and fora time, things ran smoothly. The noble Stoic seneca was an advisor to Nero and had been his tutor when Nero was young. By the year A.D. 59, however, Nero's evil character had clearly emerged. He murdered his mother | if and then renounced and slandered his pe own wife, Octavia, before having her VA y 4 =) "4 "a ~=beheaded. In A.D. 65, Nero forced Seneca

The fire raged throughout the city, and consumed the lives and the property of members of every Roman class } Ca AY SNe / Early on the night of July 19, A.D. 64, fire | ae ; is WZ broke out near the Circus Maximus and Immediate ly, the rumor began to circulate that Nero had started the fire. The reason behind this

=. ee ais + ni Or was ero c announced ir or nce > ~ - — : sy en Pa = | Theat \) ae | Me engulfed the city of Rome for nine straight rumor was Nero's announced intention to seize private property in the center of Rome in order to * \ > _ ~ Tit ~ aynancive aur malarce ia es ap

Pd : days. The city was divided into fourteen build an expansive new palace, later called the Domus Aurea (House of Gold). The rumor told of on - } = ay aea ee = = Nero aking slich ; nrarch ae ee > =

5| "72 fi — sy administrative districts. Of these. four ee taking delight in watching Rome burn while he read his own poetry. The famous saying,

; | '> (] = i | districts were reduced to rubble. six were Nero fiddled while Rome burned," originates from this rumor.

_* \) s d he aVly dar laved ric only f r e d ero DroVv de E ergency shelter to vic | i a , - | heavily damaged, and only four escaped Nero provided emergency shelter to victims, and quickly sought to remove suspicion from himself io i 7} ¥ unharmed The ahcenre pf = - '.

Ry ve Sy unharmed. the absence of a modem fire by falsely accusing the Christians of starting the fire. He tortured several Christians, elicited from ¥ ) w \ , | f department made it virtually impossible to them forced confessions, and then ordered large numbers of other Christians to be arrested. The ¥, WN oe urban fires once the y had begun Roman historian Tac itus writes that when it became clear to everyone that Nero's accusations

| ry ie | Ss ' is was a dense, compact city of people othe Christians were wildly implausible, he charged them with "hating the human race"

| 1& * ~ d Buildings, which only increased the (annals,AV, 44). e ra ugh cig first persecution of Christians was limited to the city of Rome proper, its nto tenements, known as insulze Thece t y , ree ee oe classes were packed aie Prutaley remains unquestioned. St. Clement of Rome, the third pope, relates that | ner £ Kb SAO MUMULIES Idd Wooden We s which wer o = sith i 1 "1s lan Ss we > first taken acrocc 5 TT eee ~ a F3 =p '

; —-* variety of rubble for insulation, hence their name Even nein, lls, which were filled with a wide as t : is vere first taken across the Tiber to an arena on Vatican hill called Nero's Circus, where poorly constructed buildings due to stnictiral eatlac... to the great fire, many died in these ot.

Peter's Basilica now stands. They were then sewn into animal skins and distributed throughout | ~~~ UPPEr Class, such as the senators and the enirec ("kn of the wealthy and members

ONG Sie 1S. Next Nero released hungry mastiff dogs into the gardens, which hunted down and ate combustible wood furnishings and mer . i s ("horsemen/knights"), were filled with fe poEree Christians. Other Christians were martyred in an assortment of awful ways in the wooden seating helped feed the fire amone vi h gardens filled with trees. arbors, and | ircus Maximus. Finally, in perhaps the greatest example of the emperor's cruelty, Nero coated nd consumed the lives and the proses 1ces. The fire raged throughout the city,

Ss ds of live Christians with pitch and resin and then set them on fire to provide light for him ) f every Roman class aS Ne passed through his gardens and along the city streets at night.

) O6 Chant ———— S —s a — HUECH ERSECUTION OF "THE WAY | — HISTORY OF THE CHUN S P ] ie | j MAD CALIGULA /y % | audience be thrown to oT & b f their office and people from the wo y Z | espite the grandeur 0° emperors the beasts.

: s | Daerah many of Romeoa no Caligula's cruelty was matched only by his a if Le | were insatiableec was often deranged imagination. On one occasion, ' regard for human life. T # 'culinary the emperor had a pontoon bridge built . seasoned with authentic, is pat across the bay of Naples, and he charged

An infamously insane oan Ss back and forth on it for two days i} Caligula, the nephew of ghd straight for no apparent | Tiberius, who rose to Hd "¢ reason. Afterwards, he had | |

| at the age of twenty-l his army celebrate whathe Wa After Tiberius became ill i called "his victory over the :

% hy and fell into a coma In _ sea" by collecting shells on F / a I ded <i ' e a A.D. 37, Caligula succee = the beach. Caligula r Dyul * rh © ae we him. Some say Tiberius > - _ especially loved his horse, 4 fs

_ a . actually emerged from the .

Incitatus, and he would het fDi . ey) , = / =.

| coma, and Caligulag send out dinner invitations ee . the emperor caine: .

; to people from Incitatus and ("iaoi J ; Pe é Geath, TS eee es "= make the horse the guest of i Ze 'we he te Pe was commonplace within the anted'#s <= we ae , 'al _ . imperial family. When Caligula Ae honor.

He even w eta A sia = '

% | was still in his teens, his " pias eee cae Nero's principle of Christiani non sint! mother, along with all of his = ° pie = | sth eal tig rerae cannes eoae iri Nero was the first to declare Christianity unlawful, and sought to punish all believers with death

"thrall el Ctl er unstabie and UnpopHle 2) aaa under his principle Christiani non sint (Let the Christians be exterminated). three of his sisters. When one of them After thwarting several attempts on é | eacnds ;

=r | conceived a child, the emperor was so his life, he was finally stabbed to death According to the Roman historian Tacitus, the Church historian Eusebius, and other early Christian

| eager to see how their god-like child in A.D.41 by two of his guards who writers, Nero's persecution of the early Christians, which included the martyrdom of the first

. would turn out that he had the baby then stormed the palace and brutally pope, St. Peter himself, helped set the Roman Empire along a path of increased, though irregular, prematurely cut out of her womb. exterminated the rest of his family. persecution in the coming decades. congue Cinsinered ony egret iesitas"acchomtekeSyabees = sr os) =.

Because of his petulance. however, Nero had alienated the established aristocracy. His murder of | datesogee te as aa?

Bh neettretaeshsn ot his mother and wife horrified the elite, and his suspected burning of the city along with his seizure

. gt ppeetlags tahags Lah A la ae 'na nt eee of la ssentially sealed his 6, Judea revolted against his rule, and by A.D. 68 there indiscriminately.

He would force himself te Se WSgeeeie of land essentially sealed his fate. In A.D. 6 ponies ; 'Be spon =e es =f upon married women in public, Once he oe Oe serene a were further revolts in Gaul, Africa, and Spain. The army turned against him in A.D. 68 and Nero attended a wedding and ran off with the 5S Si Rte Sip: ee committed suicide. Before doing so he is said to have lamented. "What an artist dies with me!" bride. He even opened a brothel in a wing

— Lee i= BN Fe eon hey > (Suetonius, Nero, 48-9). of the imperial palace =el6 ee « i ° ee ~~ Caligula particularly enjoyed watching

Coe PERSECUTION UNDER EMPEROR DOMITIAN. torture and executions. He condemned % ay e "EF Gs .

F, sa LORD AND GOD" people to death for no reason and then -! 244 iM 2 ML = : f made sure their deaths were as long and iss Et as 5 a Perey ; :

Ee painful as possible. Once whenaa tg 4 ar a ~ut Pee Domitian (A.D. 51-96) served as emperor beginning in A.D. 81. An effective and hard-working

| watching executions in the arena and the 3 aye <* Pps Keo ruler, Domitian took particular interest in directing military campaigns and securing the patronage criminals had all been killed, he ordered h = s a YG Yeteeeee of the army. He had good cause to curry the favor of the army, for his relationship with the Roman

= . ere HES = 2} tereatens'

Senate was less than ideal. He is reported to have opened his letters to the Senate with the words, | gS ss lees atk a 6. ie

M Caligula enjoyed watching torture and executions Our lord god orders that this be done. He also habitually referred to himself in the third person as Dominus et Deus ("Lord and God ). As the years passed, Domitian became pathologically suspicious of conspirators and once quipped, "No one believes ina conspiracy against an emperor until it has succeeded"

98 Chapter Tr ee er — = = — — .

HISTORY OF THE CHUR = PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY —<—— ; f Christianity from the lower Classecy.

: nt on stopping the spread = , Wh the Em eror oe PART Il Domitian was particularly inte mbers of his own family.

