Periods of persecution of Christians in Rome. History of the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WAS GOOD AND GOOD PEOPLE, BUT THEY WAS SERIOUSLY PERSECUTED. NEVER THERE, IT WAS THE PERSECUTIONS CONTRIBUTING TO A MORE INTENSE DISTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY UP TO OUR LANDS AND FURTHER.

Reason for persecution

Thanks to the Holy Scriptures, the daily life of the first Christians was distinguished by piety, unfeigned love for the people around them, equality and virtue. They, like no one else, understood the value of human life. Not only in words, but also in deeds, they testified of God's love, which changed their lives and their whole being. With all their hearts they loved Jesus, who died for sinners, therefore, with joy and zeal, they fulfilled His great commission - they proclaimed the Saving Gospel to all nations, calling people to do everything that the Lord commanded. Why, then, were they so mercilessly persecuted and destroyed?

It is worth emphasizing that the apostles and their disciples adhered to the biblical principles of faith set forth in the scriptures and today called the Old Testament, and the writings of the New Testament had not yet been formed by that time. The Apostle Paul wrote about the Old Testament Scriptures in the following way: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The faithfulness of Christians to God's Word, which calls for a pious life following the example of Jesus Christ, gave rise to persecution against them. As paradoxical as it may seem, this is a historical fact. The same apostle Paul wrote to his ward servant Timothy: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… Moreover, from childhood you know the sacred scriptures, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Bible. 2 Timothy 3:12, 15).

Jewish persecution (30-70 CE)

During this period, Christians did not separate from Judaism. J. Gonzalez in the book "History of Christianity" writes: "Early Christians did not consider themselves followers of a new religion. They were Jews, and the main thing that distinguished them from the rest of the adherents of Judaism was their confidence in the already accomplished coming of the Messiah - while other Jews still continued to expect this coming. Therefore, the Christian message to the Jews did not call them to renounce Judaism. On the contrary, with the advent of the Messianic era, they were to become even more perfect Jews... For the early Christians, Judaism was not a rival of Christianity, but the same old faith. For those Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah, Christianity was also not a new religion, they saw it as just another religious Jewish offshoot. Therefore, the followers of Jesus Christ are initially persecuted by the Jewish authorities and their supporters, and the Roman authorities sometimes even protect Christians from their persecutors. The Romans themselves considered the persecution of Jews against Christians as a purely internal religious conflict among the Jewish faith.

Religious leaders and radical Jews were not going to put up with the fact that faith in Jesus as the Messiah of the Savior was spreading at a colossal pace in the territory of Jerusalem and Judea. Persecution on their part dispersed Christian refugees to other territories, which only contributed to an even more intensive spread of Christianity in other territories of the Roman Empire. “The persecution of the Jerusalem church gave a strong impetus to evangelistic work. The sermons were a great success here, and there was a danger that the disciples would linger in this city for a long time and would not fulfill the commissions of the Savior to proclaim the Gospel to the world. In order to scatter His representatives throughout the earth, where they could serve people, God allowed persecution of His Church. The believers expelled from Jerusalem “went and preached the word.”

Pagan persecution (70-313)

Later, as a result of the Judeo-Roman war and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. e. and especially after the suppressed Jewish uprising led by Bar Kokhba in 135 AD. e. throughout the empire began the persecution of the Jews by the Roman authorities. Jewish and non-Jewish Christians, who were absolutely not on the side of the Jewish uprisings, also suffered from these persecutions. The Romans, not particularly understanding, ranked Christians among the Jews because of the similarities in the confessions of their faith. It was not difficult to distinguish a Jew and a Christian from a Gentile. Christians and Jews revered the same Holy Scripture and the Law of God. This apparently manifested itself in the refusal to eat unclean food and the meat of unclean animals, in observing the sanctity of the Sabbath day as the day of the Lord according to the Scriptures, and in a categorical refusal to worship idols and in general any objects and images, or anyone as a god. And since Rome strictly demanded the observance of the state cult of the emperor, the refusal of Christians to make sacrifices to the emperor led to accusations of political disloyalty. It is authentically known that the most common test for Christians was the requirement to recognize the emperor as divine and offer incense on the altar in front of his statue.

Those Christians who unhypocritically worshiped the One God remained faithful to Him in these fundamental matters. They refused under the threat of death to offer sacrifice to the emperor, because otherwise, they would violate the commandment of the One whom they loved more than their lives. The first two of God's ten commandments are: “I am the Lord your God…you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God." (Bible. Exodus 20:2-5).

According to the Bible, true observance of God's Law is based on love for God and people and is its practical expression: “That we love the children of God, we learn from this, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:2, 3). Christian love is a response to the great love of the Most High for fallen mankind: “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Bible. Gospel of John 3:16).

First concessions

Thanks to the successful preaching of the gospel at that time, many Gentiles joined the church. But the persecution of the Jews by the Roman authorities prompted some Christians, especially from among the former pagans, to dissociate themselves from Judaism once and for all, so that the Romans would not confuse them with Jews. They managed to do this by rejecting some of the principles of the Holy Scriptures, the observance of which, in the eyes of the Romans, was a sign of belonging to the Jewish ethnic group. Therefore, already somewhere from the middle of the II century AD. e. some Christians who were not established in the faith began to observe Sunday instead of the weekly Sabbath of the Lord - the day on which the pagans worshiped their sun god. Although they explained this change in their own way by the remembrance of the resurrection of Christ on this day of the week, nevertheless, the refusal to observe the weekly Sabbath was directly contrary to Scripture and was a violation of the fourth commandment of God's law.

There were also cases when individual Christians, and sometimes entire communities led by bishops, not only deviated from God's law, but also gave their scrolls of Holy Scripture for destruction and the whole world went to offer sacrifices to the emperor in order only to save their lives. And they motivated it in the same way as many Christians do today: “The law of the Ten Commandments was given to the Jews”, or: “The Ten Commandments were abolished by the Savior at Calvary”, etc.

But if we are consistent and assume that they were right and that it is possible to violate the Sabbath commandment and worship idols in certain cramped circumstances, then it turns out that other commandments can also be violated in similar situations: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, honor father and mother... In fact, these were cases when Christians publicly renounced their faith, fearing threats and persecution. Their practical faith had nothing in common with genuine Christianity and with those Christians who consciously died at the hands of persecutors without compromising a single principle of Holy Scripture.

