Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia
The gospel having spread itself into Persia, the pagan priests, who
worshipped the sun, were greatly alarmed, and dreaded the loss of that
influence they had hitherto maintained over the people's minds and
properties. Hence they thought it expedient to complain to the emperor,
that the christians were enemies to the state, and held a treasonable
correspondence with the Romans, the great enemies of Persia.
The emperor Sapores, being naturally averse to christianity, easily
believed what was said against the christians, and gave orders to
persecute them in all parts of his empire. On account of this mandate,
many eminent persons in the church and state fell martyrs to the
ignorance and ferocity of the pagans.
Constantine the Great being informed of the persecutions in Persia,
wrote a long letter to the Persian monarch, in which he recounts the
vengeance that had fallen on persecutors, and the great success that had
attended those who had refrained from persecuting the christians. The
persecution by this means ended during the life of Sapores; but it was
again renewed under the lives of his successors.