When Tf iperor murdered fj the aristocracy, which included a BE set in motion 4 conspiracy agaist wy sn an oficeoldng CrsDe StTA assassination The Five Good Emperors possibly being one of the conSpTS patricians began to convert to Christianity, all Believers

(A.D. 96-180) Despite the fact that growingpe placed upon them by the empire. Domitian levied 5 Awe remained subject to heavy imposit to pay for anew temple dedicated to Jupiter, and Pope

Fe special tax only on Christians yee d E tastrophes" in the Roman community because of he five emperors that followed Domitian have been called "The Five Good Emperors" because

Clement I speaks of "misfortunes ste of their skill in leading the Empire. They are Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian. Antoninus Pius, and persecution.

Marcus Aurelius. These emperors generally enjoyed the support of the army, senate, and the F THE PEOPLE (Vox populi) people, and were certainly much more stable than either Caligula or Nero. They worked to secure

THE VOICE 0 the existing borders of the Roman Empire and even expanded them.

As Christianity expanded, the greatest threat to Christians often came not FOR, the Roman While these five emperors were good for the Empire's interests, they were not necessarily

; can eae but from the empire's local populations. The people's misunderstanding of supportive of Christianity. Although the first four of these emperors were more moderate than phi doctrine and practice often evolved into violent hatred and fear. Sometimes Christians

Nero, they by no means halted the persecution of Christians. denounced as atheists for refusing to believe in the Roman gods. In addition to sich were - re Fey misunderstandings of actual Christian worship, theie Ey AE eebeei TRAJAN'S RESCRIPT (A.D. | {2) | truly outrageous practices, such as sacrificing babies an rinking ice Diet ae Ing € spell. ; | Hence. the Roman historian Tacitus could write that the Christians held to. pemicious SUpEr,stition'

| Trajan (ca. A.D, 53-117) began to rule in A.D. 98. His nearly twenty year even though it is evident that such practices were largely a fig-ment of the people's imagination reign is considered to be one of the most excellent in the empire's

(cf. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 1997, p. 1574) ; history, both because of his humane treatment of abandoned children The people also blamed Christians for causing natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, and and the poor, and for his military conquests in Dacia (modern Romania)

— famines. Tertullian wrote: "If the Tiber floods the city or the Nile does not inundate the fields and Parthia (much of modern Iraq). Trajan, who took for himself the title

TILN | if there is an eclipse, or earthquake, or famine, or plague, men cry, 'Christians to the lions"

Optimus (Best), was an able military leader who actively sought military ase (Apologeticum, 40). glory for himself and Rome. The Roman Senate used the ritual

— : a Eo acclamation, "May you be even luckier than Augus ay Angry crowds often looted and destroyed churches, Christian cemeteries, and the homes of those than Trajan." ae Sustus'and: even:better Ne they believed to be Christians. Christians served as scapegoats for the Roman community, and | Ran were collectively tortured and killed to provide an outlet for the people's anger.

The Dacians proved worthy opponents of Rome, but they were cae defeated nonetheless. The great treasure of the Dacian ruler Decebalus aac.

TUG aneATA, Oy FRY 6WGHR, So, ty financed many of Trajan's public works. With some of the booty, Trajan's au | ats Woo ts hs Nas Sea ars Nh, So oN casea Yas a We is tae is Nin he NL %..

Column (A.D. 113) was constructed to commemorate his great victory cath Paty RSS STRELAETT SI ANG AIR Na SRST ee FS ENwe TE and serve as his mausoleum. In defeating the Parthians, Trajan extended me fie | gate 2) prea ae eee ae ee an the Empire to the Persian Gulf, but this gain in territory was short-lived. i.

| ges aGi eee Bese Trajan's health failed and he died while leading his army against a Jewish alg | ; eoAS | . Om 7 ' revolt in A.D. 117

Bees & /\ : re as ae-—— Trajan's Eastern expedition was the last major conquest of the Roman Hees ANCE" ont A ae = ¥ <a rie / dd ee aaee ry, j s fe: t A / a) hey aga A! a.

Empire. After A.D. 117 the borders of the Empire remained stable and i ~S ae Jaa PY eS Ma YN eee ee =e se f apr ; a 4 SE | a iseBe.aS 9 SW KA\\S os ; St cure for one hundred fifty years. Only a campaign led by Emperor

A ea RLS SAT eee La ~ ae iehe pp Septimus Severus from A.D. 195-198 brought a small, northern portion a - | — Me 5: SS "SEs a A Nae: B ivf of Mesopotamia into Roman hands.

Ry: | i /¢ | a ce"A wip: a et:

With respect to Christianity, Trajan took what he deemed to be an #inte ~« | oe eh = | a PERN mm "4a ee Sag ee 2 enlightened and balanced approach.A letter from one of his governors ie Rae y OE SE SSSRYweosire, Un Se pie Pliny the Younger (ca. A.D. 61-ca. 112), asked for Trajan's advice con. ifen rr Nn Ya.NSAR Prensaeet Trajan's C icake AAAS Re Le MO VO Me, Od, ola ee, ah OM em em ome Ht! fan's /-olumn is made from a series of 18 colossal Luna marble drums, each weighing about tons oa — Ve AO s OS,ARANAYiNAeNO NNesaoe, * and 1S exactly 100 Roman feet (30 meters) high. The frieze winds around the shaft 23 times 'naine

Death by wild beasts in the Amphitheater ic sh f cr te oP is Vist Mow, Dy, Mise ut, at gh ale eed se Ly column, a spiral staircase of 185 stairs provides access to a viewing platform

(well wachari\ at the bi. re IS SHOWN in this mosaic ro ia iginally, a d :

0 are ae Ol well washed) at the blood-bath esaic from a villa near Leptis Magna, North Africa. The crowd would roar "Salvuim replaced it with a statue of St Pane EES SI Cree Se Lap et ur CatNT WES, Popes BBY

NY a i. > — = i ——— sail =i / 100 Chapter Three Seeeeeeeeeees"'"'"'<'<'<i'<i'<i'<i'i'i'i'<'ie SS ee SS a it THE CHURCH PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY | HISTORY OF EE

Se — ; J Christians. According to both Nero and Domitian michment of Christians. é pe the persecution and punishm ted, and Pliny had executed eee Out Of @ sensey

| cerning U to be summarily executes', °° Christians by this time existed across all stratao EUM Christians a made it clear t0 Trajan that Pliny posed four questions to Trajan: whether

THE COLIS | yI i = . iny Fin) ~ wel] as urban areas. a Ap ae and lived in rural as well oe were to be pursued; wbec? ria.ae sho anonymous denunciations of Chrisrie their punishment; Whether C ristians w Z nied theiy

; = - = 5 8 ih | be taken into consideration In Hat =a d whether the profession of Christianity itself, apartfrom ow | sa ie iss & [ ~~ a \ ehh bah E Aes O live:

| faith publicly should be allowed to : ~e of the Faith, was sufficient to wartTant execution.

> a | the crimes associated with P ahah definite, policy for handling Christianity, Trajan » BF v P y ly Pe ie ar sh | | Trajan's response€ to Pliny offered4Dentina offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, they j i - | | decreed that if Christians renounced thelr «st Chistian Ife Furthermore, Trajan declared tha e a5 — * | would be allowed to live in spite ofi ; sued. Nevertheless, anyone denounced openly Why

~ tm Eee | i te Py ot to De D rst i. tel A - ~ ¥ = .

Poms | anonymous denunciations were not ey sites death. Trajan's decision thus confirmed that the Sea?

| 'ji admitted his status as a Christian ae 4 crime, but clarified under what conditions it could oo : ee —) i= whim profession of Christianity was itself a crime.

— —————ee iH | be prosecuted.

; Se <0in y8e - = il Tai ' n oe at ae *\ .

