ABSTRACT
Modern violent destruction and desecration of public monuments may be either politically or religiously motivated. Early Christians ridiculed polytheists’ images of the gods and condemned the ritual practices that engaged them. After the legalisation and establishment of the Church, imperial legislation outlawed sacrifices and authorised the demolition of statues, altars, and temples. Church officials in Carthage played mediating roles and attempted to quell potential riots. Elsewhere, clergy incited angry mobs and provoked them to physical violence. Jensen considers the motivations for official and unofficial actions aimed against gods’ images and the character of their denouncers as well as defenders.
