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After the death of Emperor Carus (282 - 283 AD), who was struck by lightning on a campaign in Persia, Diocletian became the new Roman emperor from 284 AD to 305 AD. Like many Emperors before him, he left Christians alone in the beginning of his rule. He mainly wanted Rome to return to stability. For over a hundred years there had been a constant stream of emperors, usually tragically overthrown. This led to economic hardships and weakened borders with barbarians and Persians constantly hammering at the outlining territories.
He reformed the taxation and economy, as well as restructured the Empire. Although not fully successful, his reforms slowed down the decline of the Empire. He feared the civil wars of the past returning. His insight was that the succession of power was unstable, The senate’s power had been diminished and the Emperor’s power increased. He was the sole ruler of Rome. But he wanted help ruling. He arranged for the Empire to be divided into the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire. Diocletian would still be the ultimate ruler, but he appointed men to rule different districts.
Diocletian ruled the Eastern Empire, and set up co-emperors, called “Augustus,” one of the West– Maximian and one of the East himself. Maximian was a good friend of Diocletian in the army, a man he could trust. Both were soldiers. Maximian was more a man of action, and military commander, while Diocletian was more political. It seems that Diocletian wanted an able man to be his head of the army.
Each Augustus (eastern and western emperors) had a subordinate, called a Caesar, to share in the rule, and theoretically to succeed the Augustus, if he should die, or resign. The rule of four was called a “tetrarchy''. Two generals, Galerius and Constantius, became Caesars– Galerius under Diocletian in the east, and Constantius (father of Constantine – liberator of Christianity) under Maximian in the west.
Christians had known a great peace after Emperor Gallienus assumed full control of the empire (260 AD- 268 AD) and halted the persecutions of his father Valerian. Diocletian decided near the end of his rule ( he died in 305 AD) to start another persecution, and it was severe.
It appears Diocletian was reluctant to start a new severe persecution of Christians. Most think it was Galerius, his Caesar, who urged Diocletian to begin a general persecution of the Christians. Diocletian was wary, asking for advice from counselors. Still not convinced, he asked the oracle of Apollo at Didyma for guidance. The oracle agreed with Galerius' position, and a general persecution was called on February 23, 303 AD, and lasted until 313 AD (the advent of Constantine).
Galerius was not a Roman. He was from a region of modern day Bulgaria. He had a passive hatred of Rome, at least he kept it hidden until he became Emperor. His hatred of Christians may have been from his mother, Romula. She was a priestess of pagan mountain gods. Romula was a Dacian by birth, as was Galerius. She offered sacrifices almost every day, and she had feasts with meat offered to idols: but the Christians of her extended family would not take part. This confirmed a deep hatred for Christians. She seems to have instigated her son to destroy them.
This would be the final Christian persecution by the Roman Empire.
Starting with the Nero persecutions(54 AD–68 AD). Sporadic persecution occurred during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161 AD–180 AD). After a lull, persecution resumed under the emperor Decius (249 AD–251 AD) and continued under Trebonianus Gallus (251 AD–253 AD). The persecution of Emperor Valerian (253 AD–260 AD) ceased with his son’s succession, Gallienus ( 260 AD–268).
Close to three hundred years of persecution, with periodic peace, was coming to an end. But there was no way to see it as the final persecution, at the time. The persecutions just seemed to be getting more intense, with each new round.
The autumn of the year 303 AD was the 20th year of Diocletian's rule. No Emperor had lasted so long since Antoninus Pius, a 150 years before. It was a time to celebrate, while at the same time Christians were being persecuted. Rome was looking forward to the celebration – the “games,” which included gladiator fights, and debauchery of every kind. Diocletian didn’t like Rome. He preferred the Eastern Empire, he was also a military man with a sense of honor and discipline, the decadence to praise him was unpleasant.
One of the highlights of the festivities was a famous comedian Genesius, who would do a show mocking Christians.
The performance was in the presence of Emperor Diocletian and his court. The comedy began, with Genesius acting the principal part. Feigning to be sick, he laid down, calling to his friends and that they should "baptize" him. Genesius wanted it to be as authentic as possible and use whatever was normal at a Baptism. An actor playing a priest came on stage in order to "baptize" the ailing catechumen. All the questions were put to him which are made to those who are to be baptized. The ceremony was performed in such a ludicrous manner, that the Emperor and all the people shouted with laughter.