' int still left Christians with an awful choice: death or apostasy. While Trajan did Seek Me Sa ; a . yy i) Trajan's Rescript stu le = € the legal system that were often used in the persecutions ey"

. edy the gross abuses OF the i€dl oye phar :

Sag =f \ to remedy the gross one id the principle first attributed to Nero: Christiani non sint. ff ai Christians, in the end, he upheld the principle

IUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH { mem \y ST. IGNAT '

" a3 . ir - . - | F ni fled Te cs Pe i a "A - WN ® iil } St. Ignatius (ca. A.D. 50-ca. 107) was likely the third Bishop of Antioch, after Sts. Petey and Evodius

= x :v SN | | dh is thousht to have listened at the feet of St. John the Evangelist. Because of his elose | | = ation with Sts Peter and John, St. Ignatius is an Apostolic Father, ie., one of those saintly

The Coliseum's "Door of Death" and the skeleton of cages and cellswhich were located under the stadium floor Vy | association wit Ss. ait Ui, AL. bb . aR : itact with the Apostles, and consequently his writings are consider

, figures who had direct contact with the Apostles, anc consequently ng :

; imal d, of course, the famous . lly authoritative. In fact. St. Ignatius' letters are considered the most important doctiments he Coliseum of Rome remains both a and animals, and, of course, | Ger ik th = Twelve Apostles with the early Church tribute to the brilliant engineering of gladiatorial combats fascinated the | ee al i on lca ala vi the ancient Romans and a witness of their

Romans. During the emperor Titus lt | Little is known of St. Ignatius He up to i" gruesome entertainments and disregard hundred-day festival celebrating the . arrest during the reign of Trajan for being z for human life. The construction began Coliseum's inauguration, contests pitted

| renowned Christian bishop. Under a guard of mek around A.D. 72 under Emperor Vespasian bears, buffalo, elephants, rhinoceri, lions bi . ten soldiers, he traveled to Rome to meet

"Pp A' : and was completed by the Emperor and other wild animals against each other ) a martyrs death. Along the way he was hapae} Domitian. The Coliseum was originally and against armed or unarmed men. i pily received by the Christian communities of | y a '

Known as the Flavian Amphitheater.

It is possible that some Christians were the day, and it was during this time that a yn > § ) In its heyday, the building boasted a condemned ad bestias in the Coliseum, St. Ignatius carried on a correspondence with | :

, number of technological wonders. It but it is more likely that they were killed | the various churches of Asia Minor and the if '

: featured a cooling system made from a in the circus Flaminius, the Gaianum, the bishop of Smyrna, St. Polycarp. ai large canopy suspended by ropes over Circus of Hadrian, the Amphitheatrum In these letters, known as the Seven Epistles '

A the audience that provided shade and Castrense, or the Stadium of Domitian.

Me MAINO JELLO, MIOWTIdS (NE Seven DISUES, , ] St.

Ignatius makes clear his ardent desire for Be, i @ created a breeze. Underneath the Gladiatorial combats were finally outlawed

| martyrdom. going so far as to ask the Christ.

( stadium floor, there were cells to house in 404, largely due to the influence of | ians not to intervene with the pagan official: a" wild beasts, condemned crininalap arc Christianity, and the Coliseum quickly to savehiclie Wstesd hack foc oe "~ x .) trained gladiators. These "entertainers becamea site of pilgrimage. Indeed. it Seana cnt ik Nek, eS Li .

} could enter the arena through dozens remains standing today, preserved as a wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wid y ' ss of elevators or trap doors beasts: thatel mds hentai ae Wee , Pp F testament to those great sacrifices made beasts, that | May be found Christ's pure .

. ae : bread" (Epistle tc the Ps ' Vi) eh cs : ? :

~ Th Although the standard forms of by Christians during the dark days of St] it pila i " entertainment were executions, fights persecution.

= Paes denounced all heresy and schism.

Ie ~ between various animals, between men dnd he singled out the episcopacy in the .

Be PE ta Sen AS <» / bs 102 chapter Thre SSS eeee*FT Chapter Three = — HISTORY OF 1=——— aa PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY . St. Ignatius asserted, neither Matrimony ithout bishops, St.

Noy as a means of unity with Christ. W ible. Indeed, St. Ignatius counseled the early Christians tg ST. POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA celebration of the Eucharist were POS?! onfess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savio remain "aloof" from the heretics who nae which the Father, of His goodness, raised UP again'

Lord, I bless you for judging me worthy on this day, this hour, so that in the company of Jesus Christ. which sufferedmn st Fs at St Ignatius wrote, is "the bread that is the flesho the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ. (St. Polycarp, as quoted in Martyrium Polycarpi)

(Epistle to the a? Sao 28 suffered for our sins. St. Ignatius elaborated on the Incarnation St. Polycarp (ca. A.D. 69 - ca. 155) suffered martyrdom during the long and peaceful reign of Roman

Jesus Christ, this ae rection of Christ.

Emperor Antoninus Pius (A.D. 86-161, emperor A.D. 138-161). St. Polycarp spent much of his life Passion, death, and Kes Se, lenatluis: was also the first person to use the tem defending orthodox Catholic belief against various heresies. He is an important link to the Apostles

As mentioned in the previous rin ae4 * the episcopacy. Finally, St. Ignatius supported the and a great number of Christian writers who lived toward the end of the second century. Along

| "Casha Church' which Be ea yastererice to the Bishop of Rome. with St. Ignatius and Pope St. Clement I, St. Polycarp is one of the most important Apostolic

| primacy of the papacy. and advocate ae Coliseurn St. Ignatius waste Fathers. He wasa friend and correspondent of St. Ignatius. Only one of St. Ignatius' letters to | Upon his arrival in Rome, St. Ignathis Wieaess ee ae on October 17 at St. Polycarp has survived.

; S . His feast day is cele ; | of a great crowd and was fed to lions After traveling to Rome to discuss the date of Easter with Pope St. Anacletus, St. Polycarp returned

'S RESCRIPT (A.D 123/124) to Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey). Shortly thereafter he was arrested during a pagan festival and HADRIAN S ee charged with being a Christian. The letter "Martyrium Polycarpi" (The Martyrdom of Polycarp) was as Harper Bladen sucteded Siegen in A.D. 117 and served until his death in A.D. 138, Wh heat aceie church in Smyrna to the church in Philomelium, and relates the details

| Hadrian's biological father died, Trajan, who was his second cousin, adopted him. Hadrian later tani ce!

Y i Wt married a great-niece of Trajan. He traveled extensively and strengthened the frontiers of the The governor wished to save St. Polycarp, and asked him to curse ire ih empire, building many defensive lines such as Hadrian's Wall in England.

Christ in public so that his life could be spared. St. Polycarp refused De q : nounce Christ and was s = | Hadrian was an ardent advocate of Hellenism. He was interested in science

Bec tas brn thea ea Ae to be oor "aS a we 7, | " ree ms art, and philosophy and enjoyed debating the sophists. It was said' tha ass el is te se cn S =-= 1.

| (Oy } re ; ; mes request to be tied to the stake, rather than fastened with spikes.

Piaeeen Favorinus, a philosopher, yielded the debate to Hadrian saying, "Who :

= j ' i | ort O\ a re ; "F Once the fire began, St. Polycarp remained unharmed from the /ae j .

AY ten Mm could contradict the Lord of Thirty Legions?

* , < flames. Finally, an executioner killed St. Polycarp with a sword.

/ mit ic 3} In religion, Hadrian promoted the cult of the gods and designed a special The Church celebrates his feast day on February 23.

; Wf C at an |i i AN fey cemple built for Venus and Roma in the Roman Forum. Hadrian banned Mb Fy mi ih as say circumcision among the Jews, and planned to turn Jerusalem intoa a, i =~ ta mi > 3} .

Ky ey Roman colony called Aelia Capitolina. The Jews responded by revolting a ) .

I \ Ys EB ane under their leader Bar Kokhba in A.D. 132. After this revolt was suppressed lt = es 7 a =x ; Wea in A.D. 135, the Jews were forbidden to enter Jerusalem. te a PA &.., 1 a a Se *st In A.D. 123/124 Hadrian answered the request of Serenus Granianus, Proconsul of the P ee a eR os a r Asia, who wanted the WR ete rate Tinta eles ee rovince of Me Vol = ead ee nn ic ine | iter hs ed he enbesct : advice on how to handle the often violent crowds intentol

Od , a aris oS SN j = Ep 1urde B | iristians and inquired whether they should be prosecuted for simply being Christian a ye ve is ws: aoe .a Se | | In his official response, or rescript Hadrian ee . EA ee y a et :

- ee ae i emphasized the primacy of the rule of law over : janie Oe Fah ip Zi es en z ee BY mob action. Furthermore, he ordered that Christ- = ; _ nt 3 Pe.

' ee ae Sas —— || of the common law, not just for professing Christian eae, Ee SS ae ¥ ~~ enn —_ | belief.

If an accuser made false accusations then | ae NE gs: aS rh att —— mL | the accuser himself Was to he = } 5 Vp ee Pe | — id Fy af fan We: = Sh ss ps r. ow:

~ = Pa ee t My i *, wan th | + en, = - coallication of such toleration '

The Hadrian Arch in Athe a ll —_— Mit are ; nllnens was built by Hadniar in AD. 131 as part of a w a l l . Keg i = s | scription, "ThisisAthens the former cit 9 Uhe Acropolis is the ixy vations of ancient Smyma and the modern-day iw eqn he the fo ne ty : Thesaus" The ee | location was selected by F Mlsts ioh ey ay feataaah is yeaah Mt Pagus, the acropolis of ancient Smyrna. This

Y Of Hadrian and not of Theseus : the area, is by far the oldest city d hey ame 1s derived from "myrrh," a small tree which grows abundantly in | a ' shame est city on the Aegean coast. The earliest levels date to 3000 B.C. After coming under the rule of R , A ; wavered in its loyalty to the Empire.