Persecution of Christians who did not submit to the state church (380-1800)

No matter how hard the pagans tried to eradicate the spread of the Good News, the shed blood of Christians became the holy seed, thanks to which thousands were converted to Christianity. The well-known early Christian writer and theologian Tertullian correctly said, referring to the persecutors of the Church in the book "Apology": "The more you destroy us, the more we will become: the blood of Christians is a seed." The way Christians met death with dignity, sometimes even with singing, shocked the minds of many sincere and thinking people who later became Christians themselves. So persecution only increased the number of witnesses to the truth. Eventually, by the 4th century, Christianity became the most influential religion in the empire and spread even beyond its borders. But this was not the victorious end of Christianity, since the now state Christian church began to use power to forcibly impose its faith on dissidents.

Since the days of the emperor Constantine, the Roman state has desired to have one single church under its control, and those communities and ideological currents that did not obey it were declared heretical and persecuted. Thus began an era of brutal persecution of Christians who did not obey the state church. Of these, Nestorians, Arians, Paulicians and others are known .... Those who did not obey, in fact, were not necessarily heretics. Among them were many Christians who, in contrast to the official teachings of the church of that time, tried to preserve the purity of the teachings of Christ. As a result, persecuted Christians moved outside the empire. Therefore, the spread of Christianity outside the empire took place precisely through the so-called "heretical movements" that established themselves in Eurasia and Africa. These churches are known under different names: "Celtic Church" - in Northern Europe, from Gaul to Finland and Novgorod; "Arians" - in Eastern and Central Europe among the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Lombards, Heruli, Vandals; "Nestorians" - from the Caucasus to China and India, and others.

Christians outside the empire

"At the beginning of the second century. n. e. Rome evicted especially zealous followers of the Christian faith to the outskirts of the empire (the territory of modern Romania and Ukraine. - Auth.). This is known, for example, the emperor Trajan (98-117). During the persecution, Christians found shelter among the peoples of the Black Sea region. In this way, Christianity spread outside the empire, including in the lands of Ukraine, then known as Gothia or Scythia.

We have many examples of heroes of the faith who lived in our lands and kept their faith in Jesus Christ by keeping God's commandments. But more on that in the next issues of the newspaper.

Under conditions of persecution, the Apostle Paul wrote on behalf of sincere and courageous Christians: “We are considered deceivers, but we are faithful; we are unknown, but we are recognized; we are reckoned dead, but behold, we are alive; we are punished, but we do not die; we are grieved, but we always rejoice; we are poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we have everything" (Bible. 2 Corinthians 6:8-10).

Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire - The causes and motives of the three-century persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire against Christians by the Roman Empire are complex and varied. From the point of view of the Roman state, Christians were offenders to majesty (majestatis rei), apostates from state deities (άθεοι, sacrilegi), followers of magic forbidden by law (magi, malefici), and religion forbidden by law (religio nova, peregrina et illicita). They were accused of lèse majesté, both because they gathered secretly and at night for their worship, constituting unlawful meetings (participation in the "collegium illicitum" or "coetus nocturni" was equated with rebellion), and because they refused to honor the imperial images with libations and smoking. Apostasy from state deities (sacrilegium) was also considered a form of lèse majesté. Miraculous healings and the institute of exorcists that existed in the primitive Church were considered by the pagans to be the work of magic forbidden by law. They thought that Jesus left his followers with magical books that contained the secret of exorcism and healing. Therefore, the holy Christian books were the subject of intense searches by pagan authorities, especially during the Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire a. Magical writings and magicians themselves were legally condemned to be burned, and accomplices in crime were crucified or died in the circus. As for religiones peregrinae, they were already prohibited by the laws of the XII tables: according to the laws of the empire, people of the upper class were subject to exile for belonging to an alien religion, and the lower class to death. moreover, it was a complete denial of the entire pagan system: religion, state, way of life, customs, social and family life. but for the pagan there was an "enemy" in the broadest sense of the word: hostis publicus deorum, imperatorum, legum, morum, naturae totius inimicus etc. We, the rulers and legislators, saw in Christians conspirators and rebels, shaking all the foundations of state and public life. Priests and other ministers of the pagan religion naturally had to be at enmity against Christians and incite enmity towards them. Educated people who do not believe in the ancient gods, but who revere science, art, the entire Greco-Roman culture, saw the spread of Christianity - this, from their point of view, wild oriental superstition - as a great danger to civilization. The uneducated mob, blindly attached to idols, pagan holidays and rituals, pursued the "godless" with fanaticism. In such a mood of pagan society, the most absurd rumors could spread about Christians, find faith and arouse new enmity towards Christians. All pagan society, with particular zeal, helped to carry out the punishment of the law on those whom it considered enemies of society and even accused of hatred for the entire human race.

It has been customary since ancient times to count ten Persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire against Christians, namely by the emperors: Nero, a, Trajan, M., S. Severus, a, Decius, Vale p Ian, a and Diocletian. Such an account is artificial, based on the number of Egyptian plagues or horns fighting against the lamb in e (Rev. 17, 12). It does not correspond to the facts and does not explain events well. There were fewer than ten general, widespread, systematic persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire, while there were incomparably more private, local, and random persecutions. The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire did not have the same ferocity at all times and in all places. The very crimes brought against Christians, for example. sacrilegium, could be punished more severely or softer, at the discretion of the judge. The best emperors, like Trajan, M. Aurelius, Decius and Diocletian, persecuted Christians, because it was important for them to protect the foundations of state and public life. Unworthy emperors, like Commodus, and were indulgent towards Christians, of course, not out of sympathy, but out of complete negligence about state affairs. Often the society itself started against the Christians and encouraged the rulers to do so. This was especially evident during public calamities. In North Africa, a proverb was formed: "there is no rain, therefore the Christians are to blame." As soon as there was a flood, a drought or an epidemic, the fanatical crowd shouted: "chri stianos ad leones"! In the persecutions that belonged to the emperors, sometimes in the foreground there were political motives - disrespect for the emperors and anti-state aspirations, sometimes purely religious motives - the denial of the gods and belonging to an unlawful religion. However, politics and religion could never be completely separated, because religion was considered in Rome as a matter of state.

