Licinia Camillus Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 I need your help , where Christians being slaughtered in the Roman arenas, especially in the famous colosseum?! I found countless reports that attest to the brutality against Christians in the arenas under Emperor Septimius Severus for example, but other sources claim that is debatable and that even in the Amphitheatrum Flavium that didn´t even occur. This is a personal quest and I would like to make a truthful one. Can you tell me where can I find reliable information? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldrail Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Christians were never sent to the arena for being christians (although sometimes the excuse was so shabby it invited official scrutiny). Christians were not liked early on due to adverse rumour of activities, and it always another offence that got christians killed. So Nero doesn't burn loads of christians because they didn't worship him (or Roman gods), he burns them because they're blamed for starting and maintaining the Great Fire of 64 (and because they're a convenient scapegoat). A christian won't be executed for his religion, but he might be executed for religious objection to military service. Later on the rivalry between pagan and christian factions sometimes got a little hot, and if the political leader was the opposite faction to you, then you'd have to take care. Remember that a great many accusations of illegal activity in the Roman Empire were malicious. Christians were not therefore slaughtered in large numbers. I'm a little embarrased because I don't actually know where reliable information can be easily obtained, but I hope I've helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieAntoniaParsons Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Salve, This question intrigued me so that I did a bit of checking on its history. This page at the online "Catholic Encyclopedia" may be of help: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04101b.htm According to it, while there was some theory in the 16th century that Christians were martyred in the Amphitheater, other Catholic prelates did not share that theory and in fact, one Pope would have turned the site into a wool factory while another wanted to open it to bullfighting, rather than allow it to be a shrine. No contemporary Christian writings record that Christians were martyred there for their faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldrail Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 There is of course the story of Androcles and the lion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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