LESSON 6: THE ROMAN PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH

THE BURNING OF ROME LIST OF NOTABLE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS

The Burning of Rome in 64 AD signaled the Apostolic Age - 1 st Century

Roman persecution of Christians.
STEPHEN
 Nero (54 – 68 AD) falsely charged to Christians
the fire lasting ten days that destroyed 10 districts Proto – martyr, stoned to death C. 34 AD
of Rome. JAMES THE GREAT
 Christians were seized and severely punished with
the most excruciating and terrible tortures of death. Son of Zebedee, brother of John, beheaded in
 The victims were mostly nonviolent men and 44 AD. (First Apostle to die as martyr; Patron saint of
women and children, who suffered exile, tortures, Spain)
jail, hostility, slavery, loss of property and death.
PHILIP THE APOSTLE
 Their persecution was the result of their lifestyle
and religion opposed to Roman morals. was crucified in 54 AD
 The full force of the empire was unleashed against
Christianity. Christians were tossed to hungry MATTHEW
beasts to be devoured, nailed to the cross and
killed by a halberd in 60 AD.
burned at the stakes. The virgins were given as
prizes to the victors of gladiatorial contests. JAMES, SON OF ALPHEUS, (James the Less)
 But ironically, the Roman power did not become
successful to totally exterminate Christians in the was beaten to death with a club after being
face of the world. In fact, Christianity in the end crucified and stoned.
conquered the Roman Empire for Christ, for he
He is often identified with James the Less
promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail
(Greek Iacobos ho mikros,) and commonly known by
against it (Mt 16:18).
that name in church tradition. He is also labeled "the
 The church faced Ten Great Roman persecutions
minor", "the little", "the lesser", or "the younger",
for almost 300 years, but she overcame them all.
according to translation.
Thirty of the thirty – three popes of the period died
a martyr’s death along with numberless Christians. MATTHIAS
 The worst of these persecutions were under
emperors Nero (64 – 68 AD), Diocletian (303 – was stoned and beheaded.
305 AD), and continued by Galerius (305 – 311
According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was
AD).
the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to
The Catacombs replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of
Jesus and suicide. His calling as an apostle is unique in
 The Catacombs are underground cemeteries used that his appointment was not made personally by
by early Christians to bury their dead in the walls Jesus, who had already ascended to heaven, and, it was
 Became a refuge for Christians to protect made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
themselves and to practice their faith at the height early Church.
of persecutions.
 Inside were discovered primitive Christians ANDREW
symbols (fish, bread, lamb, and Christ’s Peter’s brother, was crucified
monogram).
 The Catacomb of St. Sebastian was very famous The New Testament states that Andrew was
among them. It has 4 storeys; many martyrs were the brother of Simon Peter, born in the village of
buried here and wider galleries where sacraments Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Both he and his
were celebrated. brother Peter were fishermen by trade, hence the
tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by
saying that he will make them “fishers of men“.
MARK THOMAS

was dragged in the streets of Alexandria then Killed by a spear in India around 72 AD
beheaded.
Thomas the Apostle, sometimes informally
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author called Doubting Thomas or Didymus which means
of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy “The Twin”.
Disciples, and the founder of the Church of
Alexandria, one of the original three main Episcopal He is best known from the account in the
sees of Christianity. Gospel of Saint John, where he questioned Jesus'
resurrection when first told of it, followed by his
PETER confession of faith as both "My Lord and my God" on
seeing Jesus' wounded body.
was crucified upside-down.
LUKE
Saint Peter also known as Simon Peter, was
one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, leaders of was hanged.
the early Christian Church, considered to be the first
bishop of Rome and first Pope by the Roman Catholic Luke the Evangelist is one of the Four
Church. Evangelists or authors of Canonical Gospels of Jesus
Christ. Luke was a native of the Hellenistic city of |
APOSTLE PAUL Antioch of Syria.

Beheaded in Rome. SIMON THE ZEALOT

Paul the Apostle original name Saul of Tarsus was crucified in 74 AD

was an apostle (though not one of the Twelve
Apostles) who taught the Gospel of Christ to the first Simon was surnamed the Zealot for his rigid
century world. He is generally considered one of the adherence to the Jewish law and to the Canaanite law.
most important figures of the Apostolic Age. Paul used He was one of the original followers of Christ.
his status as both a Jew and a Roman to advantage in JOHN THE EVANGELIST
his ministry to both Jewish and Roman audiences.
The only Apostle who was not martyred.
Jude According to tradition, he was cooked in boiling hot
was crucified. oil but survived.

