The Persecutions to Diocletian

After Hadrian, the churches had peace under the rule of Antoninus Pius. Then the fifth persecution began under Aurelius, the son of Antoninus. And then for the first time martyrdoms were seen in Gaul, for the religion of God had been received rather late beyond the Alps. Then the sixth persecution of the Christians took place, under the emperor Severus. At this time Leonides, the father of Origen, poured out his sacred blood in martyrdom. Then, for thirty-eight years, the Christians enjoyed peace, except that midway through that time Maximinus persecuted the clergy of some churches. Before long, under the emperor Decius, the seventh bloody persecution broke out against the Christians. Next, Valerian proved to be the eighth enemy of the saints. [a]

After him, following an interval of about fifty years, there arose under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian a most bitter persecution, which wasted the people of God for ten years without a break. At this time almost the whole world was stained with the sacred blood of the martyrs. In fact, they competed with one another to rush into those glorious contests, and martyrdom by a glorious death was sought far more eagerly then than bishoprics are now pursued by wicked ambition. Never was the world more exhausted by wars than at that time, and never did we win a victory with greater triumph than when we showed that ten long years of slaughter could not conquer us. Accounts of the sufferings of the martyrs of that time, which were written down, also survive. But I do not think it fitting to add them here, for fear of going beyond the limits set for this work.