The Roman at first did not know Christians: it considered them a Jewish sect. In this capacity, the Christians used it and at the same time were just as despised as the Jews. The first persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire is considered to be undertaken by Nero (64); but it was not really persecution for the faith, and does not seem to have extended beyond Rome. The tyrant wanted to punish those who, in the eyes of the people, were capable of a shameful deed for the fire of Rome, in which popular opinion accused him. As a result, the well-known inhuman extermination of Christians in Rome took place. Since then, Christians have felt a complete disgust for the Roman state, as can be seen from the apocalyptic description of the great a, a wife drunk with the blood of martyrs. Nero in the eyes of Christians was the Antichrist, who would once again appear to fight against the people of God, but the kingdom of demons, which would soon be completely destroyed with the coming of Christ and the foundation of the grace-filled kingdom of the Messiah. Under Nero in Rome, according to ancient church tradition, the apostles Paul and Peter suffered. The second persecution is attributed to the emperor. Domitian (81-96); but it was not systematic and ubiquitous. There were several executions in Rome, for reasons little known; from you were presented to Rome the relatives of Christ in the flesh, the descendants of David, in whose innocence, however, the emperor himself was convinced and allowed them to return unhindered to their homeland. - For the first time, the Roman state began to act against Christians as against a certain society, politically suspicious, under the emperor. Trajan (98-117), who, at the request of Pliny the Younger, the ruler of Bithynia, indicated how the authorities should deal with Christians. According to Pliny's report, no political crimes were noticed for Christians, except perhaps for rude superstition and invincible stubbornness (they did not want to make libations and incense in front of the imperial images). In view of this, the emperor decided not to look for Christians and not to accept anonymous denunciations against them; but, if they are legally accused, and, upon investigation, prove obstinate in their superstition, put them to death. Trajan's immediate successors also adhered to this definition regarding Christians. But the number of Christians quickly multiplied, and already in some places pagan temples began to empty. The numerous and widespread secret society of Christ could no longer be tolerated by the government, like the Jewish sect: it was, in his eyes, dangerous not only for the state religion, but also for civil order. Imperial is unfairly attributed. Hadrian (117-138) and Pius (138-160) have edicts favorable to Christians. With them, the decree of Trajan remained in full force. But the persecution of their time might seem insignificant compared to what the Christians experienced in the last years of the reign of M. Aurelius (161-180). M. Aurelius despised Christians, as a Stoic philosopher, and hated them, as a ruler who cares about the welfare of the state. Therefore, he ordered to search for Christians and decided to torture and torment them in order to turn them away from superstition and stubbornness; those who remained firm were subject to the death penalty. Persecution simultaneously raged in various parts of the empire: in Gaul, Greece, in the East. We have detailed information about the persecution of Christians at this time in the Gallic cities of Lyons and Vienne. Under M. Aurelius in Rome, St. suffered. Justin the philosopher, an apologist for Christianity, in Lyon - Pofin, a 90-year-old elder, a bishop; the maiden Blondina and the 15-year-old young man Pontik became famous for their firmness in enduring torment and heroic death. The bodies of the martyrs lay in heaps along the streets of Lyon, which they then burned and threw the ashes into the Rhone. The successor of M. Aurelius, Commodus (180-192), restored a more merciful Trajan for Christians. S. Sever until 202 was relatively favorable to Christians, but since that year severe persecutions broke out in various parts of the empire; with particular force they raged in Egypt and Africa; here two young women became famous for the special heroism of martyrdom, Perepetua and. Religious imp. Heliogabalus (218-222) and Al. Severus (222-235) urged them to treat Christians favorably. During the short reign of Maximinus (235-238), both the emperor's unwillingness and the fanaticism of the mob, stirred up against Christians by various disasters, were the cause of severe persecution in many provinces. Under the successors of Maximin, and especially under Philip the Arabian (244-249), Christians enjoyed such indulgence that the latter was even considered a Christian himself. With the accession to the throne of Decius (249-251), such a persecution broke out over Christians, which, in systematicity and cruelty, surpassed all previous ones, even the persecution of M. Aurelius. The emperor, taking care of the old religion and the preservation of all ancient state orders, himself led the persecution; detailed instructions were given to the provincial chiefs in this regard. Serious attention was paid to the fact that none of the Christians took refuge from the search; the number of executions was extremely high. adorned with many glorious martyrs; but there were many who fell away, especially because the long period of tranquility that had preceded had lulled some of the heroism of martyrdom. Under e (253-260), at the beginning of his reign, indulgent towards Christians, they again had to endure severe persecution. In order to upset society, the government now paid special attention to Christians from the privileged classes, and above all to the primates and leaders of the Christian society, the bishops. Bishop suffered in e. , in Rome Pope Sixtus II and his deacon , a hero between the martyrs. The son (260-268) stopped the persecution, and for about 40 years Christians enjoyed religious freedom - until the edict issued in 303 by Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian (284-305) did nothing at first against the Christians; some Christians even occupied prominent positions in the army and government. Some attributed the change in the mood of the emperor to his co-ruler Galerius (see). At their congress, an edict was issued in which Christian meetings were ordered to be banned, churches to be destroyed, sacred books to be taken away and burned, and Christians to be deprived of all positions and rights. The persecution began with the destruction of the magnificent temple of the Nicomedia Christians. Shortly thereafter, a fire broke out in the imperial palace. This was blamed on the Christians; a second edict appeared, persecution flared up with particular force in various regions of the empire, except for Gaul and Spain, where a supporter of Christians ruled. In 305, when Diocletian renounced his rule, Galerius became co-ruler with Maximinus, an ardent enemy of the Christians. The suffering of Christians and numerous examples of martyrdom found an eloquent description in Eusebius, Bishop. com. In 311, shortly before his death, he stopped the persecution and demanded prayers from Christians for the empire and the emperor. Maximinus, who ruled the Asian city, continued to persecute Christians even after the death of Galerius. Little by little, however, the conviction grew stronger that it was impossible to achieve the destruction of Christianity. The first edict of religious tolerance, issued under Galerius, was followed in 312 and 313. second and third edicts in the same spirit, issued by me together with Licinius. According to the Edict of Milan in 313, Christians received complete freedom in the profession of their faith; their temples and all previously confiscated property were returned to them. From the time Christianity enjoyed the rights and mi of the dominant religion in the Roman Empire, after m a short-term pagan reaction under the emperor Julian (361-363).

Literature: Le Blant, "Les bases juridiques des poursuites dirigées contre les martyrs" (in "Comptes rendus de l" academ. des inscript.", P., 1868); Keim, "Rom u. d. Christenthum" (1881); Aubé, "Hist. des persec. de l "église" (some articles from here were translated in the "Orthodox Review" and in the "Wanderer"); Uhlhorn, "Der Kampf des Christenthums mit dem Heidenthum" (1886); Berdnikov, "State position of religion in the Roman Empire" (1881, Kazan); , "The attitude of the Roman state to religion before Constantine the Great" (Kyiv, 1876); A., "The era of persecution of Christians and so on." (Moscow, 1885).