He is generally identified with Thaddeus, and John the Evangelist is the purported author of
is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, the Gospel of John, and presumably other Johanine
Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. He is sometimes works in the New Testament — i.e. the three Letters of
identified with Jude, the brother of Jesus but is clearly John and, according to some, the Book of Revelation.
distinguished from Judas Iscariot, another apostle who
betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion.
Age of Martyrdom – 2 nd to 4th centuries
BARTHOLOMEW
IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
Flayed alive and crucified.
Bishop of Antioch, was devoured by lions in
Bartholomew is usually identified with the Circus Maximus.
Nathanael (alternatively spelled Nathaniel), who
appears in the Gospel according to John as being
introduced to Christ by Philip.. He is also identified as
"Nathanael of Cana in Galilee" in John 21:2.
St. Sebastian Perpetua and Felicity of Carthage

St. Sebastian entered the Roman army so that were sent to the public games in the
he could assist the Christians without arousing amphitheater. There, Perpetua and Felicity were
suspicion. Finally he was found out, brought before beheaded, and the others killed by beasts.
Emperor Diocletian and delivered to the Mauritanian
archers to be shot to death. His body was pierced with Despite threats of persecution and death,
arrows and he was left for dead. But he was found still Perpetua, Felicity (a slave woman and expectant
alive by those who came to bury him. He recovered, mother) refused to denounce their Christian faith.
but refused to flee. ST. POLYCARP
One day he took up a position near where the At 86, Polycarp was lead into the crowded
Emperor was to pass. He accosted the emperor, Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not
denouncing him for his cruelty to Christians. This time harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The
the sentence of death was carried out. Sebastian was centurion ordered the saint’s body to be burned.
beaten to death by clubs. He was buried on the Appian
Way, close to the catacombs that bear his name. St. Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna (modern
Izmir, Turkey), disciple of St. John the Apostle and
ST. LAWRENCE friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch.
A Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II who St. Agatha
suffered martyrdom along with four clerics, probably
during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian. was another virginmartyr of the early Church.
She was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of
Lawrence was condemned to a slow, cruel Emperor Decius in 251 AD.
death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a
slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little. But She was tortured on the rack; her breast was
Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that cut off and was rolled naked over burning coals.
he almost did not feel the flames.
She is claimed as the patroness of both
In fact, God gave him so much strength and Palermo and Catania. The year after her death, the
joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her
judge. "I'm done on this side!" intercession.

Just before he died, Lawrence said, "It's As a result, apparently, people continued to
cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of ask her prayers for protection against fire.
Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the
Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. After St. Agnes
that, he died and received a martyr's reward
died in the Diocletian Persecution in 304 AD.
Justin Martyr the Apologist She was very young – 12 or 13 – when she was
martyred in the last half of the third century. Legend
defended in writing the Christian religion has it she was a beautiful girl whom many young men
against the attacks and misunderstandings of the wanted to marry.
pagans.
Among those she refused, one reported her to
Two of his so-called apologies came down to the authorities for being a Christian. She was arrested
us; they were addressed to the Roman emperor and to and confined to a house of prostitution.
the Senate. For his staunch adherence to the Christian
religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165 AD. The legend continues that a man who looked upon her
lustfully lost his sight and had it restored by her prayer.
She was condemned, tortured with fire and beheaded.

She was buried near Rome in a catacomb that

eventually was named after her. The daughter of
Constantine built a basilica in her honor.
 Edict of Milan

The Edict of Milan issued by Constantine the Great in

312 AD ended three centuries of persecution and
granted permanent freedom to the church.

In addition, Christian buildings were returned

and many Churches were built.

Catholic doctrines of the Blessed Trinity,

Christ, Mary, the Church, and the Sacred Scriptures
were developed.

Rome was given to the Pope for them to freely

exercise spirituality without much intervention from
secular powers; and there was a close collaboration
between the Church and the State.

The victory of Christianity over paganism was

the purest victory because it was won by witnessing
and enduring; loving and suffering; shedding of
innocent blood; and faith in the Risen Christ’s promise
and power.