It became a center for the cult of emperor worship SS HOTS, SMT TTL Never 104 Chapter Three —— —————— oS SES —— eS ; | ey i CH "

_ HISTORY OF THE CHUR — PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY Ve :

R MARCUS AURELIUS, In his First Apology. which he addressed to Emperor Antoninus Pius and his twoeo eis EMPERO PHER-KING Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, Justin provides important descriptions of the rituals a e THE PHILOSO celebration of Baptism and the Eucharist. The Second Apology was addressed to the se lius (A.D. 121-180) was a favorite adopted Song

Senate just after Marcus Aurelius became emperor in A.D. 161. Shortly thereafter Justin and s we \ae | a Upon the death of Emperor Antoninus py. others were denounced as Christians. When they refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were

ANG Suc ¥ cee aurelins ascended the throne in A.D. 161. Maree beheaded. The official account of their martyrdom is worth quoting in full:

| | ms See | A peak was an ardent Stoic, and philosophy Wee the entra The Prefect Rusticus says: Approach and sacrifice, all of you, to the gods. Justin says: No cs ee eens

; of his life. When he died. Marcus Aurelius' book 'dita. one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety. The Prefect Rusticus says: If you do not amperadi resect caso peel aS sanwas found on his person. Marcus Aurelius Meditations obey, you will be tortured without mercy. Justin replies: That is our desire, to be tortured b —— S tee:

| | tough and moving work that reflects the Profound for Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and so to be saved, for that will give us salvation and firm

2: ae a= discipline of a Stoic's life. He exemplified Stoicism's ideal of confidence at the more terrible universal tribunal of Our Lord and Saviour. And all the 4 Es ee living free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and Sub. martyrs said: Do as you wish; for we are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols. The res ieee rococo mitting without complaint to unavoidable fate.

Prefect Rusticus read the sentence: Those who do not wish to sacrifice to the gods and to | i $/\ks8= aah Bf Marcus Aurelius adhered to Trajan's Rescript, Outlawing obey the emperor will be scourged and beheaded according to the laws. The holy martyrs

| *), \ Poco Sissies a) he tianity and persecuting the Christians. He reinstituted the glorifying God betook themselves to the customary place, where they were beheaded and { — —— ray a aeanonymous denouncements, and did not hesitatetg consummated their martyrdom confessing their Savior. (The Martyrdom of the Holy

1S Mie) = practic * ain ; aes - : :=ed ps * Christians when it served the empire's interests. Manyof Martyrs Justin, Chariton, Charites, Peon, and Liberianus, Who Suffered at Rome, IV-V)

E Wess eas RElaq the persecutions undertaken during Marcus Aurelius' reign, St. Justin Martyr's feast day is celebrated on June 1.

DIES. CsA cys however, originated not directly .

| oa pte: SVBPAC' from the emperor, but from angry ———— Aurelis' Meditations provincial mobs and the governors | ee ce who were meant to hold them in check. Allowing mobs to kill Christians was an effective way of diffusing their anger, which otherwise might turn against the empire aa

AD METALLA _———— ae = Marcus Aurelius' attitude towards any new religion was generally F > et, disdainful. If the new sect excited the people, the emperor was willing Des the Roman persecutions, om | to respond with strong punishments. one of the most dreadful sentences .

Marcus Aurelius was the first emperor who had to deal aggressively ; Ti rca aeKeicen | with the Volkerwanderung ("people wanderings"), the Germanic inva- ~~ Bei t dt Kj AS he Empire's northern borders. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was ' se One | = eis aoiibe pace ash W, { ?

: meant facing unsanitary and extremely successful in his campaigns, but ultimately these migrations and attacks ial dangerous conditions, inadequate and | would overcome the empire in later centuries.

Emperor Marcus Aurelius contaminated food, brutal guards, lack of air, and overcrowded living quarters. b | ST.

JUSTIN MARTYR A sentence to the mines meant eventual | : death. Free men and women, slaves, | St. Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 100-ca. 165) was one of the most famous martyrs to die under the and criminals were mixed in with one | persecution of Marcus Aurelius. Born of pagan parents in Shechem in Samaria in Palestine, Justi another and led to the mines in long | ae Pilsoptay from his early youth, and converted to Christianity in his thirtieth yeah ie iBh te been pie | haat had : _ was walking along the sea one day and met a mysterious old mai chained in'ws and= SENane | | Sabina iets mae HIE OKsee began talking to Justin and convinced him that tie to stand erect in the tight confines of | the asi wor eitEs Sees philosophy, but must be supplemented by reading the mining shafts. Eventually, prisoners

After his convers sti , , ; | became an excellent apologist for the Faith ea oe studying philosophyai™ died of exhaustion, prison labor, or the A stairway down into the bowels of the Rosia Montana

= conditions of their captivity. eee Mine in Romania's Apuseni mountains. The mountain Stn worked tirelessly duri a : re : is honeycombed with Roman mine-galleries from the first who falsely accused her plfaeee to defend the Church against those pagal and second centuries.

The town was then known as compared to Chris's teachings.

WAY" pART III = In A.D. 203, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were martyred together Ta) with the catechumens in the main arena at Carthage. Sts.

® nd the Perpetua and Felicity suffered a particularly gruesome martyrPersecutions a ' dom. St. Perpetua's entire household was first scourged, and Later e —_— i then attacked by various wild animals including leopards, bears, i t of Milan " and wild boars. Finally, some of the Christians, including St.

Edic Perpetua, had to be stabbed to death because they were not yet h ized by ° ) dead. Both Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are honored in the Roman imus Severus (emperor A.D. 193211) wasCee Y Wat

| canon; their feast day is celebrated on March 7.

TS reign of EmperorSse this time the military played an ever-increasing role in, in Britain and Mesopotamia.

Dy tN» © his enemies. Severus issued a decree in A\Dp eh selection of the emperor andSee° be forbidden. This threatened not only Christi:

; ary Si: IRENAEUS, BISHOP OF LYONS A ' isi an p . xy Ms ND) ¢ igeadars rllhme round of persecutions followed, which were concentrated mainly | > St. Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 130 - ca. 200) was a disciple of St. Polycarp, butnae ees3 ; I and is believed to have come from Smyrna. Althougha native of syns an —?

; Asia Minor, St. Irenaeus served as Bishop of Lyons, and is 4Or ert Emperor Septimus Severus regarded as the preeminent figure of the early Church in Gaul.

. bs ee Irenaeus devoted much of his energy to combating heresies, f, © oy ata > especially Gnosticism. In his defense of orthodoxy, St. Irenaeus emphasized key elements of the , IP6 3 NY, ' % Church: the episcopacy, Sacred Scripture, and Tradition. He spoke explicitly of the importance of f, Ss $A a recourse to the Church's tradition, even though Christianity was still very much in its infancy. He

| eee PW ~<) Ye -¢ argued, "If the revelation of God through creation gives life to all who live upon the earth, much LM eS a im i more does the manifestation of the Father through the Word give life to those who see God" eA. bcc ee AB (St. Irenaeus, Adversus hzereses, IV.20.7). a | byey \ Cee i St. Irenaeus' writings are of special interest given the way they systematically describe the origin

} i i} fj i es is ; ig! , if and history of each heresy before contrasting its false claims with Catholic teaching. St. Irenaeus'

Wy A me ed ay & work is still necessary and helpful to scholars seeking an in-depth look at early theological y fe COU . Eom herae disputes. The most famous of these works is the Adversus haereses, also known as the Refutation eee oe tn iy) Vs, le of Gnosticism.

| XS AL) ey gh IY St. Irenaeus subsequently became the Bishop of Lyons in 178, and held the office for approximate- | oe 7 Le ae y ly twenty-five years. According to tradition, St. Irenaeus was martyred during the reign of Emperor

° Septimus Severus. His feast day is celebrated on June 28.

| THE EDICT OF DECIUS (A.D. 250) STS. PERPETUA AND FELICITY | After the reign of Septimus Severus, Christians enjoyed relative peace for about fifty years.

| Stand firm in faith, love one another and do not be tempted to do anything wrong because Emperor Alexander Severus (emperor A.D. 222-235) even permitted Christians to own property of our sufferings. (St. Perpetua to her brother during her death at the games, quoted in and build churches. However, in the second half of the third century the empire entered into a Account of the Martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs of Carthage, ch. 18.) troubling political period. In a short span ofjust forty-six years (A.D. 238-284), there were eighteen

Two victims of the harsh persecutions of Septinuis Severus were See Perpetua and Felli legitimate emperors, and many others who sought illegitimate ascendance. Most of these

Perpetua was a noblewoman who sought instruction in Christianity for herself and her house . cmperors ruled for a brief time before meeting with a violent end.

| | ae and Stna \was a slave in that household. When these two women and their fellow cate | Emperor Decius (emperor A.D. 249-251) reigned for only three years, but he inaugurated the first i ane were discovered by Roman officials, both women were jailed and forced to raise thel

| empire-wide persecution of Christians. Other emperors had limited their directives, horrible as uaeh inDee nePerpetua's family, especially her father. a governor in Carthage, begged herto they may have been, to the city of Rome or to specific provincial communities. Decius, however, ti i e uristianity for her own sake and for that of her family, but she refused. who believed that the survival of the empire depended upon the restoration of the old pagan cults

| Neen i Be ae€patos Bath and as she cried out because of her labor pains, the guard — to extirpate Christianity from the empire.

| spbit of falth, St Felicin rcs at Fe would soon undergo something much more painful. In a grea | Decius assumed control of the Roman Empire at a precarious point in its history. The empire was herder ve ieiise = "3 her tormentors that at the present moment she was beanilig threatened both by the army, which essentially controlled the emperor, and by external enemies,

| ) . but Christ would bear her suffering during her execution.