As you know, even at the dawn of its existence, the Christian Church faced the most severe resistance from the Roman Empire. And according to many researchers of this period, based on objective historical prerequisites, Christianity was obviously doomed to conflict with the paganism that dominated at that time.

The founder of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth, was put to death by the most shameful execution in the Roman Empire. At least eleven of His twelve closest disciples were martyred, and over the next three hundred years, Christianity became the victim of severe persecution, which, although sporadic, was IV V. to declare oneself a Christian meant forever forgetting about peace and prosperity, and in some cases such a confession doomed a person to certain death.

Since ancient times, it has been considered that during the first three centuries, ten most cruel periods of persecution can be distinguished that occurred during the reign of the following emperors: Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximinus, Decius (Decius), Valerian, Aurelian and Diocletian. This point of view occupies a firm place in Christian historiography, beginning with Blessed. Augustine Aurelius, who counts precisely ten major periods of persecution in his fundamental work "On the City of God" ( xviii , 52). However, in fairness, it should be noted that not all Church Fathers shared this historical conception of Augustine. So, for example, Lactantius has six stages of persecution, and Sulpicius Severus has nine.

The most severe of the persecutions was the last persecution, which fell upon Christians in 303 and continued with varying degrees of intensity until the legitimization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine І Great. Regarding this most bloody period in the history of the ancient Church, which is, in fact, the agony of paganism in anticipation of its imminent defeat, the outstanding Russian church historian V.V. Bolotov wrote that if the people rebelled against the Christians, then the state stood up for the Christians, and vice versa . The Church has never dealt with a full mass of enemies, except for the time of Diocletian, when paganism for the last time and with all its might came out against Christianity.

Without a doubt, the division of the entire period of persecution into ten stages is conditional and schematic, and does not quite objectively reflect the historical picture, which is much richer and more diverse. Such an account was originally adopted by the Church as a kind of allusion to the ten Egyptian plagues or horns fighting against the Lamb in the Book of Revelation (see Revelation 17:12).

In fact, there were less than ten general, widespread and systematic persecutions, while there were much more than ten private and local persecutions. The persecution did not have the same degree of intensity and cruelty on the part of the persecutors, and at different periods shook the Roman Empire with different power. Of particular interest is the fact that the most striking outbreaks of persecution occurred precisely under those Roman emperors who, in terms of the degree of conscientiousness in the performance of their public duties, could be called one of the best in the entire history of the Roman Empire. Both Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius, and Decius, and Diocletian persecuted Christians because for them it was of fundamental importance to preserve the traditional form of Roman statehood and the fundamental foundations of public life in the empire.

But the most important thing is that these persecutions had an obvious providential character. As a result, a large-scale and multi-stage three-hundred-year persecution ended in nothing more than the triumph of the Church and the establishment of Christianity as the legitimate, and later as the state religion of the Roman Empire. According to renowned Western Church historian Philip Schaff, “This bloody baptism of the Church led to the birth of Christendom. It was a continuation of the crucifixion followed by the resurrection." .

In the beginning, it should be noted that as long as Christianity was "under cover of Judaism" (Tertullian), it shared hatred and contempt with the Jews. However, Judaism was one of the permitted religions in the Roman Empire, and God's providence was pleased that by the time Christianity declared itself as an independent religion, it was already deeply rooted in the main cities of the Roman Empire. For example, as you know, the Apostle Paul, under the guise of Roman citizenship, brought the sermon about Christ to the borders of the Roman state, and the Roman proconsul in Corinth refused to interfere in the activities of the apostle precisely on the grounds that it was an internal Jewish problem.

It is worth mentioning here why Judaism enjoyed legal protection in the Roman Empire. V.V. Bolotov explains this fact by three main reasons:

It was an ancient and national religion.
The Jews were the political backbone of Rome.
Jewish rites seemed strange and dirty to the Romans (for example, circumcision). That is why they thought that the Jews could hardly, in principle, have proselytes among other peoples.

As for the factors that led to the aggravation of relations between the nascent Christian Church and the Roman state, many church historians identify a whole range of such reasons. There is no consensus on this matter in church history. Most often, historians talk about the fundamental incompatibility of the Christian worldview and the Roman state system. However, this theory does not look very convincing due to the fact that after the era of Constantine the Great, history has shown that Christianity can quite organically fit into Roman social reality.

A very interesting point of view comes from a man whose writings we need to turn to first. This is the father of church history, Eusebius of Caesarea, according to whom persecution is a difficult pedagogical lesson for the Church for its secularization, lukewarmness and a gradual decrease in moral discipline in it.

At the beginning of the eighth book of his fundamental work entitled "Ecclesiastical History", Eusebius writes the following words: “As long as the people behaved with dignity, no hatred touched them, no evil demon was able to harm them or interfere with them through human slander, for the divine and heavenly hand overshadowed and protected their people. When, having gained greater freedom, we began to act indecisively and sluggishly, when we began to envy each other, quarrel with each other and strike each other with words as with weapons, when our shepherds began to attack other shepherds, and one flock to another, shameful hypocrisy reached the highest degree of evil, then Divine Justice, as It loves to do, tried, when the prayer meetings were still going on, to reason with us with a light and moderate punishment, allowing the persecution of the brothers who served in the army. .

Despite the fact that Eusebius of Caesarea in this passage writes about the beginning of the Diocletian persecution, the reason he formulated seems to be intellectually honest, universal and very symptomatic. Persecution is the action of the finger of God for a compromise with this world, to which the Church has gone.

Summarizing his analysis of the reasons for the persecution of Christians, the outstanding Orthodox church historian Professor A.P. Lebedev concludes that a clash between the Roman Empire and Christianity is inevitable and inevitable: “Taking into account the incompatibility of Christianity with state ideas, with the attitude of pagan Rome to its own and foreign religions, and, finally, with social demands in the Empire, we must say that persecution of Christians not only could be, but should be; and there is nothing surprising if they really were, on the contrary, it would be an inexpressible marvel if there were no persecution at all. .

