Persecutions #1

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Hi Group!
   I am presenting this information because of the widely held belief that
Christianity was widely persecuted for its first 300 years. History actually
knows little of such a widespread and constant persecution.

   In the book _Civilization past & present _(page 126) is the following:
   "During the first two centuries A.D. persecution was only sporadic and
local,like that at Rome under Nero (see p.76). But during the late third and
early fourth centuries, when, as we shall see, the Empire was in danger of
collapse, three organized empire-wide efforts were made to suppress
Christianity. By far the largest and systematic campaign against the
Christians, who now comprised perhaps one tenth of the population, was
instigated by the emperor Diocletian from 303-311...In 311 the emperor
Galerius recognized that persecution had failed and issued an edict of
toleration making Christianity a legal religion in the East. In the
following year the emperor Constantine was swayed toward Christianity during
a desperate battle with the army of a rival for the throne...and in 313 he
issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity throughout the
Empire and put it on a par with all the pagan cults.

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