Specifically Germanic hordes who constantly attacked along the eastern frontier. Faced with such { Above: Her elaborate headdress n : x | | \\ ; _ aUCTESS and Qown reveal St Perpetua aS a wealthy noblewoman in this mosaic from Ravenna, Italy

| 108 Chapter Three a——— .

—_ HISTORY OF THE CHURCH PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY" ical situation, Declus sought to reinvigorate the empire's strength and unity throy

God by faith; secondly, by having hiswil duly submissive in obeyinga a eye a bleak political situation, " ractices of the state. thirdly, by certain special things pertaining to supererogation such asthe religiou

. renurn to the ancient relgiovs P iance to Christ and not to the state, Decius saw|ai clerical state, or the opulence Holy Orders. Now if that which follows be removed, that Since Christianity called for ultimate Sadik which by that time was the religion of roy which precedes, remains, but the converse does not hold. Accordingly a man may incompatible with his plan. In his view, the cause of the divided empire. apostatize from God, by withdrawing from the religious life to which he was bound by one-third of the Roman Empire, wa'a inati ainst the Christians. Anyone suspe profession, or from the Holy Order which he had received: and this is called "apostasy

Emperor Decius promulgated an edict of extermination ee local magistrate and aaa -iS: from religious life" or "Orders." A man may also apostatize from — ' m5 t himor herself before the local mag @ simp ing in his mind against the Divi mmandments:

_— of being Christian had to present Faith. Those Christians who offered sa etot God, by rebelling in his mind against the Divine co sacrifice to prove he or she had given up the 5 ;umed incense to the pagan gods we Pe and though man may apostatize in both the above ways, he may pagan gods were known as sacrificanti; ae Pe sficlals, stating tha tela had aie : will remain wilted 46 Godly See cnoiiceth, Cores Be atsaetihie Christians who purchased these certifica tes |inte

But if he gives up the Faith, then he seems to turn away from God offeredLaan IDG ECTS "7 altogether: and consequently, apostasy simply and absolutely is

>. called libelaticl , rn at whereby a man withdraws from the Faith, and is called "apos- =~ Decius ordered the arrest of all known Christians who failed to appearae Re magistrate Or ies eeef3 On this way apostasy, simply so called, pertains to = who could not producea certificate. Christians whoes renounce their faith were sent int unbelief, (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, IVIL, ©. xil a. 1)

- | exile or put to death, and all of their property was conliscalsc. x.

Thus, of the three types of apostasy mentioned, the third, "apostasy a a fold i imes: she lost those faithful Christians who were map

+ The Church's loss was two-fold in these tim iehfial Christi aie ited ase of perfidy," which is the general understanding of someone accused of \ tyred during the persecutions, and she lost those ape ans Who commie apostasy, is the most grave, and it is a sin that incurs excom- =,» ; Apostasy is the willful denunciation of the Faith in its entirety.

. munication. Note, however, that the apostate and the heretic differ — = | | Apostasy denotes a backsliding from God. This may happen in various ways according to 7) the heretic denies one or more doctrines of the Faith; the apostate

, the different kinds of union between man and God. For, in the first place, man is united to denies the Faith altogether.

| The persecutions of Decius unfortunately resulted in many apostates, and the leaders of the | Church at this time had difficult decisions to make regarding the status of apostates and their

| possible re-entry into the community of believers. The most rigorous factions of the Church | . denied that the /Japsi— Christians who formally renounced their faith, offering sacrifices to pagan

| ; hoe ft gods —could be readmitted. The popes decided that with long penances, the lapsi would be | | ; » allowed to return. The controversy surrounding these Japsigave rise to the Novatianist schism. The .

CERTIFICATE OF Roman presbyter Novatian led a "rigorist" faction, declaring that those who had renounced the ; 'ie SACRIFICE TO THE Faith (the /apsi) could never be re-admitted into the Church.

Decius was afraid of the Christians because of their fidelity to Christ and his Church. He felt that .

| @>) the practice of Christianity would detract from allegiance to the state. This bias has reappeared in Fait 10 oe This certificate of sacrifice reads: different forms throughout the history of the Church. It first appeared among the Romans, but has vege!

"It has never been mypractice to been used as a pretext for persecution and discrimination against Catholics in Elizabethan England,

" aa sacrifice to the gods; nowinyour Bismarck's Kulturkampf in Germany in the nineteenth century, and in many places today. presence, in accordance with the | | command, | have sacrificed, poured

ORIGEN: THEOLOGIAN AND BIBLICAL EXEGETE yo ibation, and tasted the offering.

'!begyou tocertifymystatement...

; Origen (ca. A.D. 185-ca. 254) was the most prolific writer and important theologian and biblical ai | My fea.

"|Aurelia Demos havepreschee exegete in the eastern part of the Empire. Origen was an Egyptian who spent much of his life

| ee ote this declaration. | Aurelius Ireneus working and teaching in Alexandria. His father was martyred during a persecution in A.D. 202, and ae , (her husband) wrote forher as she Origen later became the head of the first Catechetical School in Alexandria. This institution i) a) | oe : isiliterate. |Aurelius Sabinus the combined instruction in Catholic doctrine with an investigation into the sciences and philosophy, in \ hefy commissioner sawyou sacrificing." and in some ways might be considered the first Catholic university. a fl .

| tty es! op Origen came into conflict with his bishop in Alexandria after he visited Palestine at the invitation of i | =o the bishops of Caesarea and Aelia. On his first visit to Palestine in A.D. 215, the two bishops there invited him to preach, breaking the ecclesiastical practice of allowing only priests and bishops to i} . give the homily. During a second visit to Palestine in A.D. 250, again at the invitation of the bishops, me | Origen was ordained to the priesthood. Origen's bishop in Alexandria then stripped him of his

— — ee | | 110. Chapter Three SSS = = — | = me | Chapter Three 111 || | = eee | ?

_ HISTORY OF THE Ch —PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY S| a - - = = a i — — = | | | io 'ee for the exercise of his priesthood, Claiming that hi

= iW teaching position, 45 WS" apes panne seth yns. Origen moved permanently to Caesarea inAD -e he founc eda new scho SIMical WW t= re a .

} 231, where he found Decius, Origen was taken into custody in A.D, 259 For a. # | body quickly 8 ay z are hetween two and five thousand different tracts, nearly allgf

We} It is estimated ' at Origé " " an a vorks, "De principiis." survives. In addition to his Many < | are ' ethics : F = rended to subordinate the Son to the Father and his ideas on final Salvation of che dite ad prompt 4Church officials to reject some of Origen's teachings. In spite of some off

| Eis oa y ide as he is rightly regarded as one of the greatest and most brilliant theologians of the | | . ii i ue ' j | earl Ct II h Cai y teal s™\ - | - ; T * . f \ ¢ iP, '~, i .

| aw * Mata in < > ; + wu oe &~ Rae VP W tay we) f : e ¥ \ t 151) 'Aa Lf ia » yo —— wy | sa .

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, |a aay |) , i rc = Us .

