Bible Questions and Answer

Roman persecution of Christians came in waves for about 250 years, starting with Nero in AD 64. It was often local and on and off, but some emperors launched empire-wide campaigns, such as Decius in 250, Valerian in 257 and especially Diocletian, whose "Great Persecution" began in 303. Churches were destroyed, scriptures burned and many Christians killed. The persecution ended in stages. In 311, the emperor Galerius, who had been a major persecutor, issued an edict of toleration on his deathbed. Then in 313, Constantine and Licinius agreed on what's called the Edict of Milan, which gave Christians freedom to worship and returned confiscated property. Constantine had become a supporter of Christianity after his victory at the Milvian Bridge in 312, where he said he saw a sign of the cross. After that, Christianity grew quickly with imperial support. Emperor Julian tried to revive paganism in the 360s but died after a short reign.