ABSTRACT
The third and early fourth centuries were marked by a striking growth in the Christian communities, with Christians entering the highest administrative posts. During these years, imperial politics increasingly became involved with Christian communities, sometimes aligning with Christians and sometimes persecuting them, and this chapter explores these developments. It looks in depth at the Christian persecutions through this time period up through the “Great Persecution” in the fourth century. It also considers torture, and why it didn’t work to suppress Christian growth.