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¢ E ST. SIXTUS Il AND DEACON ST. LAWRENCE é ¢ ~*~ _ a he SecoeRee ie ae Le rbade Christi ins from meeting in public places

—— were immediately executed and Cheese pO oe Pressure, bishops, priests, and deacom _ '

OES ALIAS OF TANK Were removed from their offices and often sol A ~ | tured Valerian and held him oe Cn! attention. Eventually the Persian leader Sapoll a ee - —_— ——— eee ssn ——_——_— — ee br = TORY OF THE CHURCH PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY"

<= not, but Lawrence was spared for the time. The autho S demanded thy "

Tit eae | were beheaded on the spot," hem, and sent him to gett. When he returned a shorttime later a aa Vie, SAS iy ie | he bring the Church's treasure to the = oor people —the Church's treasure. In FESPONSE, the St N' is | ee A if '

| Lawrence brought with him a Rorae roasted alive on a gridiron. Tradition holds thatas he AS th He > - ¢ | Roman authorities sentenced ale roasted enough on this side; turn me around,"

= Way ie * ry a iy | burned, Lawrence told the judge, "1am le te oe jé t | TIONS UNDER DIOCLETIAN » | age | ECU "

——— P sig h th ks of the R y ar) OF Born in Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia), Diocletian rose See ne Nenaamy to ' ae | Dey, , zZ_ serve with the emperor's guards during the Persian campae:

Deci S murdered in aan sn en !

AD. 284 the army made Diocletian the new emperor. Like his predecessors nee and Valerian J -_ | | Diocletian desired to unify the empire. He used his organizational prowess to this end, eventually

All crushing the Persian Empire and ending the crisis of the third century.

| iy wie v | ) a i | ~ '

\ a f Nf ] Diocletian spent much of his first ten years as emperor battling the barbarians on the German and ) mf)by"hiAR '\ .

| Persian frontiers. This diversion initially inclined the early Church historian Eusebius to praise * a | a =') , 1} | Diocletian's clemency toward Christians. But in A.D. 303, with the barbarians defeated, Diocletian

| | } tumed his attention to the Church. On February 23 a new edict was issued at Nicomedia and The oe ace a"x)?Nae | .

Great Persecution began. Christian Churches were destroyed; books were burned. The palacex Nicomedia was set ablaze prompting additional edicts. For the next ten years, until Constantine's a re } | | : c he, D. October 28, 312, and the "Edict of Milan"; Diocletian's reforms resulted in some of the most heinous persecutions of Christians defeat of Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge on A.D,

October 28, , an e Ict O an in 3], during the first centuries of the early Church.

| i | the Christians throughout the Empire were imprisoned, tortured, forced to offer sacrifices to pagan gods, and martyerd according to the changing fortunes of the Imperial rulers. divided the provinces into even smaller units called "dioceses" in an attempt to achieve a higher

| il RCHY (A.D 293 degree of administrative efficiency.

) Military reforms increased the size of the Roman army, and Diocletian developeda set of defensive a Due to the enormous size of the Roman Empire. DiocleIEa Sakae asBoe ae seta a eae The cost of the new administration and increasing the army

| tian decided to divide it into four administrative districts, peo wsree place 3 ieavy Durden on the treasury, but secured for the Roman people almost twenty years of Pale . each with its own Caesar. or regional ruler. Diocletian ee 8sa) nS piel gboh5 UE himself ruled Thrace, Egypt and Asia Minor: Maximian

¢ fae ee f During Diocletian's reign, his reforms helped spare the empire the crisis of succession that it had | | . tuled Italy and Africa; Constantius presided over Gaul, m ZAoy i [> 2 known all too well during the previous half-century. However, after Diocletian's abdication in A.D.

; Spain, and Britain; and Galerius ruled along the Danube ayey'

~ 305, the tetrarchy failed to function effectively. The four positions of power competed with one | River Diocletian himself retained full leadership over the st a. ae another for absolute supremacy. ie entire empire, but found it expedient to grant his 76 i te 2 H On eA | | appointed Caesars considerable governing power within Seep SS Pr) th a ame = . re Me = Pa :

Ye SA; Ay ii i & = _ y, f. i thelr separate spheres. Diocletian effectively split the DiSe a ew Sy FOUR EDICTS i | rahrat ¥s a aves ruled the eastern half. ee | \ wi 4 Though he was superstitious, Diocletian was initially tolerant of Christianity, and even admired es exmian and Constantius governed the western

~ ae Ra4Ry RSpS some of its adherents. Maximian and Galerius, on the other hand. were wary of the religion and ; Re fg A pressed Diocletian to eradicate it for the good of the empire. At their request, Diocletian issued

| Not one of the Tetrarchs lived in Rome. Causing this Pi ne > > four edicts. These edicts resulted in the worst of all the persecutions the Christians suffered under .

SIa dion city to begin to lose its preeminent status i | ms the Romans. Diocletian's first edict commanded the destruction of churches and the burning of the as the capital of the empire. (Diocletian visited Pools

'ee 3; | | fiat Scriptures, as well as banning all Christian gatherings. Those who opposed this law faced execution wuss Curing his reign.) Diocletian further weakened the "Se i fy Se ARIEL, |

Be CHECUVE political influence ne i Crt (La TN "CRE :

. r - ; wanted to make the lines of ¢ee oe bs f uence. He -AO. bj | Oe mE) yi The succeeding edicts were applied only in the east by Galerius and Diocletian. The second edict

| avoid needless confict: and nes sion Clearer. and thus { net: bP Fel ri | sanctioned the imprisonment of the clergy. The third edict demanded pagan sacrifice from the Hy) I the borders of the empire Shes eee to fortify jim iat 4 me sb. J ! er Clergy. Finally, the fourth edict demanded sacrifice from €very Christian, not just the clergy. This

| bil 'bets under ee in the past detades ti : ac i Bai {ii last edict resulted in the deaths of many thousands of Christians who refused to offer pagan

| . morse' foreign attack. Later [ie » i Th — Sacrifice. Constantine the Great lat d th s :

Ar ee =n ater commented that if the Romans had slain as many barbarians | .

Diocan and Maximian, senor members o ae , a q og ie as they had slaughtered Christians during the reign of Diocletian, there would be no barbarians left

| Sale ee | cs * bPA to threaten the safety of the Empire.

1] Chapter Three 115 .

| i ik —_—_S—-—-—>—_—s— :

PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY"

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH wra | 5 ae, 4 7 ae Wiis te : il r .

= \} Prefecture Boundary Pa \ ue us et Pea Be XH] f : AG aN2\'

Rt east ASIA biccase Kame andNumber | Il ; ss :* ; |(a Ss —— This Roman coin minted in Siscia ca. A.D. 295 shows the laureate

(approximate) i Ve | | *¥ Gay the four tetrarchs sacrificing si Red Symbols Denote itl ASA N om / XN 1) head of Diocletian and on the reverse Capital | '¥ :

4 =-)-@ "sy f Serones Fp:

A j before a city enclosure with six turrets.

. ra ee ATLayy, SSbls ~ Pre, | = | .

\ |. val a » \ fe aah '

OCeAy / \ | pas \ { 7, .

4 : ANa SP iM - = fey 6 A vie 4 "

# & bears x 7 J , = 7 : a ' i) ; — a -~ e ; '

: se T THE EMPIRE RULED BE Cay ep :

| / TMIACE DONA, BE aiaem Pe gi ca | | :

—_—ee | vi oe hes a ee : ar i ; " i) soa a FR Larissa —< ALB ee pericd nt Constantius ruled the { fenlearie '

Bh Set own | dessa Hh Prefecture of Gaul.

| F Heese "0 Nova fy ja OF St aia ba? ra .

| ie : ae, yi 5 is) | BRAnazates ESE } Maximian ruled the / < 'Conn |S Cae= ae Mec. irarsus Sen) | | Prefecture of Italia, & | », : y\2 ae SP ihe oe soleus h sp mcs Yay _ } ae / a / | Sicily : a 2 g = Apamea _ Galerius ruled the 'oo =) , a i 'a ee ON GEN & or, aa 'oo Prefecture of Illyricum.

| | ) Cc ( cw' —_ OR ie \ :

| Diocletian ruled the —2 el !

. o — Cony a \ ei AN |SEA — Cret = Prefecture of the East and — =] MEDITERRANE. "|o_o ge ss PROamasO® retained full leadership over the "s i ' f THE EA st ¥ Re entire empire as "lord and god?

| | | / | PREFECTURE 0 sae |.

