"Christians to the lion!"

Roman persecution: causes and effects

Why did the Roman Empire persecute Christianity?

Was it just a straightforward case of religious bigotry?

And if not that (the Empire was, after all, at least somewhat tolerant in matters of religion), what was it about Christianity that caused the authorities to view it as a dangerous threat?

How frequent were the bouts of persecution — and how vicious were they?

And why, considering that the process was spun out over two and a half centuries, was it not finally successful?

In this episode, we get to grips with the whys and wherefores!