# Of The Cruelty And Misery Of This Persecution.

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CHRISTIANS BURNED IN THEIR MEETING-HOUSES.

P. J. Twisck, after narrating something in commendation
of this Emperor, begins immediately to
give an account of the tyranny which he employed
against the Christians, saying: “He caused public
mandates and decrees to be issued and posted up,
that if they would not apostatize from Christ, to
persecute the Christians everywhere, and to execute
them without mercy with every kind of torture
that could be devised. The torments with which
the poor Christians were put to death in that day
were very severe, as we may read in Dionysius,
Gregory, Cyprian, Eusebius, Vincentius, and others.
They were exiled, spoiled of their goods, sentenced
to the mines, scourged, beaten. Beheading
and hanging were thought far too insignificant, yea,
no punishment at all for them. Hot tar was most
invariably poured over them, roasted at a slow fire,
stoned, pricked in the face, eyes, and the whole
body with sharp pointed instruments, dragged
through the streets over hard pebbles and rough
stones, dashed against rocks, cast down from steep
places, their limbs broken in pieces, torn asunder
with hooks, rolled about on sharp potsherds, given
as a prey and food to the wild beasts, stakes driven
through their loins, etc.

There was scarcely a place where persecution was
not in vogue; Africa and Alexandria especially
could be called the school of the martyrs. In short,
Nicephorus says in his 5th book, chap. 29, that to
count the martyrs of this time would be as easy as
to undertake to count the sands of the sea shore.
See, P. J. Twisck, 3d book, for the year 251, p. 67,
col. 2, and page 68, col. 1, from Euseb., lib. 7,
cap. 1. Chron. Mich., fol. 154. Chron. Carionis,
lib. 3. Seb. Fr., fol. 17. Hist. Andræ, fol. 177,
2d part, fol. 174. Paul Merul., fol. 212–214.
Leonh. Krentz. Chronologiae, fol. 16, 17. Chron.
Car., fol. 236. Jan Crespin., fol. 53.

We shall begin with the persecution which at this
time took place at Alexandria against the pious and
defenseless Christians; for which reason this place
was called by the ancients the “Scaffold of all tyranny.”

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/i0270.jpg)

## Original source

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