This gold coin, minted | / :

A WP n Antioch NAD.293- | | } | = = ical | | | = '

~« £30 § Ows the aureate a a | :

; T H | A ~ a0 Of Constantius | as | ee Y P ' i] = ——— ee | Oar :

_ HISTORY OF THE CHURCH x PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY ——rr—tD = :

{ BA i Maximian to Wy @ oy, '

Due to his failing health, Diocletian abdicated on May 1, A.D. 305, and he eee eae, ree | . | A © 2: step down as well. Galerius remained in power in the East, and Constantius took ove

| | | West. Constantius was succeeded by his son Constantine in A.D. 307.

| | | iaS x Constantine was friendly with the Christians, although he was not one himself, a are:

; | ; : continued the persecution in the East until just before his death. In A.D. 311, seiy nee =eeLs | | | | stricken with an eastern form of leprosy that left his body crippled and decrepit. whimpered in utter terror that his sickness was the divine retribution of the Christian od. zt Ox) a Ss April 30, A.D. 311, Galerius issued an edict admitting the failure of his policy with regard tot 3

/ (4 } - * Christians. He then instituted the free exercise of the Christian religion as long as Christians eo Se On| , d the law and promised to pray for the emperor and the empire. Galerius edict was also adopte

| in the West. Thus the last and greatest persecution begun under Diocletian gave way to a i |] | A } tentative peace.

| | —"~ Upon the death of Galerius, a complex struggle for power ensued. Maxentius, who was Maximian's | | iF 'ed son and who now controlled Italy, sought to defeat the army of Constantine and gain control of the I} :

+ . ra - — iy j i eo Western empire. Constantine, who was well aware of Maxentius' intentions, decided to attack | | y \Soe Rome. At the Milvian Bridge, just outside the city, the two armies met.

= ; —— =—— =o Fe *| ; «y Ty -* nN ta _ = ~ ; —— « - '

: s PP ad Hi BY sve ——__ie | ST.

AGNES: A CHILD MARTYR FOR CHRIST SN Ganeata p Fae eee nO i) — \5 so .

; A new kind of martyrdom! Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr's oh tue wy ee a) et ' crown. (St. Ambrose on the martyrdom of St Agnes, On Virgins, 1.8)

Agnes is one of the most highly revered of the virgin martyrs, She is believed to have died , Sm 5 Cs"a,« e~ OS A a} during Diocletian's persecution sometime during the fourth century, possibly in A.D. 304 orAD

E aN4 Wi éeae © 4 ee Pm F | | ae when she was only twelve or thirteen years old. St. Ambrose. Pope St. Damasus I, and a ; "i LS(= f_ ? | Wt etee aL cay Christian poet all sing her praises, although it is difficult to pin downa single f, , « 7. a~~es Wise a 2 | picture OF ner from their different accounts Her story existed as an oral tradition before it was set

... ed algae S that S a Wasa beautiful young woman, and that many of the leading = a ms a = : io \| consecrate herself to Christ and tc oe : n Inamiage. However, she decided at a young age 0

Before engaging in battle, Constantine claimed that he had looked above the sun and saw the an! phe tO VE as d VITgir er VY SO @nrage Wr

" denounced her before the mSrl tie' aol "8 ; Her purity so enraged the young men that they symbol of the cross inscribed with the words in hoc signo vinces ("in this sign you will conquer").

| When taken before t iat et pe After this vision, Constantine instructed his soldiers to put this sign on their shields. With crosses l Chiist:

Shees ea 2 veg St. Agnes refused to renounce her faith in and commitment etched into Roman shields, Constantine's army met Maxentius in battle. Though Maxentius' forces

| that he sentenced her to forced -ot tortur ed by fire. Her courage so angered the judge were said to have been four times greater, Constantine won the Battle of Saxa Rubra, securing his

| | in her loyalty to Christ t : ced apices! at the public brothel, St. Agnes however remained firm rule over the West. Maxentius drowned near the Milvian Bridge.

| Story es, the first young man who locke * :tin ~~ Protected even at the brothel, As the After his victory against Maxentius, Constantine declared that the Christian God had favored him, dll WNO looked at ner With evee nf b> = ;

; : me 'amazed and scared, the crowd backed sus Hos with eyes of lust was immediately struck blind and that he intended to stay in this God's good graces. He immediately restored the property of The judge, hearing of thi aes aay from her the Church, and began aiding in the construction of churches. In Rome the Arch of Constantine

Celebrated on January 21 the PRN S es 0 De beheaded. When the feast of St. Agnes & commemorated his victory, and his statue was placed in the city. In one hand the statue held the | | | violence during the narcep ae also remembers the many women who suffered similar

Labarum, the standard of the cross, with the inscription, "Through this saving sign have I freed ~ under Diocletian your city from the tyrant's yoke."

118 Chapter Three — ee —__ = _—— —.- | | Chapter Three 119 | a Ly a.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY"

° | ——j ; | | a AY hal ant | ST. HELEN IN JERUSALEM Py l lam ls f = ~ fLJ nh 4 ih al . t. Helen played an essential role in over by the Romans. Nonetheless, .

| . j Y a sy Y Sane the Roman Empire toward St. Helen was determined to find artifacts | f LI ; Christianity. Born in Asia Minor and from from Jesus' life, so with the help of .

> & tt } . q | ' humble beginnings (some accounts say Macarius, the bishop of Jerusalem, she all; ee op Niet? she was the daughter of an innkeeper), consulted with local inhabitants regarding

/ «a , 'ED a A ' she married the Roman General legends and traditions concerning sites | en f a Se + * = id Cs é Constantius Chlorus around A.D. 270. relating to Christ. Excavations began, and | f P () y q Four years later she gave birth to hidden near a Roman temple to Venus | | a fj4 \) Constantine, the future emperor of Rome. she uncovered Mount Calvary and Jesus' is / \ VW, Although she converted to Christianity sepulcher. Nearby she found three | | } .

I} late in life (most likely in her sixties), wooden crosses as well as a sign that \ Ii | | A } St. Helen was deeply devout and inspired read "King of the Jews.

| ai many Romans by her fervent faith and They knew they had made a major | | piety. After her son became emperor in discovery, but they were unable i] | Constantine sought unity in his empire, and he saw that Christianity was a religion likely to provide such unity.

A.D. 324, St. Helen madea pilgrimage to determine which of the three crosses | to the holy land at the age of 80. She had been Christ's. Then, Macarius had | | cI traveled throughout Palestine, following an idea. They brought the three crosses | THE EDICT OF MILAN (A.D. 313) . in Christ's footsteps, and making great to a woman who had been very sick and | | contributions to the poor along the way. asked her to touch each cross. When | Constantine met with the only other living caesar, Licinius, in Milan in A.D. 313. Together they

She also had two famous churches she touched the third one, she was | issued the Edict of Milan. This edict restored all property taken from the Church by the empite constructed on the sites of Jesus' Nativity

_—miraculously cured.

| . and it granted Christians the freedom to practice their religion. The Edict of Milan representeds and ARCSnsion:

Helen wished to share this grace with ea . milestone for the early Christians and the Catholic Faith. It legitimized a religion that had been

By the time of St. Helen's visit, most of old other Christians throughout the | . outlawed since Nero's decree in A.D. 64, and solidified the presence of Christianity in the Jerusalem had been destroyed and built empire, so she sent a piece of the cross

It would be remiss not to ention the clear politic tives th | c .

. of it back to Rome with her where it '

| and he saw that Christianity was a religion likely to eae such uriiey.

Th e vs 'ota r | the Christian faith among the Romans. suanity was a religion likely to provide such unity. In this, Constantine followed a rus St. Helen died around the year 328 with | pp " rn j the regular practice of using re ya if i} — her son, the emperor Constantine, | | . af y .

\ ligion to support political ends \\Vaat4" yo at her side.

I i > tt QO are However, it would be ridiculous eA ys | a — | 8 ate \ mA % \ ; to suppose that for Constantine aul ; f ff | ip ry rey = - g <3 @ | nO at O NE - i ¢ Christianity was nothing but » py! a OF, b Ly een Bed Me Si 2 . aR) ~~ A AY tool for the state. He is knownto ro. td call ; Ube Paw 'ya? & Pete .

CU Ss es 3 a a \Y have ed dail h A RR ' ica DR re .

=e aye idve praye ally, and to have l i vi | + wi } : parses, a —:

> ; \ py VA received instruction in the Faith ia w 4 ie VRE sae 15, "ae rg AY.

C6 a Mm YX ORs until he was formally received Be! ih u NAP BARNS Wa oer ~~ \e Df .

"Sa & into the Church, penitent and ia Stig uit Rea yt Te tw ay) os = hopeful, receiving the Sacrament .

Be @ Ss By 6f Baptism on his deathbed.

| « ; | - . A ) f , \* $+ The Titulus Crucis, a piece of ancient walnut wood, is .

A G thought by some believers to be part of the headboard which 1} .

A ra) , a nailed to Christ's cross. It has been kept for centuries in ii . e \ > 7 = ~~ re inven Erapieabco Bains - —= = (which has disappeared) in Jerusalem wha i as ~~ Se '

Constantine received instruction | ee .

| ut a HISTORY OFTHE CHURCH PERSECUTION OF"THE WAY"

| mene Wr SUPPLEMENTARY READING | —_ — — : o. wile - bs = pisue. = g. mi.

