An article about persecution in North africa, during 180-220. see the dutch version on www.freewebs.com/christenvervolging
please give me feedback when I wrote something wrong (etc)




The first written proof of the church in North Africa is from the year 180 a.D.
At the time of emperor Commodus there was the proconsul (governor)
Publius Vigilius Saturninus. He is the first which starts with prosecuting Christians on this
continent.

Of one of those persecutions under Saturninus is a report been made. This has been retrieved, and it has been confessed under the title: ` certificates of the martyrs of Scilli’. Concerning this document little has been further confessed, but according to Bremmer and Den Boeft it has been based on the official protocol of the court.
Scilli is a small village in the neighbourhood of Cartage.
On 17 July 180 twelve Christians are brought for the proconsul. Their names are: Speratus, Natzalus, Cittinus, Veturius, Felix, Aquilinus, Laetantius, Ianuaria, Generosa, Vestia, Donata and Secunda.
From the conversation which follows, appears that the proconsul consider Christianity as a form of madness. He does effort thus get finished them of it. He gives even 30 days time for reflection them. But the Christians don’t want that, perhaps they have even, however, the idea of converting the proconsul, because they have a box with books and letters of Paul himself. That cannot avail however. They get not even the occasion to express their belief.
They are condemned because they live ` in the manner of Christians
instead of on the Roman way of life. This results for them in death by the sword.

There are indications that this was not the first group of martyrs in North Africa.
In a correspondence between Augustinus and Maximus of Madaura, Maximus talks the ‘archmartyr Namphamo’.
From inscriptions of Numidia also a number of other names has been confessed, Miggin, Lucitas and Samae. Typically Punic names. Maximus annoys himself to this. The Christians in North Africa were, as it happens, mainly Roman import, but it appears that also domestic occupants become Christian.
Archmartyr would mean the same as protomartyr, what in good Dutch ` the first martyr’ is. This indicates that still these four (and perhaps more) before the martyrs of Scilli are condemned. These martyrs are killed by Saturninus.

Already rather I quoted ad scapula. Tertullianus show there that you must love your enemies, therefore he warns proconsul Scapula for the terrible impact of the persecutions. He told that it has expired not well with the governors who prosecuted Christians for him (scapula).
He gives a short overview of the persecution in North Africa. There he also speaks concerning riot at the time of Hilarianus.
We know those Hilarianus from the report of the death of Perpetua and
Felicitas. He is procurator (substitute of the governor) in 203 AD.
The advancement of this report is very differently. The ` acts of the martyrs of Scilli’ was very short and business, a report in which question and answer are mentioned. In these Passio (pays attention to suffer. A report of suffering) it is treated from the perspective of the
martyrs. Perpetua. She writes himself the largest part (3-14). The introduction and the lock have been made by another one (1,2,14-21). There are speculations that this should be Tertullianus, but there is no persuading proof for.
Within the report visions play an important role. Saturnus, the teacher who gave lesson to the catechumenen (starting Christians), gets a vision that mainly rests and peace radiates. The visions of Perpetua radiate however effort and fight. Perpetua is mother of a baby, and her father comes that its regularly rub. By choosing for Christ she chooses against its child.
During the hearing they stand suspected on a podium in the middle of the forum, and there stands public all around. Here too the procurator wants to persuade them of the illness of there belief. If they continue to be Christians, they will be thrown for wild the animals, during the games in amphitheatre, honouring the son of the emperor. The one which survive that day are killed gladiators.

During a vision they see martyrs also other:
At foot we (the garden) have crossed by means of broad gone to a
plain. There we found Iocundus, Saturninus and Artaxius, that during the same persecution living had burned, and Quintus, that itself also if martyr in the prison had died.
Also we know Mavilus of adrumetum (Hadrumetum?) who’s thrown for wild the animals in the year 206.
Around the year 197 Tertullianus publish several writings, among which most known, about what we will speak later: apologeticum. A another writing is ad martyres, to the martyrs. A letter, aimed to the martyrs who sit at that moment in prison. He gives them comforts, and the martyrdom adulate.
This meant however that there sat around the year 197 also Christians caught for their belief.

Under emperor Caracalla, the zoon of Commodus is Scapula the proconsul. That is dated around 14 August 212 (because of the eclips in Uticia which is mentioned). These Scapula prosecuted itself also Christians. That is the reason that to Tertullianus a warning writing writes (ad scapulam). In this letter he warns Scapula for the sentence of God. Furthermore he does not discuss specific the persecution, but told that there is persecution on several spots.
Because the governor of Numidia (Legionis) and the governor of Mauritania both tormented this name, (...)Your cruelty is our honour.

If we list the above years, to see we that the interval between the persecutions each time about 6 years is. On a period of 40 years persecutions there at least 5 are assignable. Taking into account the incompletely of my information, and the centuries which lie between our, I think that there was around the second turn of century a situation of constant threat. Christians could be arrested each moment. Perhaps there was not always an active persecution, but a passive oppression, with regular bounces of hatred.
You are able to compare this with the anarchists in Russia, in the eighties. They are known by the police force, and are strictly watched. As long as there nothing happens, and the anarchists keep themselves quietly, they are tolerated. But only a small thing must happen, and the flame beats in the pan, and before you know, there is a pogrom. In the history of the early church you also see complete periods everything works well. At the beginning of the government of Severus it goes for example very well. Christians hold even high positions to the court. but the public opinion can turn rapidly in hatred, and persecutions return.