Diocletian Orders Destruction of Christian Church

Roman Emperor Diocletian initiated a systematic campaign against Christians in the Roman Empire, beginning with the destruction of a major Christian church in Nicomedia. This act marked the start of the Diocletianic Persecution, a period where Christians faced severe oppression, forced renunciations of their faith, and martyrdom. Nicomedia, a significant city in Bithynia, was a focal point of early Christian activity and the church's destruction symbolized Diocletian's commitment to traditional Roman religious practices and the restoration of the empire's ancient cults.