Chapter V: Part IV: I

(_a_) HADRIAN--HIS POLICY TOWARDS CHRISTIANITY

_Hadrian_--His life of travel--His character--Early policy
towards Christians--He insults Christianity in his building
of Aelia Capitolina on site of Jerusalem--The great Jewish
war--Its two results--(_a_) Complete change in the spirit of
the Jews--(_b_) A new conception of the Christian sect on
part of Roman Government--It was now recognized that the
Christian was no mere Jewish dissenter, but a member of a
distinct sect, dangerous to Roman policy 75

II

(_b_) HADRIAN--HIS ENMITY TOWARDS CHRISTIANITY GRADUALLY
INCREASED

Last years of Hadrian--Persecution of Christians more
pronounced--Undoubted authorities for this graver position
of Christians throughout the Empire--Table showing succession
of Antonines to the Empire 81

III

ANTONINUS PIUS AND MARCUS ANTONINUS--THEIR IDEALS

Character of Antoninus Pius--His intense love for Rome--His
determination to restore the old simple life to which Rome
owed her greatness--His devotion to ancient Roman traditions,
and to the old Roman religion--Antoninus Pius and
his successor Marcus lived themselves the simple austere life
they taught to their court and subjects 84

IV

INTENSE ANTIPATHY OF THE ANTONINES TO CHRISTIANITY

Reason of the Antonines’ marked hostility to the Christian
sect--The Christians stood resolutely aloof from the ancient
religion which these two great sovereigns believed was
indissolubly bound up with the greatness of Rome--With such
views of the sources of Roman power and prosperity, only
a stern policy of persecution was possible--This policy,
pursued in days of Pius, was intensified by his yet greater
successor Marcus--The common idea that the Christians were
tolerated in the days of the Antonines must be
abandoned--Their sufferings under the rule of these great
Emperors, especially in the days of Marcus, can scarcely be
exaggerated 91