Diocletianic Persecution

E18073

The Diocletianic Persecution was the Roman Empire’s last and most severe campaign of repression against Christians, marked by widespread martyrdom, destruction of churches, and attempts to eradicate Christian worship in the early 4th century.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (62)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Roman imperial persecution
anti-Christian policy
religious persecution
alsoKnownAs Great Persecution
Great Persecution of Christians
appliesTo Christians
linked to: Christianity
carriedOutBy Roman authorities
Roman emperors
characterizedBy burning of Christian scriptures
confiscation of Christian property
destruction of churches
forced sacrifices to Roman gods
imprisonment of clergy
martyrdom of Christians
chronologicalPosition last major Roman persecution of Christians
coInitiatedBy Constantius Chlorus
Galerius
Maximian
describedIn Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History
Lactantius’ On the Deaths of the Persecutors
linked to: Lactantius
endDate c. 311
c. 313
endedBy Edict of Milan
Edict of Toleration by Galerius
endedByRuler Constantine the Great
linked to: Constantinus Magnus

Galerius
Licinius
firstEdictContent ordered destruction of churches and scriptures
firstEdictDate 24 February 303
fourthEdictContent required all inhabitants to sacrifice
geographicExtent Eastern Roman Empire
linked to: Byzantine Empire

Western Roman Empire
historicalContext late Roman Empire
linked to: Late Antiquity
historicalPeriod Tetrarchy
impact development of hagiographic literature
growth of martyr cults
strengthening of Christian identity
initiatedBy Diocletian
legalBasis Diocletianic edicts against Christians
lessSevereIn Britain
linked to: Great Britain

Gaul
Hispania
linked to: Iberian Peninsula

territories of Constantius Chlorus
moreSevereIn Bithynia
Eastern provinces
Egypt
Palestine
notableMartyr Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
Saint Agnes of Rome
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Saint George
Saint Lucy
Saint Sebastian
numberOfEdicts 4
partOf Roman–Christian relations
place Roman Empire
precededBy Decian persecution
Valerianic persecution
religionTargeted Christianity
secondEdictContent ordered imprisonment of Christian clergy
startDate 303
thirdEdictContent offered amnesty to clergy who sacrificed

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (32)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

St George diedIn Diocletianic Persecution
Edict of Milan relatedEvent Diocletianic Persecution
Desert Fathers emergedAfter Diocletianic Persecution
Diocletian knownFor Great Persecution of Christians
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Diocletian launched Great Persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Lactantius notableWork De Mortibus Persecutorum
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Diocletianic Persecution alsoKnownAs Great Persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Diocletianic Persecution alsoKnownAs Great Persecution of Christians
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Coptic calendar epochAssociatedWith Diocletian persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Vitus era Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Cassian of Imola associatedWith Diocletianic persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Diocles notableEvent Great Persecution of Christians
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Prisca associatedWith Persecution of Christians under Diocletian
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Martyrs of Palestine mainSubject Diocletianic persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Martyrs of Palestine timeOfNarrative Diocletianic persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Martyrs of Palestine historicalContext Great Persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Pamphilus of Caesarea diedDuring Diocletianic Persecution
Edict of Toleration by Galerius predecessor Diocletianic Persecution
Edict of Toleration by Galerius relatedEvent Great Persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Agnes of Rome era Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Sebastian diedDuring Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Margaret of Antioch martyredUnder Diocletianic persecution (traditional attribution)
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Vincent of Saragossa diedDuring Diocletianic Persecution
Church of the Roman Empire experiencedEvent Great Persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Nayrouz associatedWith Diocletian persecution
linked to: Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Panteleimon associatedWith Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Erasmus of Formia associatedWith Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Anastasia associatedWithEvent Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki diedDuring Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Januarius era Diocletianic Persecution
Pamphilus the Martyr diedIn Diocletianic Persecution
Saint Florian persecutedUnder Diocletianic Persecution