First, it should be noted that all the Roman emperors, starting from Augustus, were at the same time the supreme high priests ( pontifex maximus ). This suggests that in the Roman Empire, religion did not have the slightest independence. It was under the strict control of state power, and the idea of separating the religious sphere of life from the secular one, which today is considered almost the only possible norm, was absolutely alien and unknown to Roman society. This explains the fact that the religious system was part of the state system, and religious law - sacrum jus – was only one of the common law subsections – publicum jus . That is why V.V. Bolotov comes to the following conclusion: "The Christian Church challenged paganism, but the state accepted this challenge, since the pagan church did not exist, and the pagan religion was state" .

Therefore, prof. Bolotov, making an intermediate conclusion in his studies, conditionally identifies three main reasons that can explain the extreme militancy of paganism in relation to Christianity:

State character of the pagan religion.
Conservatism (Christianity is a new religion) and Roman formalism.
Roman religious superficiality.

That is why the conflict between the Church and the Roman Empire was practically predetermined when Christians, through the lips of apologists, began to publicly voice the idea of the non-identity of the civil sphere of life, in which they were ready to observe complete obedience to Roman laws, and the religious sphere, in which representatives of the new religion demanded complete freedom. conscience.

Prominent apologist ІІ V. Tertullian addressed the Roman government with the following words: “Everyone can dispose of himself, just as a person is free to act in the matter of religion” . Tertullian emphasizes that “Natural law, universal human law requires that everyone should be allowed to worship whomever he wants. The religion of one is neither harmful nor beneficial to another." . In his opinion, “to compel free people to make sacrifices is to do flagrant injustice, to do unheard-of violence” .

Similar views on religious freedom were also expressed by Justin Martyr (Apologia І ), and at the end of the period of persecution - by Lactantius, who wrote: “One should not resort to violence and injustice, since religion cannot be subjected to coercion. The matter must be decided rather with words than with whips, so that there is room for good will. ... Torture and piety are very far from each other; neither truth wants to be united with violence, nor justice with cruelty" ( V.19.11.17).

Of course, such a protest on the part of Christianity against the centuries-old religious foundations of Roman society could not be tolerated and calmly listened to by the Roman emperors, which is, in fact, one of the most important reasons for those persecutions that were raised against the Church at the dawn of Christianity.

In this regard, it is also important to raise the question of how sincerely and deeply the pagans of the Roman Empire professed their religious beliefs. Apparently, the essence and content of their faith, as well as its depth and sincerity, were of no interest to anyone. In order for a person to be considered a reliable citizen of the empire, it was enough for him to perform an external ritual rite in front of a statue of a pagan deity. Even the purely mechanical and absolutely formal performance of this external act convinced others of the person's political loyalty and civic reliability.

V.V. Bolotov eloquently testifies that in the Roman Empire "sincere faith was a sign of underdevelopment" . According to this most authoritative church historian, “The pagans believed in their gods less than the Christians themselves, who fought with them. For the Christians, these gods were at least demons, while the intelligent pagan was inclined to regard them as mere inventions. ... With a light attitude towards their faith, the statesmen of Rome could not understand the gravity of the donation that they wanted from Christians, assuming that they demanded from them minimum » . And Vasily Vasilyevich summarizes his reasoning on this topic as follows: “The martyrs, by their personal example of high selflessness, showed the world around us that religion is such an important matter that sometimes it is better to sacrifice life itself than to sacrifice it” .

As you know, at the beginning IV V. under Emperor Constantine, Christianity acquired the status of a permitted religion among a wide variety of pagan cults (parity), and at the end IV V. under Emperor Theodosius, it became the only state religion (priority). There is no unambiguous assessment of this historical metamorphosis. The well-known church historian, patrologist and Byzantine scholar Fr. John Meyendorff writes the following words on this subject: “The Empire treated the Church as an institution. As a result of this attitude, the entire population was able to accept Christianity; but at the same time, the union concluded between the Church and the state, obviously assumed on the part of the Church some compromises and certain shifts in priorities, often to the detriment of the persuasiveness of her gospel. .

In church history IV century is indeed rightfully considered a turning point, because it was during this period that radical changes took place in the self-consciousness and self-awareness of the Christian Church. Having worthily endured persecution, which, although intermittently, however, lasted for three hundred years, the Church of God was established, strengthened and occupied a dominant position in Roman society. And this fact could not but leave an imprint on the attitude of the Church towards those religious communities that from now on found themselves in the status of a persecuted minority. This aspect is not so often reflected in church history studies devoted to the first centuries of Christianity, but without highlighting this important point, any study of the persecution of Christians in the first centuries would be incomplete and intellectually dishonest.

In one of his laws, adopted after the Edict of Milan, Emperor Constantine literally writes the following words: “The privileges admitted in relation to religion are to be enjoyed only by the guardians of the catholic law. But heretics and schismatics, we command to consider not only alien to these privileges, but also to oblige various kinds of duties and bear them. .

As for the pagans, Constantine did not want to act on the pagans with harsh measures of punishment and restraint. He was well aware that such measures would not lead to the desired goal. He wanted to achieve his goal, i.e., bringing the pagans to Christianity, in another way: he raised Christianity to the position of the state religion so that with its brilliance and grandeur, as it were, it involuntarily attracted supporters of pagan cults.

However, already a few decades after the legitimization of Christianity under Constantine the Great, the first cases of intolerance on the part of Christians towards pagans appear. Even the outstanding Orthodox church historian A.P. Lebedev shows amazing intellectual honesty in this matter and notes the following fact: "You have to admit - writes prof. Lebedev, - that the great idea of Constantine that the Church should, by its brilliance, attract pagans to communion with it, and not use any measures of violence and severity - this great idea was not assimilated by his successors on the throne of Constantinople. They forgot or did not understand what Constantine wanted, and therefore from repressions against heretics very soon came to repressions against pagans. .

And in conclusion, one should cite the thought of a modern researcher of this period of church history, who writes: “The Church Fathers of the era of persecution of the Church (Cyprian, Origen, Tertullian, Lactantius, and others) opposed the forcible suppression of dissenting Christians. Of course, church fighters against heresy long ago ruled out the main requirement of love in matters of faith, they began to scold and vilify dissidents and believers. But he who sows hatred will sooner or later reap blood. The dominant Church soon abandoned the tolerance for which the persecuted had begged.

