When considering the significance of persecution, one must assess the motivation behind the pagan aversion to both Judaism and Christianity and evaluate the distinctions found between the two religions. There are three facets to the argument behind the conflict. Firstly, while the persecution of Jews may not have been state-sanctioned it was nevertheless distinct in the consequences that arose. While it is legitimate to offer that the edicts and decrees of the mid-third century were not directly intended to eradicate the spread of Judaism as a religion, it is necessary to report the conflict between the Roman Empire and Jews of the period. It is also necessary to comprehend the foundations of the conflict between Jews, Christians and the Roman state, principally in regards to the popularity and perception of the new groups. It is significant to note that the majority of our available evidence concerning persecution is tainted by the bias of Christian authors, while Jewish documents are substantiated by a more contemporary view, that being punishment

The existence of clubs that looked as though they had the ability to create disunity among the Roman people was forbidden. From a scrutiny of the trials of Christians it is clear that the crime most commonly accused is that of a refusal to acknowledge the gods of Rome and there is much debate regarding whether or not the emperor Nero made Christianity illegal. While sources such as Porphyry accuse the Christians of being lawbreakers there is no evidence relating directly to the judicial relevance of Christianity. Although Pliny does inquire as to whether Nero had created a law that officially made Christianity illegal or whether it was simply the associated depravities that were considered punishable. However, for the Roman Emperors and the majority of the Roman people it was a societal crime to be a Christian and the existence of any legally binding condemnations was not necessary. To be a Christian implied one was dissident to the established sacrificial traditions, therefore defying the state.

Under the reign of Diocletian began the introduction of physical torture into the royal edicts. As Eusebius notes Diocletian was also hesitant to encourage bloodshed, yet eventually became convinced that violence was the principal form of defending the state. “Next day an edict was published, depriving the Christians of all honours and dignities…they should be subjected to torture…and finally that they should neither be capable of freedom, nor have the right of suffrage.” Diocletian’s desire to eradicate Christianity from the Roman Empire led to a restructuring of economic and politic reform and Diocletian began to restore a sense of peace. Diocletian gave the Christians the opportunity to avoid persecution by allowing them the option of surrendering their Christian beliefs and take part in the sacrifice of the Roman gods. The Christians began to become illustrious in their martyrdom as a result of this battle, yet the war began to increase in its fervour.

It is clear that such factors as convention and heritage were a great factor in how the Romans were to perceive any new religious group. While the Christians were viewed as disloyal to state interests, the Jews had often been instrumental in military victories and were consequently approached differently. The Jewish practice of worship was based upon the same premise as the pagan and they were considered to have made appropriate observances as required by the state. Romans held great respect for tradition and defence for the majority of the time, Jews were considered to have not represented any direct threat to State security, in fact their priest were thought to have had “a strong history of support for Rome. ” Allegiance was offered to the Jewish populations across the empire, with decrees being issued “exempting the Jews from military service, permitting them to send money to the temple in Jerusalem and allowing them to form corporate groups. ” In contrast, the Christians had no intention of following the path of the auctoritas maiorum and the Romans viewed this as a potential threat to the security of the state. According to Freeman, the Jews also considered the Christians to be unpatriotic and ignorant to tradition. By denying the existence of the Roman gods, the Christians were effectively denying the authority and magnitude of the state and its identity.

Although most historians agree that the Roman Empire was generally tolerant towards new religions, it did come into conflict with different religious groups on occasion, such as the cult of Bacchus, which found it’s Roman origins in 186BC (Livy 39.8-18). According to Livy, a Greek had brought Dionysiac rites to Etruria, which then spread to Rome. As a result, those who illustrated any involvement in the cult were punished and places of worship were destroyed to ensure the message was clear. Any person claiming an adherence to the religion was ordered to consult with the praetor urbanus and, acc

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