Publication at Catholic Theological Faculty |
2009
Abstract
The persecution of Christians for their faith in the first three Christian centuries was not a result of constant pressure by the Roman state administration; rather, the pressure came in waves and developed in a number of stages. One of the most significant waves was the one started by a letter from the governor of Bithynia, Pliny The Younger, to Emperor Trajan; during this period Christians (as opposed to other criminals) were not actively sought, but if convicted they received the death penalty.