The History of Christianity: From the Disciples to the Dawn of the Reformation

•    In March 297, Diocletian issued a decree against the Manichaeans

(a Gnostic religion that combined Zoroastrian and Christian

elements) as a new religion that broke the tradition of the Roman

nation: “It is criminal to throw doubts on what has been established

from ancient times.”

•    Between February 303 and March 304, Diocletian issued four

decrees against Christians, first attacking worship and banning

books and culminating with the demand that all inhabitants of

the empire must offer sacrifice to the gods on pain of deportation

or death. Historical evidence suggests that these edicts were

vigorously pursued and that many Christians lost property, position,

and life itself during the persecution.

•    Diocletian resigned the

position of Augustus in 305,

and his successors, Galerius

and Maximinus Daia, waged

a more ferocious persecution

until the spring of 313. It was

not uniformly imposed, but the

pressure was continuous for a

period of more than 10 years.

The Reign of Constantine
• In most respects, Constantine
adhered to the same premise as
Diocletian concerning imperial
rule and religion.

•    First, he sought to establish a

unified rule by making himself

the sole Augustus. At one

point at the beginning of 310,

the empire had seven rival

The real privileging of

Christianity by the emperor

Constantine became apparent

with the practice of donating

formerly pagan temples for use

in Christian worship.

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