... Starting with Theodosius the Great (+395), heresy was considered a state crime: an enemy of the Church is also an enemy of the empire and is subject to appropriate punishment. In 385, the Spanish theologian Priscillian and his six associates were executed at Trier for heresy. Martin of Tours and others protested. Ambrose, Pope Siricius, and Christendom, by and large, condemned this first slaughter of some Christians by others because of differences in faith. But gradually got used to it. Already Leo the Great spoke with satisfaction about such a course of action. Contrary to his earlier opinion, the great Augustine, already in his years and having failed in a dispute with the Donatists, justified the use of violence against heretics, referring to the Gospel of Luke 14:23. However, he rejected the death penalty, which had been used since the beginning V centuries in isolated cases - to the Manichaeans and Donatists " .

Therefore, the main conclusion from the situation we are considering, in which the Universal Church found itself in IV c., there must be a firm conviction that, firstly, any persecution of the Church is often at first glance incomprehensible, but, upon careful study and detailed consideration, a deeply providential pedagogical method and admonition from the Creator for apostasy from the Gospel, and , secondly, even the worthy enduring of another wave of persecution, of which there have been countless in the history of the Church, does not give Christians themselves the right to respond in the same spirit, for armed coercion and violence can never and nowhere be a tool for establishing the truth God's and the way of conveying the Truth.

Why did the Roman Empire persecute (up to a point) Christians?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:

St. Apostle Paul says: all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and deceivers will prosper in evil, leading astray and deluding(2 Tim. 3:12-13). Such is the fate of all for whom the gospel is a guide to life. Persecution here refers not only to persecution by the anti-Christian authorities, but also to temptations, sorrows and sorrows to which pious people are subjected. Addressing His disciples, the Savior said: If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you(John 15:19).

The persecution of the followers of Jesus Christ began from the first days of Christianity. The beginning was laid by the blind leaders of the Jewish people, but later the entire power of the Roman state fell upon the primordial Church. Researchers indicate the main reasons for the persecution by Rome: state, religious and moral.

1. The pagan idea of the state assumed the fullness of the right of power to dispose of the public life of citizens, including also religious life. Religion was part of the state system. All Roman emperors from Augustus onward had the title Pontifex maximus (high priest). Christianity recognized the rights of the state in all spheres of life, except for the area of faith. It is with aphoristic brevity that Jesus Christ said to those who tempted Him: give what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God(Matthew 22:21). In the minds of the Romans, the highest value was the state. Christianity proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven as the highest good. The Roman authorities considered the existence of Christians incompatible with the principles of the universal domination of the state principle in all spheres of life.

2. The religious policy of the Roman authorities was characterized by tolerance. Conquering more and more new peoples, Rome preserved their cults and even protected them by law. It was not difficult in relation to paganism. But even the official religion of Israel enjoyed patronage. Such a policy of Rome was aimed at achieving the stability and strength of a vast empire. According to Roman law, all cults and beliefs of the conquered peoples were religiones licitae (permissible religions). Only Christianity did not find a place in this religious-legal system. It turned out to be illegal. The situation was aggravated by the struggle between Judaism and the New Testament religion. The Roman authorities, persecuting the "illegal" religion, as if defending the rights of the religion of the Jews legalized by them.

The Roman state persecuted Christians not only for the above reasons. The very nature of Christianity with the preaching of the worship of God in spirit and truth(John 4:23) was deeply alien to the religion of the Romans. Christians had neither sacrifices nor traditional forms of worship. All this seemed to the Roman authorities incomprehensible, unnatural and dangerous. This attitude grew with the amazing success of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean. There were even Christians at the imperial court. The Holy Apostle ends the Epistle: All the saints greet you, and especially from the Caesar's house(Phil. 4:22). Prominent representatives of the pagan world in the face of Christianity could not help but feel the mortal danger that threatened paganism, which by that time had lost its vitality.

3. New Testament religion in all its moral purity and loftiness was a reproach and denunciation of Roman society, which was in a state of moral decline. Honor, duty, valor, personal dignity, courage remained the traditional concepts on which the Roman was brought up. But the desire for pleasure, selfishness, laxity, licentiousness, greed have long since drained the moral organism from within. Adultery, frequent divorces, fornication were common in society: from members of the imperial family to a simple Roman who lived on the Aventine Hill. During this era, people often resorted to suicide. Opened the veins or took poison. All diseased societies are characterized by the spread of covetousness and fornication. Covetousness seizes consciousness regardless of the state. Rich or poor, high-ranking or subordinate, noble or obscure - all were infected with this disease. This is not how Christians lived. The moral law for them was the Word of God: Therefore, imitate God, as beloved children, and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God, for a sweet savor. But fornication and all impurity and covetousness should not even be named among you, as befits saints.(Eph.5:1-3).

The persecution came in waves. Researchers count ten periods: 64 (Nero), 95-96. (Domitian), 98-117 (Trajan), 177 (Marcus Aurelius), 202-211 (Septimius Severus), 250-252 (Decius and Gallus), 257-259 (Valerian), 270-275 (Aurelian), 303-311 (Diocletian), 311-313 (Maximian). Edict of Milan (313) St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great gave the Christians peace and marked victory.

Constantine the Great. Bronze. 4th century Rome.

About 285 AD e. in Naissus, Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantius I Chlorus, the Roman governor in Gaul, and his wife Helen Flavius had a son, Flavius \u200b\u200bValerius Constantine. Constantius Chlorus himself was a modest, gentle and courteous man. Religiously, he was a monotheist, worshiped the sun god Sol, who during the time of the Empire was identified with eastern deities, especially with the Persian god of light Mitra - the god of the sun, the god of contract and consent. It was to this deity that he dedicated his family. Elena, according to some sources, was a Christian (there were many Christians around Constantius, and he treated them very kindly), according to others, she was a pagan. In 293, Constantius and Helen were forced to divorce for political reasons, but the ex-wife still occupied a place of honor at his court. The son of Constantius had to be sent from a young age to the court of Emperor Diocletian in Nicomedia.

By that time, the Christian Church already played a very important role in the life of the Empire, and millions of people were Christians - from slaves to the highest officials of the state. There were many Christians at the court in Nicomedia. However, in 303, Diocletian, under the influence of his son-in-law Galerius, a rude and superstitious pagan, decided to destroy the Christian Church. The most terrible persecution of the new religion of an all-imperial nature began. Thousands and thousands of people were brutally tortured for belonging to the Church alone. It was at this moment that young Constantine found himself in Nicomedia and witnessed a bloody bacchanalia of murders that caused grief and regret in him. Brought up in an atmosphere of religious tolerance, Constantine did not understand the politics of Diocletian. Constantine himself continued to honor Mitra-Sun, and all his thoughts were aimed at strengthening his position in that difficult situation and finding a way to power.

