Translated from the
original by Costas Balomenos
Contrary to Antiochus
IV Epiphanes,
who with
the help
of
Jewish
apostates
has tried
in 167
BC
to introduce
the Greek
pagan
religion, by placing
the statue
of Zeus
in the
temple of
Jerusalem and to
force the
Jews to
the observance of Greek
customs,
leading to
the outbreak
of the revolution
of Maccabees,
the Romans
-
when
captured
Judea
- not
only
respected
the unique
monotheistic
religion
of the
ancient world, but
also the
rules of
everyday life
of the Jews,
arising
from
this...
And this behavior
was not an
exception, but
it was settled
tactics
to respect
every people
of the
empire that
had the right
to worship
the "national"
God,
according to his
traditions.
Therefore,
since the
Jewish
religion
was the
ancient and
patrimonial
religion,
immediately
was
enshrined and had been entitled, earning the right of “religio licita”,
namely
of the
permitted religion
from
the state. The Jews, the only thing they
had to do was to offer sacrifices in honor of the emperor of Rome Jerusalem
So, having regard to
the behavior
of the Roman
tolerance
by law
even
against all
the ancient
religions, the question is born, why did not show this
tolerance
in the case
of
Christianity and the God of the Christians
was not
included in
the Roman pantheon,
resulting in the
state to persecute
violently
several
times
their
own
nationals,
who had
embraced
the
Christian
faith
itself?
The argument,
which alleges
some,
was
that
Christianity is monotheistic
religion
and
therefore was
not accepted, it cannot be true, because then,
neither the
Jewish
religion
would be
legal.
Moreover
because of
this, and
probably
themselves
Christians
looked
forward to
something similar,
but
ultimately
did not
happen to
them.
As most basic reason
was
the fact
that
for the
Roman
perception
of religious
things,
Christianity was
not keeping those
conditions
which
characterized the
other religion
of empire. It
was not namely
the
traditional
religion
of a city
or
a nation.
As we know,
from the sanctuaries writings and traditions of Christianity believed in the
universality, above and beyond any race, nation or city, so those who was
coming to him and was becoming members to be of any ethnicity and religion. As
a result,
Christianity
of not
keeping the
general
principle of
the empire, i.e.
the respect
of religion
of a people
or
a city,
so as to
make “religio
licita”, namely
allowable
religion. And
not only
that, but
the abandonment
of the
dedication
to the religion
of native
city
or
people
of origin
could be
considered -
as indeed
was considered
sometimes
-
as
an act
of
disrespect, in which imposed various legal
sanctions.
An equally key
reason was
the close
connection
between
politics and
religion,
because
the
recommendation of the Roman state, which been one
empire.
As we know
every
empire
consists of
tribes
and
nations
which many of them are
enemies to
each other thereby
creating centrifugal
forces
of disintegration and dissolution.
Care
therefore
of every
imperial
power is
to find,
those unifying
elements that
will prevent
this
risk. So the Roman power was deifying each emperor and the
city of Rome , in which ought to attribute
religious honor and reverence by all the inhabitants of the empire, by
participating in various religious ceremonies they were becoming for this
purpose, offering sacrifices to the emperor's statues and of Rome Bithynia Rome Roman Empire .
An additional aggravating
reason for
the legalization
of
Christianity was
the way of
life of
Christians, which
was a
corollary of
their faith. Their way of life was different from the other inhabitants of the Roman Empire , so they do not mix with non-Christians. As a consequence - due to lack of accurate information - to be formed a
veil of mystery around anything Christian originally was transformed into
prejudice and later at a hate of the people against Christians.
Thus began a
misrepresentation
of rumors
and
a
misinformation,
were transformed
into
categories, such
as that
Christians were participated
in
anthropophagy
meals (Thyestes dinners)
incestuously
orgies
and
magic
rituals
and
therefore
Christians
were
considered as
enemies of
the human race. This
hostility
against
Christians was intensified, because
the Christian
ceremonies
were
not
public
but
private.
So
when the
non-Christians
were
listening the Christians
to use the
terminology
of the
committing
of the
Eucharist (Take, eat, this is My body, 'drink
...
this is My
blood) they believed that gathered
for
anthropophagy.
Or when
they were
listening them call
each other
"brother"
and then were
concentrating in private homes they believed that were engaged in
orgies
incestuously.
But also the
non-participation of Christians at the public spectacles, at a time when the
slogan "bread and circuses" prevailed and had become a way of life,
were rendered suspicious the Christians.
So with this in mind,
the Roman
authorities could
not allow
to the
Christians the
free worship,
nor
of course
much
more
to be
proclaimed
Christianity
as an
allowable religion (religio licita). But assuming that Christianity
was
recognized as
an allowable religion is not at all certain, that
Christians
would be
exempt from
the
mandatory
obligation of
all nationals
of the empire to
recognize
and
participate at
least to
the worship of
the emperor and
of Rome
And so they began the persecutions of Christians
...
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Evangelia N.. Amoiridou:
The
persecutions. Collegial
Volume "History
of Orthodoxy,
the beginnings
of Christianity."
P.N. Trempelas: Encyclopedia
of Theology
Writer
Christos Pal
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