Western Civilization I / Unit 8 WC1 0704 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Great Persecution, 303, and Its Failure
Captions available
The idea
Diocletian blamed the crisis on neglected gods and demanded orthodoxy. In three oh three, the witnesses' date, Christianity was banned and the anchor's several thousand were executed. The anchor calls it a spectacular failure.
In practice
Religious orthodoxy as a state policy, for the first time.
Where people slip
Nine years later the emperor was Christian. Hold the two dates together.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it