THE COPTIC CHURCH BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON
THE COPTS UNDER THE ROMAN PERSECUTION
ROMAN STATE AND THE EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS The Roman Emperors frequently in their persecution of the Christians concentrated on Egypt, especially Alexandria,
for the following reasons:
1) The success of the Church of Alexandria and its School in attracting even philosophers to the new faith.
2) Alexandria represented a vital center that provided the Roman capital with products. For this reason the Emperors were afraid of any revolution in Egypt. The charge which Constantine made against St. Athanasius was that he forbade sending these products to Constantinople.
3) The courage of the Egyptians and their sincere desire to attain the crowns of martyrdom perplexed the persecutors, so that Diocletian came to Alexandria to practice persecution by himself.
THE COPTS & MARTYRDOM
The Copts insisted on starting their calendar by the beginning of the reign of Diocletian, in 248 AD, calling it “Anno Martyri,” for in his reign the Church gained numerous numbers of martyrs, who are now glorified in Paradise. About the eleventh of September of every year we celebrate the commencement of a new Coptic year, calling it “Feast of El-Nayrouz,” in which we celebrate the Feast of Martyrs, as a spiritual preparation for starting a new year.
By this unique understanding, the Church of Alexandria has shown the world her deep spiritual faith, her vision that leads to eternity and her concept of martyrdom. She did not consider martyrdom as death or something terrible, but rather a new birth which is an entry to paradise.
1) Martyrdom, in fact is a daily practice that which every believer should experience, even if there is no persecution, even if he lives in a monastery or lives alone as a hermit or pilgrim. For martyrdom is the continuous participation in Jesus’ Crucifixion. St. Clement of Alexandria gives the name “martyr” to the Gnostic (the true Christian) who has achieved ordinary union with God.
2) Martyrdom is an entry into eternity. Oregano regarded the times of persecutions not as hard or sad times but as the true great ages of the church.
3) Martyrdom is a supreme conflict with Satan.
4) Martyrdom is looked upon as the way of transfiguration of the Crucified and Risen Christ in the life of each of us. For Christ Himself suffers in His martyrs.
THE COPTS & THE ROMAN PERSECUTIONS
The historians call our Church “The Church of Martyrs,” not only because of the numerous numbers of martyrs in our Church, but also because of the ardent desire that her members had shown for martyrdom. When they were prevented from worship they never fled to catacombs or worshipped in the tombs, but openly in the fields. Many Copts traveled from one place to another seeking the crowns of martyrdom.
The waves of persecutions in Egypt began from the first century, when the Apostle St. Mark was martyred by the enraged pagan populace, while the ruler, though was not pleased, was at least silent.
The historical sources were almost silent regarding the persecutions that occurred in Egypt until the consecration of the twelfth Patriarch, Demetrius (68-118 A.D), but this does not mean that no persecution occurred during this period.
For example, after the death of Corrosions (106 A.D) no Patriarch could have been ordained for three years because of the persecution.
Another example, in the reign of the seventh Patriarch, Eumenius (129-151 A.D), St. Sofia, a native of ancient Memphis in Middle Egypt, was martyred.
During the reign of Septimus Severus the Copts suffered severe persecutions that extended for about seven years. Severus visited Egypt and went to Upper-Egypt where he found Christianity had spread. At once he ordered the ruler to increase the persecution and to prevent preaching at all cost. The School of Alexandria was closed, and its dean St. Clement was compelled to flee, and his place was taken by Oregano who was about eighteen years old.
In 250 A.D Decius issued an edict to the rulers of all province to re-establish the state religion by any means; but in Egypt persecution appears to have been started before the issue of this edict. Thousands were martyred in cities and villages throughout all Egypt.
In the years 257 and 258 A.D, Emperor Valerian issued edicts to destroy the Church; and Church leaders in Egypt and Carthage as arrested. Pope Dionysius of Alexandria was arrested and exiled.
During the reign of Diocletian, in Alexandria a Roman legionary called Lucius Domitius Domitianus, nicknamed himself emperor. At once Diocletian personally descended on the Egyptian coast and took the city by force after a siege of eight months. In the year 302 A.D, he started his persecution against Christianity by the dismissal of every soldier in his legions who refused to conform to sacrificing to the Roman gods. In the following year, on the great Roman festival of the “Terminalia” (23rd of February, 303) Diocletian issued an imperial edict against Christians. It seems that persecution against Christians in Egypt was more severe than in most other countries, (and perhaps more than any). Diocletian believed that the head of the serpent was in Egypt and that if he could crush it, he could more easily annihilate Christianity in the whole empire. In all, about 800,000 Christians were put to the sword in Egypt.
It is worthy to note that the persecution inaugurated by Diocletian was sustained by Maximinus Daza (305-313), Caesar of Egypt and Syria, whose reign was the most prolific in bloodshed of any period in the whole history of the church persecutions. The martyrs of his reign were usually attributed to the “Diocletian Persecution.”