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How did Christianity conquer Rome?

A persecuted sect became the state religion within a single lifetime. In 313, the empire that fed Christians to lions legalized their God.

Last updated: October 2026

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In 303, the Emperor Diocletian ordered the churches pulled down and the scriptures burned — the fiercest persecution Christianity had ever faced. Ten years later, the empire legalized it. Within a single lifetime, the persecuted sect became the state religion. No reversal in history was faster — or more complete.

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A persecuted sect became the state religion within a single lifetime. In 313, the empire that fed Christians to lions legalized their God.…

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