=e Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, 92 gms acrack oeeee F vs | Ads, | RS rs Ra Martyrdom...is a violation ofman's Augustus, a eee | y ur ih 1 ea ii (a "humanity," in the one perpetrating it even

When I, Constantine Augustus, as well as I, po See ger r before the one enduring it. Hence martyrdom Licinius Augustus, fortunately met seat = > oe noise is also the exaltation of a person's perfect

Mediolanurn (Milan), and were consi ering et a ae Pres = :

"humanity" and of true "life," as is attested everything that pertained to the public welfare by St. Ignatius of Antioch, addressing and security, we thought, among other things gir fFWe ho, the Christians of Rome, the place of his own which we saw would be for the good of many,

4) (eee \ Na | | martyrdom: "Have mercy on me, brethren: those regulations pertaining to the reverence Kal \ shat do not hold me back from living; do not of the Divinity ought certainly to be made br , A — ys wish that I die.... Let me arrive at the pure first, so that we might grant to the Christians

= eile , r = light; once there J will be truly a man. Let and others full authority to observe that . by | me imitate the passion of my God." religion which each preferred; whence any i -, .

| | __ Divinity whatsoever in the seat of the heavens | rs pi = ie Justin Martyr, The First Apology, Ch. 66 may be propitious and kindly disposed to us i |

' = = u bs And this food is called among us Eukaristia and all who are placed under our rule. And | | | ~ .it —-| | a = [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to thus by this wholesome counsel and most | . ome fi , ae.8 So partake but the man who believes that the upright provision we thought to arrange | aa | ia ain aiesceeas. things which we teach are true, and who has that no one whatsoever should be denied m

= — Ss been washed with the washing that is for the the opportunity to give his heart to the .

"Soo SZ eSte remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and observance of the Christian religion, of that ; | m: ad a ee who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not religion which he should think best for himself, a 1s Pe Ce as common bread and common drink do we so that the Supreme Deity, to whose worship

Wh | pa ittcuits nis Wclory overMaxentiusis statue was placed in the city. In one hand, his receive these; but in like manner as Jesus we freely yield our hearts may show in i | = sdee me standard of the cross, with the inscription, "Through this saving sign have | freed your city from | Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by all things His usual favor and benevolence. the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught

CONCLUSION that the food which is blessed by the prayer of mo | | His word, and from which our blood and flesh ' intense, persecution, and, finally a ae seats 'ong Period of intermittent, though

For the apostles, i oh .

(ih sanctioned religion in A.D, 313, The ayire oe¥ 28 cep a Sad na by th i rah sp 3 BI Becee r '4

*. i | Gee amaaae Strate Pacisaia a years of the Church's history | ee : soe W ¥ are ca € Ospels, have we, ~~ | Wt!

Theanarieel aca Gei Be ny essons that remain perennially applicable. us elivers unto us what was enjoined .

| | | Cultures that are as bochie to Christia ees aay by many Christians who live in upon them: that Jesus LOO bread, and when

. lives of martyrs Bee <4 Pheer as was Rome two-thousand years ago. The | He had given thanks, said, This do ye in ny | | } Christians then as well xeee ph been and Agnes remain quite relevant to remembrance of Me, this is My body; and — | .

| often troubling relationship hae aes in the communion of saints. The complex and that, after the same manner, having taken if | Roman Empire, and still Sea oe Church and the state is one that began in the ihe ae and given thanks, He said, "This is My

Yi | importance of Tradition for eee ye -astly, the structure of the episcopacy and the blood;" and gave it to them alone. Which the \ | i many writings of Ancaniv vad meological disputes both found expression in the Wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries

1) | standing of the aan Steeaaa Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus. An underof Mithras, commanding the same thing to '

1H | | i Of the ongins of both the structure ae Sari bea ht an adequately informed conception 2done. For, that bread and a cup of water are L | | | + | Me doctrines of Christianity, mbar certain incantations in the mystic RRR TT

| . ntes of one who is being initiated, you either : ugustus; ...£n0 one whatsoever should be | know or can learn. ofthe Chiisteruheen give his heart to the observance . cr apter Three ~ ——__ Se \\_ : —— ——— | | Chapter Three 123 | NN = .

HISTORY OF THE CHU PERSECUTION OF "THE WAY VOCABULARY STUDY QUESTIONS | SULA | ae AD METALLA ements for middle and lower class Romane 1. Where in the Bible is Christianity referred

10. St. Irenaeus was an important leader Literally means "to the mines." It refers to the aadof wood and rubble "_ to as "the Way"? in which region of the empire? (This is | punishment and death given to many Christians co = at ici ue-thar RectSea of particular interest because he came | during the Roman persecutions:

TETRARCHY wt on July 19, what was his ultimate from the Greek-speaking east.) | APOSTASY Emperor Diocletian s division of the Roman motivation? How did the Christians prove

11. How did the Emperor Decius' systematic | Apostasy is the willful renunciation of the Faith Empire into four separate administrative to be expedient political tools? persecution of Christianity involve the ne entirety districts, each with its own Caesar, 5, What were some of the aeunsations aaainist bureaucracy of the state?

What wer TRAJAN'S RESCRIPT i Christians during the first persecutions?

12. What was the name and significance | __ APOSTATE | ae thy A person who denies the Faith altogether.

Policy for handling Christians in the Roman 4. Summarize Trajan's Rescript.

How does it of the institution that Origen led in Empire which stated that Christians who differ from the brewiousiseronnare?

DOMUS AUREA renounced their faith and offered sacrifice ; 13. Emperor Val no friend to Latin for "House of Gold." It refers to the would be allowed to live. Those who did not 7. What docs St apeas neve bO'Say avout Giestians Wid wens has ee at the hands palace that was built at the center of Rome renounce their faith would suffer death.

} the importance of the episcopacy?

Recoil2 | after the fire during Nero's reign. Some have 6. How did Hadrian's Rescript (A.D. 123/124 suggested the desire to build this palace was

VOX POPULI : improve the situation forania 14. What was Emperor Diocletian's Nero's reason for starting the fire.

Latin for "voice of the people." The early : background and how did his Tetrarchy alll Church was often more threatened by 7. pe did the Romanpe Septimus only lead to a weakened Roman state?

. the unconverted commoners in any given everus threaten both Judaism and : en of the raith.

P 8. What do the words ad metalla mean?

16: ieeeMcise against ———— , S was the fateof many young = | 9. Who areiea two oes farnous women who refused to renounce their | * ny |= cK = c SSO er women victims of Septimus Severus' faith during Diocletian' ion? tl gies ..

' vat — =~ 75 persecution? ie Beae WS oe Re "S Se a ; 17. Whatis the famous story about how ro pianNee oe sx.

Constantine won the Battle at Saxa Rubra?

| ¥ fe7 wr— ResERPr eeae , 18. Discuss the importance of the Edict of | ) oo i _* "

Sg ee ceed =a | PRACTICAL EXERCISES | xt A "f Mee : na vo tiie al.) \ 1. Dun | oe NG '

MyTe 5 Y 7 eo thiss \ = '

During the Columbine school massacre 3. How do the presence of martyrs ina in } fi 5) SS | oa si { \ od"aN"7% ae in 1999, one of the shooters asked a young culture lead to conversions to the Faith? it ie eee } "

02: vit rh 9. a ANG ee student if she was a Christian. When Which of the early Christian values listed as | F ' [4 ob ay ays"

Ay A \e2 tg. i, s = answered "Yes, I believe in God, he headings in Chapter 2 do you think were most ny ea | & X* as= =. executed her. Can you imagine a situation important for the early Christian martyrs to 1) ard ae \ ea >.

SsBS FET im | where your faith could be so dramatically emulate?

| Prt, i See : sina SY BAP oLe en A a 4. How could effective apologists like i) =a ~ Ne ee, D4 2. Many ofth This madel depicts Romein the en ot Emer wah P) '

PAX: yA: eee = y Of the greatest persecutors of the St. Justin Martyr be of great help to the . the Coliseum (the circular stadium inthe uppee nese" an. Itshowsthe size comparison of Circus Me tN Si ae hurch in the Roman Empire were educated,

Catholic Church today? What issues woul . if lllus Caesar expanded the Circus anon oo, ot). Most Christian executions were n usMaximus (the long oval arena on the left) and intelligent people. How does this dem ; ould a could accommodate an estimated 150 ony pre after which the track measuied erie Circus Maximus because it held more spectators: ee anon Fe onstrate modern apologist tackle? To whom would

~~ Spectators, Trajan later added 5,000 inte 600 meters in length, 225 meters in width and re of evils the defense be addressed? vor Seats and expanded the emperor's viewing section. q nt nh = | | | .

124 Chapter Three SS — —— ee - | | |! is rte) LL ee 'ee —— Wh

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