1
Which Roman emperor is traditionally blamed for the first major persecution of Christians in 64 CE after the Great Fire of Rome?
Nero
What was the name of the Roman arena where many Christians were executed publicly?
The Colosseum
What title was given to Christians who were killed for their faith?
Martyrs
Who was the first recorded Christian martyr, as described in the Book of Acts?
Stephen
Which council, convened by Constantine in 325 CE, marked Christianity’s transition from persecuted sect to imperial religion?
The Council of Nicaea
What symbol did early Christians often use secretly to identify one another?
he Ichthys (fish symbol)
Which emperor responded to Pliny’s inquiry by advising not to seek out Christians, but to punish them if accused and proven guilty?
Trajan
Which Roman emperor required citizens to carry certificates proving they had offered sacrifices to the Roman gods?
Decius
What were Christians accused of when they refused to participate in pagan sacrifices?
Atheism or Treason
What was the role of the Roman governor Pliny the Younger in Christian persecution?
He wrote to Emperor Trajan asking how to deal with Christians in Bithynia
What was the main reason the Romans viewed early Christians with suspicion?
Christians refused to worship the Roman gods and the emperor
What underground burial places in Rome were often used by early Christians for worship and burial?
Catacombs
What form of execution was commonly used for Roman citizens convicted of serious crimes, including some Christians?
Beheading
Which emperor claimed to have seen a vision of the cross before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE?
Constantine
Which early Christian apologist wrote Apologia to defend Christianity against Roman accusations?
Justin Martyr
Which apostle was said to have been crucified upside down during Nero’s persecution?
Peter
Before Constantine’s conversion, which emperor led one of the most brutal persecutions of Christians around 303–311 CE?
Diocletian
What was the name of the governor who sentenced Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, to death?
Statius Quadratus
What phrase, often used in early Christian writings, means “witness” but later came to mean “someone who dies for their faith”?
Martyr
What was the Roman legal charge often used against Christians?
Refusing to worship the state gods (impietas or treason)
Which early Christian missionary and writer was beheaded in Rome, according to tradition?
Paul
What document, issued in 313 CE, officially ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire?
The Edict of Milan
Who issued the Edict of Milan?
Emperor Constantine (along with Licinius)
What phrase reportedly appeared in Constantine’s vision before the battle?
“In hoc signo vinces” (“In this sign, you will conquer”)
What was the name of the Roman goddess whose cult was especially opposed by early Christians because of its rituals?
Venus (or Cybele, depending on the context)