In 305, Emperor Diocletian and his co-ruler Maximian Heruclius relinquished power in favor of successors. In the east of the Empire, power passed to Galerius, and in the west - to Constantius Chlorus and Maxentius. Constantius Chlorus was already seriously ill and asked Galerius to release his son Constantine from Nicomedia, but Galerius delayed the decision, fearing a rival. Only a year later, Konstantin finally managed to get Galerius' consent to leave. The terminally ill father blessed his son and gave him command of the troops in Gaul.

In 311, suffering from an unknown illness, Galerius decided to stop the persecution of Christians. Apparently, he suspected that his illness was "the revenge of the God of Christians." Therefore, he allowed the Christians to "assemble freely for their meetings" and "offer prayers for the safety of the emperor." A few weeks later Galerius died; under his successors, the persecution of Christians resumed, albeit on a smaller scale.

Maxentius and Licinius were two Augusts, and Constantine was proclaimed by the senate as Chief Augustus. The next year, war broke out in the west of the Empire between Constantine and Maxentius, as Maxentius claimed to be the sole ruler. Licinius joined Constantine. Of the 100,000-strong army stationed in Gaul and at the disposal of Constantine, he was able to allocate only a fourth, while Maxentius had 170,000 infantry and 18,000 cavalry. Constantine's campaign against Rome began, therefore, in unfavorable conditions for him. Sacrifices were made to the pagan gods in order for the gods to reveal the future, and their predictions were bad. In the autumn of 312 Constantine's small army approached Rome. Constantine, as it were, challenged the eternal city - everything was against him. It was at this time that visions began to appear to the religious Caesar, which strengthened his spirit. First, he saw in a dream in the eastern part of the sky a huge fiery cross. And soon angels appeared to him, saying: "Konstantin, with this you will win." Inspired by this, Caesar ordered that the sign of the name of Christ be inscribed on the shields of the soldiers. Subsequent events confirmed the emperor's visions.

The ruler of Rome, Maxentius, did not leave the city, having received the oracle's prediction that he would die if he left the gates of Rome. The troops were successfully commanded by his commanders, relying on a huge numerical superiority. The fateful day for Maxentius was the anniversary of his gaining power - October 28th. The battle broke out under the walls of the city, and the soldiers of Maxentius had a clear advantage and a better strategic position, but the events seem to confirm the proverb: "Whom God wants to punish, he deprives him of reason." Suddenly, Maxentius decided to seek advice from the Sibylline Books (a collection of sayings and predictions that served for official divination in Ancient Rome) and read in them that the enemy of the Romans would die on that day. Encouraged by this prediction, Maxentius left the city and appeared on the battlefield. When crossing the Mulvinsky bridge near Rome, the bridge collapsed behind the emperor; Maxentius' troops were seized with panic, they rushed to run. Crushed by the crowd, the emperor fell into the Tiber and drowned. Even the pagans saw Constantine's unexpected victory as a miracle. He himself, of course, had no doubt that he owed his victory to Christ.

It was from that moment that Constantine began to consider himself a Christian, but he has not yet accepted baptism. The emperor understood that the strengthening of his power would inevitably be associated with actions contrary to Christian morality, and therefore was in no hurry. The rapid adoption of the Christian faith might not have pleased the supporters of the pagan religion, who were especially numerous in the army. Thus, a strange situation arose when a Christian was at the head of the empire, who was not formally a member of the Church, because he came to faith not through the search for truth, but as an emperor (Caesar), seeking God, protecting and sanctifying his power. This ambiguous position subsequently became the source of many problems and contradictions, but so far, at the beginning of his reign, Constantine, like the Christians, was enthusiastic. This is reflected in the Edict of Milan on religious tolerance, drawn up in 313 by the emperor of the West Constantine and the emperor of the East (Galerius' successor) Licinius. This law differed significantly from the decree of Galerius of 311, which was also poorly implemented.

The Edict of Milan proclaimed religious tolerance: "Freedom in religion should not be constrained, on the contrary, it is necessary to give the right to take care of Divine objects to the mind and heart of everyone, according to his own will." It was a very bold move that made a huge difference. The religious freedom proclaimed by Emperor Constantine remained a dream of mankind for a long time. The emperor himself subsequently changed this principle more than once. The edict gave Christians the right to spread their teachings and convert others to their faith. Until now, this was forbidden to them as a "Jewish sect" (conversion to Judaism was punishable by death under Roman law). Constantine ordered the return to the Christians of all property confiscated during the persecution.

Although during the reign of Constantine the equality of paganism and Christianity proclaimed by him was respected (the emperor allowed the ancestral cult of the Flavians and even the construction of a temple "to his deity"), all the sympathies of the authorities were on the side of the new religion, and Rome was decorated with a statue of Constantine with his right hand raised for the sign of the cross.

The emperor was careful to ensure that the Christian Church had all the privileges that pagan priests used (for example, exemption from official duties). Moreover, soon the bishops were given the right of jurisdiction (trial, legal proceedings) in civil cases, the right to release slaves to freedom; thus the Christians received, as it were, their own judgment. 10 years after the adoption of the Edict of Milan, Christians were allowed not to participate in pagan festivities. Thus, the new significance of the Church in the life of the Empire received legal recognition in almost all areas of life.

The political life of the Roman Empire meanwhile went on as usual. In 313, Licinius and Constantine remained the sole rulers of Rome. Already in 314, Constantine and Licinius began to fight among themselves; the Christian emperor won two battles and achieved the annexation of almost the entire Balkan Peninsula to his possessions, and after another 10 years a decisive battle took place between the two rival rulers. Constantine had 120 thousand infantry and cavalry and 200 small ships, while Licinius had 150 thousand infantry, 15 thousand cavalry and 350 large three-oared galleys. Nevertheless, the army of Licinius was defeated in a land battle near Adrianople, and the son of Constantine Crispus defeated the fleet of Licinius in the Hellespont (Dardanelles). After another defeat, Licinius surrendered. The winner promised him life in exchange for renunciation of power. However, the drama didn't end there. Licinius was exiled to Thessaloniki and executed a year later. In 326, on the orders of Constantine, his ten-year-old son, Licinius the Younger, was also killed, despite the fact that his mother, Constantia, was Constantine's half-sister.

