History shows that there were three fairly brief periods of official, widespread persecution (249-251, 257 and 303-311), apart from which most Roman emperors were tolerant of Christianity. The last and most important period is called the Great Persecution.
Galerius issued the Edict of Toleration, permitting freedom of religion throughout the Roman Empire and thereby ending the Great Persecution of Diocletian. Constantine subsequently extended privileges to the Christian Church by proclaiming the Edict of Milan.
The end of the Christian persecution was decreed by the Edict of Toleration by Galerius which emperor Galerius issued from his deathbed in 311 in his name and that of his co-emperors Constantine I and Licinus in 311. It decreed the indulgence (toleration) of Christianity and that Christians were to live in safety and invited the Christians to pray their god their safety and that of the state. This sanctioned the end the persecution.
Co- emperors Constantine I and Licinus issued the Edict of Milan in 313 which reiterated the toleration of Christianity and provided the freedom of worship and from molestation for Christianity and all other religions, though the emphasis was more on the Christians. It also decreed the restoration of the property that had been confiscated during the persecution to the Christians and provided compensation by the state to those who had bought it or received it in gift after they returned it.
The Edict of Toleration by Galerius stated that "...we had desired formerly to bring all things into harmony with the ancient laws and public order of the Romans. We have been especially anxious that even the Christians, who have abandoned the religion of their ancestors, should return to reason...But [the Christians] at their own will and pleasure, they would thus make laws unto themselves which they should observe and would collect various peoples in diverse places in congregations."
It noted that "many were subdued by the fear of danger, many even suffered death. And yet since... we saw that they neither paid the reverence and awe due to the gods nor worshipped the God of the Christians..." it was decreed that "...in view of our most mild clemency and the constant habit by which we are accustomed to grant indulgence to all, we thought that we ought to grant our most prompt indulgence also to these, so that they may again be Christians and may hold their conventicles, provided they do nothing contrary to good order" and added "Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes."
I think the emperor you're wondering about was Roman Emperor Constantine. He, after Nero, stopped persecuting Christians. The legend says that on October 312, in the morning, he saw what looked like a cross in the sky. He prayed, and asked the God of the Christians, to help him win the battle. If he did, he would convert to Christianity. So, after he won the battle. He became a Christian and stopped the Persecution of Nero. And he even put a cross on every soldiers' shield.
There were ten major persecutions under diffrerent Roman emperors. You can take your pick from Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimus Severus, Maximus the Thracian, Decius, Valerian and Diocletian.
Constantine was the first emperor to *accept* Christianity but he did *not* make it the official religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine did put a stop to Christian persecution, returned Christian property from pagans and reduced support for pagan religion.On February 27 380 Theodosius I "... declared "Catholic Christianity" the only legitimate imperial religion, ending state support for the traditional Roman religion."This was over 40 years after Constantine had died.Christian persecutions still continued - those following other variants of it.
Christians refused to worship Roman gods.
According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.According the early church literature, there were 10 persecutions of the Christians.
Emperors who carried out persecutions of the Christians were Nero, Decius, Trebonius Gallus, Valerian, Diocletian and Galerius.
I think the emperor you're wondering about was Roman Emperor Constantine. He, after Nero, stopped persecuting Christians. The legend says that on October 312, in the morning, he saw what looked like a cross in the sky. He prayed, and asked the God of the Christians, to help him win the battle. If he did, he would convert to Christianity. So, after he won the battle. He became a Christian and stopped the Persecution of Nero. And he even put a cross on every soldiers' shield.
Emperor Constantine the Great granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire which ended the persecutions against the Christians.
It seems likely that Decius (249-251) was the first Roman emperor to officially persecute Christians.AnswerYou could loosely say it was Nero, although he did not persecute them for their faith, but for the crime of arson. Some authorities say there was a persecution under the emperor Domitian, other doubt this. The major persecutions came under the emperors Decius, Valerian and Diocletian.
It was Constantine.=== ===
There were not any prosecution of the Roman Empire. An empire would not persecute itself. There were persecutions of the Christians. The first such persecution occurred under the emperor Nero.
There were ten major persecutions under diffrerent Roman emperors. You can take your pick from Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimus Severus, Maximus the Thracian, Decius, Valerian and Diocletian.
The Roman Colosseum did hold much of he persecutions of Christians in the night because it was easiest to get the largest crowd at night. The Christians were often set on fire and used as torches to illuminate the night.
The roman emperor is not a god...
Constantine was the first emperor to *accept* Christianity but he did *not* make it the official religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine did put a stop to Christian persecution, returned Christian property from pagans and reduced support for pagan religion.On February 27 380 Theodosius I "... declared "Catholic Christianity" the only legitimate imperial religion, ending state support for the traditional Roman religion."This was over 40 years after Constantine had died.Christian persecutions still continued - those following other variants of it.
Emperor Constantine.
Christians refused to worship Roman gods.