The Period of Persecutions

1. The Empire and its gods.2. The cult of the Emperor.3. Local persecution under Nero in 64 CE.4. Charges against Christians.5. Christian apologists respond.

Olympic gods

The Father of all gods Jupiter (Zeus) Capitolinus

Family tree of the Homeric gods

Minucius Felix, Octavius (selections).

1. Based upon chap. 6, what are some characteristic traits of the Roman religion?

2. According to chap. 7, why do the Romans worship their gods?

3. How were Christians commonly perceived by the non-Christians (chap. 8)?

4. What rumors circulate about Christian practices among the outsiders (chap. 9)? What could be the grounds for these rumors?

5. What peculiar traits distinguish Christianity from other religions of the Roman Empire (chap. 10, 12)?

Gods mentioned in Octavius 6. 1.

Ceres. Latin goddess of vegetation. Vatican

Museum.Demeter. Cnidus,

330 B. C.Asclepius. National Museum of Athens.

Diana of Ephesus.Ishtar (Astarte). Phoenician ivory plaqueMercury

(Hermes).

Pagan caricature of the Christian God (see Octavius 9. 3)

Mystery cults: Persian god Mithras

Triclinum

Mithraeum (1st c. C. E.) under the Church of San Clemente in Rome

The Murder of Julius Caesar The Senate declared him god

”Yet this father, this high priest, this inviolable being, this hero and god, is dead, alas, dead not by the violence of some disease, nor wasted by old age, nor wounded abroad...but right here within the walls as a result of a plot... Of what avail, O Caesar of what avail was your humanity, of what avail your inviolability, of what avail the laws?” Marc Antony's funeral oration for Caesar, Cassius Dio, XLIV.

“Yet this father, this high priest, this inviolable being, this hero and god, is dead, alas, dead not by the violence of some disease, nor wasted by old age, nor wounded abroad...but right here within the walls as a result of a plot.”

Dio Cassius. Marc Antony's funeral oration for Caesar, XLIV.

Emperor Cult

• Julius Caesar divinized after his death

• Temples dedicated to the genius of emperors

• Test of civil duty: Caesar is (divine) Lord!

Julius Caesar 100-44BC

Octavian Augustus

63BC-14AD

Persecution of Christians under Nero

• Time: 64 AD• Place: Rome• Occasion: the great

fire in Rome• Nero blamed the fire

upon Christians• Christians burned as

torches & used as gladiators

Emperor Nero (54-68)

Tertullian complains about common pagan sentiments:

If the Tiber reaches the walls, if the Nile does not rise to the fields, if the sky does not move [drought], or the earth does [earthquake], if there is famine, if there is plague, the cry is at once: ‘Christians to the lion!’

Seminar. Emperors to whom Athenagoras addressed his apology

Emperor Marcus Aurelius 161-180

His son, Lucius Commodus 176-192

Seminar questions.

• What were the main charges against Christians?• How does Athenagoras respond to the charge of

atheism? • What arguments does he use? Do you find his

arguments persuasive or not? • What is idolatry? • According to Athenagoras, what are the main beliefs of

Christians? What are the main differences between the Christian God and pagan deities?