#1 How did the Hadrian's Rescript improve the situation for Christians?

It improves the situation for Christians because his rescript emphasized the primacy of the rule over law over mob action, from his time he ordered that Christians could only be prosecuted for actual violations of the common law, not just professing Christian belief. Christians enjoyed a relative amount of toleration, although there was no official codification of such toleration. #2 How did the Emperor Decius systematic persecution of Christianity involve the bureaucracy of the state? Emperor Decius assumed control of the Roman Empire at a precarious point in its history. He sought to reinvigorate the empire's strength and unity through a return to the ancient religious practice of the state. Since Christianity called for ultimate allegiance to Christ and not to the state. Decius saw this as incompatible with his plan so for him, Cbristianity that time was the religion of 1/3 of the Roman Empire, was in part of the cause of divided empire. #3 Summarize Trajan's Rescript. How does it differ from the previous law of Nero? Trajan's Rescript simply says tha if Christians renounced their faith and offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, they would be allowed to live in spite of their past Christian life. He also declared that anonymous denunciations were not to be pursued. Nevertheless, anyone denounced openly who admitted his status as Christians was to suffer death. Trajan also confirmed that Christianity itself was a crime, but he clarified what conditions they it could be prosecuted. His Rescript still left Christians with an

awful choice, it's either death or apostasy. The difference from the previous law of Nero was that he wanted all Christians to be exterminated. Because of his cruelty and being a psychotic Emperor he treated them with no mercy at all. #4 What was Emperor Diocletian's background & how did his Tetrarchy only lead to a weakened Roman State? Emperor Diocletian was born in Dalmatia, he rose through the ranks of the Roman army to serve with the emperor's guards during the persian campaign. He used his organizational prowess to this end by crushing the Persian Empire and ending the crisis of the third century. He spent much of his first 10 years as an emperor battling the barbarians on the German and Persian frontiers. His Tetrarchy lead to a weakend Roman state because not one of the Tetrarchs lived in Rome, causing his great imperial city to begin to lose its preeminent status as the capital of empire. He also weakened the senate by removing its effective political influence. #5 Many of the greatest persecutors of the Church in the Roman Empire were educated, intelligent people. How does this demonstrate the nature of evil? They may be educated and intelligent people but then they abuse all of the good things they have by exterminating Christians just because they have their own belief . They view early Christians as their enemies of their empire through the diregard of some imperial institutions and traditions. The way they persecute Christians were incredibly brutal and unjust. #6 Identify at least 2 martyrs in the period of persecution. What were their

contributions to the growth of faith? How do their presence lead to the conversion of Faith? The 2 martyrs in the period of persecution are the following: First, St. Justin Martyr, he was one of the most famous martyrs to die under the persecution of Marcus Aurelius. His contribution to the growth of faith from the time he worked tirelesssly during the Roman persecutions to defend the church against those pagans who falsely accused her. His presence lead to the conversion of faith when an old man convinced him that true knowledge of God could not come only from philosophy but must be supplemented by reading the word of the prophets. Second, Constantine, his contribution to the growth of faith under the Edict of Milan, he restored all property taken from the church by the empire and granted Christians the freedom to practice their religion, it solidified the presence of Christianity in the public square and he sought that Christianity was a religion likely to have unity.His presence lead to the conversion of faith for he received instruction in the faith and was formally received into Church and also his regular practice of using religion to support political ends.