in western Asia Minor records a letter from Decius thanking the
city’s population for their expressions of goodwill on his acces-
sion and noting how they ‘made proper sacrifice and prayers’
(Reynolds 1982: 141). Such evidence has prompted some scholars
to doubt that Decius’ policy amounted to a deliberate persecu-
tion. They see it, rather, as an effort to secure the goodwill of the
gods, Rome’s traditional defenders, for the emperor and his
subjects at a time when the empire’s fortunes were flagging
because of barbarian invasions, civil war, and economic malaise.
Since they could not sacrifice to pagan gods, the Christians simply
fell foul of Decius’ ostentatious display of traditional piety. Other
scholars have objected, however, that by the mid-third century it
would have been reasonably obvious to an emperor and his advi-
sors that a command to universal sacrifice would have the effect
of ensnaring Christians. Hence Decius’ edict may well have been
designed from the outset to punish Christians, whose ‘atheism’
towards the traditional gods could be regarded as putting the
emperor and the empire in serious peril (Rives 1999).
This last factor is perhaps the most important explanation
of why persecutions happened at all. Christian disregard for tradi-
tional religion – not just at Rome, but in communities throughout
the empire – could be seen as subverting the pax deorum(‘peace
of the gods’), the compact between heaven and earth that was
secured through acts of piety such as sacrifice and kept the gods
favourable to humankind. The persecuting authorities repeatedly
demanded sacrifice of those accused of being Christians: only
through the performance of this ritual could prisoners demon-
strate their devotion to the gods whose power held the universe
in balance. Any disaster, natural or political, could prompt doubts
about the gods’ continued goodwill and provoke a frenzied quest
for anyone likely to have offended the powers in heaven. Tertullian
remarked pithily that if the Tiber flooded or the Nile did not,
if there was drought, earthquake, famine or plague, then the
popular cry went up: ‘The Christians to the lion!’ (Apology40.1).
Although Tertullian went on to joke about the absurdity of
throwing the Christian multitude to a single beast, the connection
EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE1
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