Nero—Christians were thrown to hungry lions in coliseums, while the blood-thirsty crowd cheered with delight. It was a new spectator sport, watching Christians be torn apart! Nero himself had Christians, wrapped in robes, dipped into giant vats of hot wax, then hung on poles in his garden at night, set ablaze as living, human torches, giving light to his dinner party. Tradition says that the Apostle Peter refused to be crucified like Jesus, and was, by his own request, crucified upside down.

Domitian (A.D. 95)—Christians were stoned, whipped, disemboweled, and seared with plates of hot iron. Under Domitian, Timothy was beaten to death with sticks. The apostle John was boiled in a cauldron of oil, and was exiled to the island of Patmos, where God gave him the book of Revelation. All of the apostles became martyrs during the reigns of these first three evil men…

Trajan (A.D. 111)—Christians were placed in burning kilns … survivors were cast into a vat of boiling water. A story is told in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs of an elderly widow, Symphorosa who refused to bow before Trajan’s heathen gods of stone and wood. She was first whipped, then hung up publicly by her hair, then drowned with a millstone around her neck. They took her sons, tied their arms to posts, then jerked those posts violently thru the air, dislocating their limbs, then stabbed them to death…except for the youngest. They took him alive and with a large saw, cut him in 2. Ignatius was pastor of a church in that area. Tradition says that he was the child Christ took into his arms as an example to the disciples of child-like faith. He defied Trajan who cast him into prison, had him scourged, and ordered that pincers be applied to his skin until deformed. As further torture, oily splinters were inserted into his sides, then lit on fire. Before being thrown to the lions Ignatius made his famed statement, “I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread.” His crime? Loving Jesus! Refusing to proclaim Caesar as God! Remaining faithful! Also: preaching against Judaism (works salvation)

Antoninus Pius (A.D. 139)—put in cages with wild bulls, but rather than fleeing the bulls in fear as Pius wanted, many are recognized in secular history for their displays of faith rather than fear, as they threw themselves onto the horns of the bulls, in expectation of meeting their Savior! Others taunted lions, to speed up their impending deaths, and sooner receive their crown of life. It was not uncommon for spectators during this period of time to convert, and trust Christ as Savior, for the real faith they saw displayed before them as Christians died for the Christ whose name they bear!

Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161)—made great sport of public executions, stating that Christians desired death in theatrical displays. Under his reign, Justin Martyr, and 6 friends were scourged and beheaded. A famous deacon, Concordus, not only refused to worship an idol, but spit in its face! For that he was tortured and killed.

Septimius Severus (A.D. 193)—Young men were forced to run the gauntlet, and were bashed by their persecutors, then thrown to tigers. Christian women were commonly strung up in nets, naked, before a jeering crowd. They were then removed from the nets and placed in arenas with wild bulls, hungry bears, and wild leopards. A story is told of a Christian woman during this time named Perpetua. She was 26 and nursing a baby. She showed true devotion to God, exalting Him even above family. She refused to sacrifice to idols, and her baby was taken away from her. Perpetua was locked in a dungeon and only allowed an occasional nursing of her child. She was again summoned before the judge and commanded to deny Christ. Her father appeared, holding her baby. He pleaded with her to renounce her faith, and spare her child. She would not. Perpetua was placed in an arena with a gladiator. The gladiator assigned to kill her was a timid young man. He weakly stabbed her a few times with his sword, but failed to kill her. She could tell he was troubled by his assignment to kill a woman, and was having much difficulty…and in pity for the youth, she took his sword in her hand and guided him in finding a vital area of her body. Another young woman named Cecilia led many to the Lord at this time. The Roman government heard of her witness and had every one of her converts executed, then scalded her to death in boiling water.

Maximinus (A.D. 235)—under his reign, 42 Roman Senators got saved, thru the witness of the martyrs. Maximinus was outraged, and the heads of all 42 senators were set on the city gates as a reminder of the price that would be paid for faith in Jesus Christ. Many pastors were killed at this time, and other men of the church were pulled thru the streets by wild horses and bulls. A woman of nearly 70 named Apollonia was discovered to be a Christian, and was fastened by a mob to the stake. She pleaded to be released and the people did so, expecting her to recant, but when released she quickly jumped into the fire and there expired.

Decius (A.D. 249)—only a 3 year persecution, but perhaps the worst to date. The “Rack” came into use at this time, and Christians were torturously stretched upon it. Strangely enough, this was actually a time of great revival. Secular history records that heathen temples were almost completely forsaken at times, because so many were trusting Christ. Churches were crowded with converts. So, Decius tried to put a complete end to Christianity. He had believers sealed into large caves, and left to die. And they would tie them to heavy wheels, and roll them over stones until dead. His focus was not so much to kill Christians, as to cause them to break, and bow down to pagan gods. He wanted them to recant, and convert…many did recant, but multitudes were faithful unto death.

Valerian (A.D. 257)—One well known Christian, Seturnius, was dragged down the temple steps until his brains bursted out. Two young women demonstrated deep-rooted character during this time. Rufina and Secunda were engaged to be married to men of high esteem, Armentarius and Verinus. All 4 professed Christianity, but when the flames of persecution came, the young men renounced their faith. The young ladies did not hasten to their pleas to also recant, and they were tortured and beheaded. Another man named Laurence was a church treasurer. His church supported many hundreds of poor, blind, maimed in the area. The Roman government demanded of Laurence that he bring to them all the money in the church treasury. He said, I’ll be back in 3 days with our church’s greatest treasure…he did return, with the poor, blind, maimed. For this, Laurence was roasted on an open gridiron. He died slowly while praying out loud for souls to be saved because of his martyrdom. Indeed, a Roman soldier named Romanus, in viewing such faith, converted, and was whipped and beheaded.

Diocletian (A.D. 303-313)—This was the bloodiest of all 10 persecutions. On one occasion, the Theban legion of the Roman army had more than 6,000 Christian soldiers in it. The legion was ordered to sacrifice to idols, and to swear allegiance to Rome. They refused and were decimated, meaning every 10th man was killed. The 90% remaining still would not bow, and a second decimation occurred, to no avail. The nearly 5,000 remaining were cut to pieces by their fellow troops. Women and children were caught, tortured, and killed. Christians were burned along with their families and their possessions. But the winds of persecution only fanned the flames which burned in the hearts of believers! (Over 1 million of which are buried in the catacombs of Rome) Diocletian abdicated the throne in A.D. 305, and the persecutions came to a complete end with Constantine’s signing of the “Edict of Toleration” in 313.