Licinian Persecution

Emperor Licinius originally supported Christians along with his western counterpart, Emperor Constantine, but later in his life turned against them and to paganism.  The Edict of Milan (313 AD) was a proclamation by the Roman Emperors Constantine I (ruling in the West) and Licinius (ruling in the East) that established religious tolerance for Christianity within the Roman Empire. It granted Christians the freedom to practice their faith without persecution, restoring confiscated properties to Christians and setting a foundation for Christianity’s growth in the empire. This decree marked a turning point in Roman policies toward Christianity, which had previously been subject to waves of persecution. Conflict between Constantine and Licinius eventually led to Licinius reverting to persecuting Christians in the East in 316 A.D. 

Initially, Constantine and Licinius were allies, united in their opposition to the tetrarch Maximinus Daia and co-issuing the Edict of Milan. However, tensions grew between them as both sought control over the entire Roman Empire. Constantine, based in the West, and Licinius, based in the East, began to clash over political and religious matters. Constantine championed Christianity, while Licinius, though initially supportive of the Edict of Milan, later reverted to persecuting Christians in his territory. Eusebius of Caesarea, while writing under the rule of Constantine, claimed Lucinius expelled Christians from the Palace, ordered military sacrifices to pagan gods, and interfered with the Church.

Around 320 A.D, a group of Roman soldiers, known as the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, were martyred for their Christian faith during the reign of Licinius. They were stationed in Sebaste (modern-day Sivas, Turkey), part of Licinius’s eastern empire. The soldiers refused to renounce their Christianity and were condemned to die by exposure, being forced to stand naked on a frozen lake overnight. They remained steadfast in their faith, and in the morning, most had died from the cold. According to tradition, one soldier recanted, but another guard, inspired by the others’ faith, converted to Christianity and took his place, ensuring that forty martyrs would be honored. The earliest account of their existence and martyrdom is given by Bishop Basil of Caesarea (370–379) in a homily he delivered on their feast day (Homilies xix, XXXI, 507)

Bishop Blaise of Sebaste (St. Blaise) was a bishop in Sebaste, the same region as the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Blaise was arrested and pressured to renounce Christianity, but he refused and was eventually executed in 316 A.D.  His story is remembered particularly for the miracle in which he saved a child from choking on a fishbone, leading to his association as a protector against throat illnesses.

St. Theodore of Heraclea (St. Theodore the General) was a Roman general who converted to Christianity and served in the city of Heraclea (in present-day Turkey). He openly declared his faith and, despite his high status in the military, refused to participate in pagan sacrifices as required by Licinius’s laws. For this defiance, Theodore was arrested and subjected to brutal torture and was eventually martyred around 319-320 AD.

St. Hermylus was a deacon who, under Licinius’s orders, was arrested for his faith and subjected to severe torture. His friend Stratonicus, a layman, upon witnessing Hermylus’s suffering, openly expressed sympathy for him, and as a result, he was also arrested. Both were tortured and then drowned in the Danube River, becoming martyrs around 315 AD.

Licinius and Constantine’s rivalry culminated in two major civil wars.  The First Civil War (314 AD), Constantine defeated Licinius at the Battle of Cibalae (in modern Croatia) and forced him to cede territory but allowed him to remain in power.  The Second Civil War (324 AD) began as tensions over religious and political differences mounted. Constantine decisively defeated Licinius in the Battle of Chrysopolis (in present-day Turkey), ending Licinius’s rule and unifying the Roman Empire under Constantine’s sole authority.  Licinius was captured and initially spared but was later executed, marking the end of the civil war between East and West.

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