At the same time, the emperor ordered the death of his own son Crispus. The reasons for this are unknown. Some contemporaries believed that the son was involved in some kind of conspiracy against his father, others that he was slandered by the second wife of the emperor, Fausta (Crispus was the son of Constantine from his first marriage), trying to clear the way to power for their children. A few years later, she also died, suspected by the emperor of adultery.

Despite the bloody events in the palace, the Romans loved Constantine - he was strong, handsome, polite, sociable, loved humor and was in perfect control of himself. As a child, Konstantin did not receive a good education, but he respected educated people.

Constantine's domestic policy was to gradually promote the transformation of slaves into dependent peasants - colones (simultaneously with the growth of dependence and free peasants), to strengthen the state apparatus and increase taxes, to widely grant the senatorial title to wealthy provincials - all this strengthened his power. The emperor dismissed the Praetorian Guard, rightly considering it a source of domestic conspiracies. Barbarians - Scythians, Germans - were widely involved in military service. There were a lot of Franks at court, and Constantine was the first to open access to high positions for the barbarians. However, the emperor felt uncomfortable in Rome and in 330 founded the new capital of the state - New Rome - on the site of the Greek trading city of Byzantium, on the European coast of the Bosphorus. After some time, the new capital became known as Constantinople. Over the years, Constantine gravitated more and more towards luxury, and his court in the new (eastern) capital was very similar to the court of the eastern ruler. The emperor dressed in colorful silk robes embroidered with gold, wore false hair and walked around in gold bracelets and necklaces.

In general, the 25-year reign of Constantine I passed peacefully, except for the church unrest that began under him. The reason for this turmoil, in addition to religious and theological disputes, was that the relationship between the imperial power (Caesar) and the Church remained unclear. While the emperor was a pagan, Christians resolutely defended their inner freedom from encroachments, but with the victory of the Christian emperor (albeit not yet baptized), the situation changed fundamentally. According to the tradition that existed in the Roman Empire, it was the head of state who was the supreme arbiter in all disputes, including religious ones.

The first event was a schism in the Christian Church of Africa. Some believers were unhappy with the new bishop, as they considered him connected with those who renounced the faith during the period of persecution under Diocletian. They chose another bishop for themselves - Donat (they began to be called pre-natists), refused to obey the church authorities and turned to the court of Caesar. "What folly to demand judgment from a man who himself awaits the judgment of Christ!" exclaimed Konstantin. Indeed, he was not even baptized. However, wanting peace for the Church, the emperor agreed to act as judge. After listening to both sides, he decided that the Donatists were wrong, and immediately showed his power: their leaders were sent into exile, and the property of the Donatist Church was confiscated. This intervention of the authorities in the intra-church dispute was contrary to the spirit of the Edict of Milan on religious tolerance, but was perceived by everyone as completely natural. Neither the bishops nor the people objected. And the Donatists themselves, victims of persecution, did not doubt that Constantine had the right to resolve this dispute - they only demanded that persecution befall their opponents. The schism gave rise to mutual bitterness, and persecution gave rise to fanaticism, and real peace did not come to the African Church very soon. Weakened by internal unrest, this province in a few decades became an easy prey for vandals.

But the most serious split occurred in the east of the Empire in connection with the dispute with the Arians. Back in 318, a dispute arose in Alexandria between Bishop Alexander and his deacon Arius about the person of Christ. Very quickly, all Eastern Christians were drawn into this dispute. When in 324 Constantine annexed the eastern part of the Empire, he faced a situation close to schism, which could not but depress him, since both as a Christian and as an emperor he passionately desired church unity. "Give me back peaceful days and calm nights, so that I can finally find solace in the pure light (i.e. - the one Church. - Note. ed,)", - he wrote. To resolve this issue, he convened a council of bishops, which took place in Nicaea in 325 (I Ecumenical or Nicean Council 325).

Constantine received the 318 bishops who arrived solemnly and with great honor in his palace. Many bishops were persecuted by Diocletian and Galerius, and Constantine looked at their injuries and scars with tears in his eyes. The minutes of the First Ecumenical Council have not been preserved. It is only known that he condemned Arius as a heretic and solemnly proclaimed that Christ is consubstantial with God the Father. The council was chaired by the emperor and resolved a few more issues related to worship. In general, for the entire empire, this was, of course, the triumph of Christianity.

In 326 Constantine's mother Helen made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where the cross of Jesus Christ was found. On her initiative, the cross was raised and slowly turned to the four cardinal directions, as if consecrating the whole world to Christ. Christianity has won. But peace was still very far away. The court bishops, and above all Eusebius of Caesarea, were friends of Arius. At the council in Nicaea, they agreed with his condemnation, seeing the mood of the vast majority of bishops, but then they tried to convince the emperor that Arius was condemned by mistake. Constantine (who had not yet been baptized!), of course, listened to their opinion and therefore returned Arius from exile and ordered, again resorting to his imperial power, to accept him back into the bosom of the Church (this did not happen, since Arius died on the way to Egypt). All the irreconcilable opponents of Arius and the supporters of the Council of Nicaea, and above all the new Bishop of Alexandria Athanasius, he sent into exile. This happened in 330-335.

The intervention of Constantine led to the fact that the Arian schism stretched out for almost the entire 4th century and was eliminated only in 381 at the II Ecumenical Council (Council of Constantinople in 381), but this happened after the death of the emperor. In 337, Constantine felt the approach of death. All his life he dreamed of being baptized in the waters of the Jordan, but political affairs interfered with this. Now, on his deathbed, it was no longer possible to postpone, and before his death he was baptized by the same Eusebius of Caesarea. On May 22, 337, Emperor Constantine I died in the Aquirion Palace, near Nicomedia, leaving three heirs. His ashes were buried in the Apostolic Church in Constantinople. Church historians called Constantine the Great and proclaimed him a model of a Christian.

The significance of Constantine I the Great is enormous. In fact, a new era began with him both in the life of the Christian Church and in the history of mankind, which was called the “epoch of Constantine,” a complex and contradictory period. Constantine was the first of the Caesars to realize all the greatness and all the complexity of the combination of the Christian faith and political power, the first to try to realize his power as Christian service to people, but at the same time he inevitably acted in the spirit of the political traditions and customs of his time. Constantine gave the Christian Church freedom by releasing it from the underground, and for this he was called equal to the apostles, but, however, he too often acted as an arbiter in church disputes, thereby subordinating the Church to the state. It was Constantine who first proclaimed the high principles of religious tolerance and humanism, but could not put them into practice. The "thousand-year epoch of Constantine" that began further will carry all these contradictions of its founder.