The Church’s greatest trial up to the mid-third century came under the reigns of Decius and Valerian. These emperors attempted not merely to suppress Christianity but to restore the old Roman religion by force—unleashing empire-wide persecution that refined the Church in blood and fire, exposing both its weaknesses and its spiritual strength.
Systematic Empire-Wide Persecution under Decius (249–251)
Decius Trajan, embodying old Roman rigor, issued in 250 the first universal edict compelling sacrifice to the pagan gods. Those who refused were declared enemies of the state.
- Scope and Intensity: This was the first systematic, empire-wide persecution, more brutal and organized than any before it.
- Forms of Compliance:
- Sacrificati: Christians who openly sacrificed.
- Thurificati: Those who offered incense.
- Libellatici: Those who obtained false certificates of compliance.
- These were later grouped as the lapsi and excommunicated unless they repented.
- Martyrs and Confessors: Despite apostasy by many, countless believers rushed to confess Christ and embrace martyrdom. A letter from Roman confessors to African brethren extols the glory of “confessing Christ with lacerated body and departing spirit.”
Key Martyrs
- Fabianus, Bishop of Rome
- Babylas, Bishop of Antioch
- Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem
Cyprian of Carthage: Withdrawal and Vindication
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, withdrew during the persecution, incurring criticism. He defended his action as obedient to Christ’s command to flee in times of danger, reserving his life for the Church’s future service:
“Our Lord commanded us in times of persecution to yield and to fly. He taught this, and he practised it himself.”
His time in exile was marked by pastoral correspondence and theological reflection, especially in his work De Lapsis.
The “Seven Sleepers” of Ephesus
A legendary tale arose, likely during this era, about seven Christian youths who hid in a cave near Ephesus during Decius’s persecution and awoke miraculously under Theodosius II (~447), witnessing the triumph of Christianity. Though apocryphal, the story reflects hope amid suffering.
Gallus and Renewed Troubles (251–253)
The brief reign of Gallus saw continued hostility, inflamed by disasters like pestilence and famine. Bishops Cornelius and Lucius of Rome were both exiled and executed.
Persecution Under Valerian (253–260)
Valerian began peacefully but changed course in 257. His two-stage persecution strategy:
- First Stage (257): Exile of bishops and clergy, confiscation of property, ban on Christian gatherings.
- Second Stage (258): Death penalty reintroduced for clergy and notable Christians.
Martyrs of Valerian’s Persecution
- Sixtus II, Bishop of Rome, was executed while celebrating the Eucharist in the catacombs.
- Cyprian of Carthage was sentenced as an “enemy of the gods and laws.” He calmly replied: “Deo gratias!”
Martyrdom of Cyprian (Sept. 14, 258):
- He undressed calmly, covered his eyes, and asked a presbyter to tie his hands and pay the executioner 25 gold pieces.
- The crowd mourned as his blood was collected in cloths, and he was buried with reverence.
Cyprian was a man of learning and influence, formerly a rhetorician and statesman. His deacon Pontius records that high-born friends begged him to flee, but he accepted death as a final testimony.
The Legend of St. Laurentius
Laurentius, a Roman deacon martyred in 258, allegedly told his greedy persecutors that the poor were the Church’s true treasure. He was said to have been slowly roasted alive—an account celebrated by Ambrose and the poet Prudentius, though details are likely embellished.
A Church Purified by Fire
This decade of tribulation forced a confrontation between superficial religiosity and true discipleship.
- Decius’s edict created a crisis of identity, separating nominal Christians from the faithful.
- Valerian’s cruelty produced saints like Cyprian, whose life and death shaped ecclesiology and Christian heroism.
In the aftermath, under Valerian’s son Gallienus, the Church would enjoy a surprising turn toward toleration.
Endurance and Elegy
The third century was marked not just by doctrinal development but by blood. In every city square and courtroom, Christians had to choose between Caesar and Christ. Some failed, many triumphed. The witness of Cyprian—teaching, leading, suffering, and finally dying—is the shining epitaph of a church tried in the fire and not found wanting.
