A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

159Chapter I. The Political And Religious Conditions OfThe EmpireThe accession of Septimius Severus, A. D. 193, marks a changein the condition of the Empire. It was becoming more harassed byfrontier wars, not always waged successfully. Barbarians weregradually settling within the Empire. The emperors themselveswere no longer Romans or Italians. Provincials, some not evenof the Latin race, assumed the imperial dignity. But it was aperiod in which the Roman law was in its most flourishing andbrilliant stage, under such men as Papinian, Ulpian, and otherssecond only to these masters. Stoic cosmopolitanism made forwider conceptions of law and a deeper sense of human solidarity.The Christian Church, however, profited little by this (§ 34)until, in the religious syncretism which became fashionable inthe highest circles, it was favored by even the imperial familyalong with other Oriental religions (§ 35). The varying fortunesof the emperors necessarily affected the Church (§ 36), though,on the whole, there was little suffering, and the Church spreadrapidly, and in many parts of the Empire became a powerfulorganization (§ 37), with which the State would soon have toreckon. [142]§ 34. State and Church under Septimius Severus and CaracallaAlthough Christians were at first favored by Septimius Severus,they were still liable to the severe laws against secret societies,and the policy of Septimius was later to enforce these laws. TheChristians tried to escape the penalties prescribed against suchsocieties by taking the form of friendly societies which wereexpressly tolerated by the law. Nevertheless, numerous cases areto be found in various parts of the Empire in which Christianswere put to death under the law. Yet the number of martyrs