Christians are persecuted during the reign of…

Christians are persecuted during the reign of Septimius Severus, who allows the enforcement of policies already long-established, which means that Roman authorities do not intentionally seek out Christians, but when people are accused of being Christians they are forced to either curse Jesus and make an offering to Roman gods, or be executed.

Furthermore, wishing to strengthen the peace by encouraging religious harmony through syncretism, Severus tries to limit the spread of the two groups who refuse to yield to syncretism by outlawing conversions to Christianity or Judaism.

Individual officials avail themselves of the laws to proceed with rigor against the Christians.

Naturally the emperor, with his strict conception of law, does not hinder such partial persecution, which takes place in Egypt and the Thebaid, as well as in Africa proconsularis and the East.

Christian martyrs are numerous in Alexandria.

No less severe are the persecutions in Africa, which seem to have begun in 197 or 198, and include the Christians known in the Roman martyrology as the martyrs of Madauras.