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Little information survives about the governing of Rome during Emperor Vespasian's ten-year rule.
After successfully defeating Judaea, and Nero's death, with a succession of equally doomed emperors in one year,(known as: "The Year of the Four Emperors") Vespasian became Emperor.
Emperor Vespasian reformed the monetary system of Rome, initiated several ambitious construction projects, including the building of the Roman Colosseum. Through his general Agricola, Vespasian increased imperial expansion in Britain. After he died at age 69, in 79 AD, he was succeeded by his eldest son Titus, becoming the first Roman emperor to be succeeded by his natural son, and establishing the Flavian dynasty.
In this new tolerant atmosphere of Emperor Vespasian, the new pope, Linus, ruled the Catholic Church succeeding St. Peter. There was not much to rule at the time. The Church was scattered around the empire decimated by the Nero persecution.
Pope Linus' pontificate lasted about 9 years from 67 AD to 76 AD. He is among those to have been Pope, (Peter, Linus, and Clement) who are specifically named in the New Testament.
St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies III.3.3) reads:
“The blessed apostles, (Peter and Paul) then, having founded and built up the Church (in Rome), committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus (aka Cletus); and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric.”
Linus is named in the Second Epistle to Timothy as being with Paul the Apostle in Rome near the end of Paul's life:
2 Timothy 4:21
"Make haste, and come to me before winter. Eubulus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren send you their greeting."
Claudia is thought to be Linus' mother.
Apostolic Constitutions (Book VII, sec.4), say that Linus, was consecrated by Paul a deacon or priest and later a bishop by St. Peter.
The Apostolic Constitutions contains eight treatises on Early Christianity, discipline, worship, and doctrine, intended to serve as a manual for guidance of the clergy, and to some extent for the laity. Tradition holds it to be the instructions from the Twelve Apostles, and mainly compiled by Pope Clement.
The Constitutions name Linus' mother as Claudia. (immediately after the name "Linus" in 2 Timothy 4:21, a "Claudia" is mentioned,--see above-- but the Apostolic Constitutions don't explicitly identify this Claudia was Linus's mother. Though, it is safe to assume this.)
Pope Linus issued a decree in conformity with the ordinance of St. Peter and St. Paul (1 Corinthians 11), that women should have their heads covered in church.
That is about all we know, other than that he was thought to have written a letter to the Eastern Church, about the martyrdom of St. Peter and Paul, but this letter has been lost to history.
Linus ruled the Church, under the reign of the Roman Emperors, Vespasian and his son Titus, who treated Christians with toleration, as his father did, although with suspicion. They were suspicious because Christians held no earthly king as their ultimate authority.
Linus was buried on the Vatican Hill, next to St. Peter. Now under St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican. We are given the date of his death as 23 September, 81 AD. This date is still celebrated as his feast day. His name is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Most say he was martyred, but it can't be confirmed. He was considered a very holy man by all accounts.
Pope Linus was succeeded by Cletus also known as Anacletus, and was the third bishop of Rome, he was martyred in 92 AD under the persecution of Emperor Dominican, the younger brother of Titus; the Emperor to succeed Titus.
We know even less about Cletus, the next pope. Except that he ordained a number of priests and organized the Church of Rome into 25 parishes.
Saint Cletus is listed in the Roman Martyrology among the saints on 26th of April, 92 AD. Although his name was removed from the modern liturgical year calendar 1969, no explanation was given, why. Even so, his name remains in the Roman Canon of the Mass. There is little doubt he was a saint, a pope and a martyr.
As I said these ancient centuries are very murky years to get things clear. Especially since Christianity was outlawed. Few documents remain; if any. We know very little details of these first popes.
Pope Cletus took the seat of Peter at the same time as Emperor Titus died. Titus is considered one of the good emperors. He helped his citizens during tragedies of fire and volcano, but tragically died of a fever after ruling for only a short time, about 2 years.
His brother who soon took the throne of Emperor seemed as though he would continue the Flavian dynasty as fair and good Emperors, with one exception.
After a peaceful rule for 9 years, Domitian turned his anger at Christians around 90 AD.
Some in the Roman government and even in Domitian's extended family of the Flavians were crypto-Chritians. Many Romans admired the Christians strength and virtue as martyrs under Nero, this may explain Christianity's spread among the upper classes in Rome.
Domitian would have no Christians in his government at all. Domitian started an all out persecution of Christians. Most likely Pope Cletus was martyred at this time. It is very mysterious why Domitian turned on Christians.
It is called the Second Persecution, Nero's being the first. But this time encompassed the upper classes.
He started with the royal household first. He had family members killed who were suspected of Christianity.
One of his councilors, Manius Acilius Glabrio, who was a Roman Senator, former general, and serving as consul in 91 AD. He was a friend of future emperor Trajan. Manius Acilius Glabrio was one of many senators executed during the reign of Domitian, on the alleged grounds of plotting against the emperor. Manius was a particularly interesting case.
He was well named "Manius" -- his name meaning "born in the morning"---because he was a real man, up and ready for battle. Domitian had Manius condemned to the lions.
Ancient Christians speaking of the executions of 95 AD, said that some members of the imperial family and other persons of importance were condemned for impiety-- meaning Christianity.
The charge of impiety against Manius Acilius Glabrio is evidence that he belonged to the Christian religion.
The shocking thing was that not only did he survive the ordeal of being thrown to the lions, but killed the lion and left unhurt. He was then banished from the empire. Domitian later had him killed.
Manius Acilius Glabrio's whole family later became Christians. Seeming to testify to his conversion and miraculous survival.
Domitian's terror expanded from the Roman court to the whole empire. This became one of the worst persecutions of Christians. Even worse than Nero's.
A victim of this persecution was the last living Apostle St. John of Zebedee. According to Tertullian, he was captured and boiled in oil. But he miraculously survived. He is still honored by the Church as a Martyr for the suffering he endured. He was sentenced to banishment after his survival on the island Patmos. This is the same island where he wrote his Book of Revelations. The last book in the New Testament.
In this book he called to task the church of Ephesus, for their lack of love. St. Timothy, the companion of St. Paul, was bishop of the city at this time. He seemed to have taken this criticism to heart and challenged the licentiousness rampant among the pagans. He was martyred soon after in 97 AD.
But the persecution was not confined to only nobles. Many others suffered death or the loss of their goods. Participation in the feasts of pagan gods were mandated to test the Christians of the East's loyalty to Rome. Most likely this is the time of Pope Cletus' martyrdom.
Those who did not adore the “image of the beast” were slain.
St. John the Apostle exiled to the island of Patmos during this time, between 81-96AD. Seems to acknowledge the persecution in his book of the Apocalypse, when many of the Christians had already perished and more were to follow them.
Revelation 6:9-10:
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord…”( there is controversy about the date St. John was Banished to Patmos, if it was under Nero, then many things change in the imagery of the Book of Revelations)
Domitian was assassinated on September, 18, 96 AD, in a conspiracy by court officials. Since court officials hated Domitian so much, many accounts of his assassination exist, but seem to be embellished.
After Domitian's death, the Apostle John returned to Ephesus, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, and at Ephesus he lived to an old age, and died about 100 AD.
After the martyrdom of Pope Cletus, the next pope was St. Clement.
We have more information about Clement who wrote the first Papal Encyclical after St. Peter’s Epistles.
continue to next chapter
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