January 23 - Power of Ten

While persecution against Christians existed for the three hundred years between Nero and Constantine, there were periods of time when it was incredibly intense and then decades would pass when Christians lived in relative ease.

1 Nero - 64-68 AD
2 Domitian - 95-96 AD
3 Trajan - 104-117 AD
4 Marcus Aurelius - 161-180 AD
5 Septimius Severus - 200-211 AD
6 Maximinus - 235-237 AD
7 Decius - 249-251 AD
8 Valerian - 257-260 AD
9 Aurelian - 274-275 AD
10 Diocletian - 303-305 AD
(The dates are not the dates of the emperor's reign, but the years in which persecution was at its height.)

During Diocletian's reign, the first 19 years (284-303 AD) were relatively peaceful. In fact, his wife and daughter were either part of the Christian church or at least attached to it superficially.

In 303, he began to get a bit feeble minded and his assistant - Galerius - decided it was time to take it up with the Christians. Four edicts were set forth. The first edict proclaimed that all places of Christian worship were to be destroyed and any Christian books should be burned. Christian professors were stripped of their freedoms and were to be tortured.

The emperor worried about a Christian revolution, so a second edict was handed down within weeks. Every priest and church officer was imprisoned.

The third edict was issued on the twentieth anniversary of the emperor's reign. All prison doors would be opened. Christians were allowed to leave if they would sacrifice to the emperor's gods. If they didn't, they were to be tortured.

The fourth edict was that all Christians should sacrifice to the emperor's gods.

The Empire had already been split in two (285 AD) and Diocletian (in the west) and Maximian (in the east) abdicated in 305 AD. Constantius relieved all of the pressures against Christians in the west as soon as he possibly could - Africa, Italy, Spain, Gaul (France) and Britain were exempt from persecution. However, he ended up dying in 306 AD and regional governments managed the affairs for the emperor. Little bits of persecution showed up and made a mess of things for Christians. In the east Galerius was still doing his best to persecute Christians.

Constantine took over the west in 312 AD and Licinius the east.

Things were about to change in a really good way for Christians.