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Why Did Decius and Valerian Proscribe Christianity?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

George Thomas Oborn
George Thomas Oborn
Affiliation:
Southern College, Lakeland, Florida
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Extract

Severe economic depression had the Roman world in its grip during the middle of the third century A. D.; a condition from which the Mediterranean countries never fully recovered. There is much evidence to show that the economic structure of the Empire was crumbling. Very soon the outlying territories of the Empire were overrun by barbarians, trade collapsed, and brigandage and piracy reappeared on a large scale. All of this was accompanied by a rapid rise in the prices of the commodities of life. To-day we look for the causes of economic depressions in intricate and far-reaching social forces. In the third century Romans of the old school had a much more simple and direct explanation. When the Empire fell on hard times and disaster stalked the corners there was only one cause: the gods who had given Rome her power and the Empire its prosperity in the years gone by were being neglected, foreign gods and oriental cults had usurped the religious fervor of the people, and the venerable gods of the Eternal City were angered. The remedy was likewise simple: revive and stimulate the worship of the ancient gods of Rome, thus appeasing their anger, and prosperity would return.

Type
Articles
Information
Church History , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , June 1933 , pp. 67 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1933

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