At the moment the divine words and water poured water over him, God touched Genesius’ heart. Genesius had a vision of an angel and was illuminated, with the truth of Christianity, suddenly he loudly and earnestly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ. Most thought he was still pretending.
His companions continued to blaspheme and mock. When the whole performance finished, they clothed Genesius in white and presented him to the people amidst great hilarity.
But Genesius turned to the Emperor and the audience; confessing he TRULY believed. He denounced idolatry; he confessed to scoffing and deriding Christianity, and he was the one who had proposed to mock baptism on the stage, for the amusement of the people. But during the performance he became a Christian. He said that he had seen the heavens open, and perceived a hand that touched him, when the baptismal water was poured over him.
He further stated that before they had baptized him, he had seen an angel, with a book in which all his past iniquities had been recorded, who assured him that they would all be washed away by holy baptism, and that he had in fact seen that all his vices had been obliterated from its pages. After relating this, he added that he renounced idolatry, and believed Jesus Christ was the Redeemer of the world, he would now live and die a Christian. In conclusion, he exhorted the Emperor and all present to follow his example, and worship the only true God.
The witness of the actor at first outraged the Emperor and the people. They demand he recant. But Genesius stood his ground in his new found Faith. He was beaten and tortured, but he held firm to his Faith in Jesus, then he was killed. Many speculate that this shook Emperor Diocletian so drastically that he soon left Rome for northern Italy, before all the festivities of the celebration ended.
It was rumored that both Emperor Diocletian’s wife and daughter were Christians or at least sympathetic. He had forced them to offer incense to the gods to prove their loyalty. This event of the actor’s conversion must have caused deep reflections. The Emperors who persecuted Christians all suffered terrible deaths: Nero, Domitian, Decius, Valerian. This caused Emperor Diocletian to descend into a great depression. Then he fell physically ill, and went into reclusion.
THE THREE EDICTS
Diocletian's first edict against the Christians' was mainly against Christians' property– Sacred Scriptures were confiscated and destroyed, and churches seized, just as they had been during Emperor Valerian's persecution. Some churches were razed to the ground. Anything precious, such as gems or gold, were seized for the Empire’s treasury.
The edict prohibited Christians from assembling for worship, Christians were deprived of the right to petition or self defense in the courts; Christian were banned from public office: senators, equestrians, decurions, veterans, and soldiers were deprived of their rank; and Christian imperial freedmen were re-enslaved.
Diocletian requested that the edict be pursued "without bloodshed", against Galerius's demands. In spite of Diocletian's request, local judges and soldiers often enforced executions for refusal to cooperate.
After the Emperor's self-exile to upper Italy, and contracting an illness, he then later lived as a recluse; staying at his palace in Split, Croatia. This left his Caesar, Galerius, who was till now second in charge, to take practical control of the Eastern Empire. Galerius was the main advocate to start the persecution of Christians in the first place.
Soon followed the second edict, Diocletian thought the first edict was being ineffective, so he ordered all clergy arrested: deacons, lectors, priests, bishops, and exorcists.The jails began to fill to overflowing, because of the limited prison space, ordinary criminals were crowded out, and had to be released.
The third edict was a general amnesty-- if the clergy would sacrifice to the gods, they would receive freedom. This psychological tactic was to fracture the Christian community by publicizing the fact that its clergy had apostatized. Many refused but wardens often managed to obtain at least nominal compliance. Some of the clergy sacrificed willingly; others did so on pain of torture. Wardens were eager get rid of the clergy, especially by lying about compliance.
Eusebius, in his “Martyrs of Palestine”, records the case of one man who, after being brought to an altar, had his hands tied and forced to complete a sacrificial offering. The clergyman was told that his act of sacrifice had been recognized, and was summarily dismissed. Others were told they had sacrificed even when they had done nothing.
In 304 AD, the fourth edict ordered all persons, men, women, and children, to gather in a public space and offer a collective sacrifice. If they refused, they were to be executed. Many think it was Galerius’ doing. Although Diocletian was still Emperor supreme, Galerius was now acting Emperor of the East but put Diocletian's name on it, so it was universal for the Empire. Galerius' hatred for Christians could now be unleashed because Galerius was the functioning Emperor for all practical purposes.
This last edict was never enforced in Constantius’ lands: Gaul (mainly France), Britannia (England) but was applied in the domains of Maximian, eastern France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, until he stepped down in 305 AD. In the Eastern Empire, under Galerius, it remained in effect, in general: the Balkans, Turkey, Syria, North Africa, until the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine, in 313 AD.
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