The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313 · External witness
Emperor Maximinus Thrax
d. AD 238 · Roman Emperor (235–238) · Rome → the Rhine
External witness
Who Emperor Maximinus Thrax was
The giant Thracian soldier who seized the throne on the murder of Severus Alexander and, out of hatred for his predecessor’s Christian-friendly household, ordered the leaders of the churches killed — “the rulers of the churches, as the authors of the teaching of the Gospel,” Eusebius says. In his brief reign bishop Pontian of Rome and the presbyter Hippolytus were deported to the Sardinian mines, where both died. Origen wrote his Exhortation to Martyrdom for friends imperilled under him. A short, targeted persecution aimed at the clergy rather than the laity.
Also listed in non-christian witnesses and roman emperors.
Common questions
When did Emperor Maximinus Thrax die?
Emperor Maximinus Thrax is dated d. AD 238 in the archive, which places Emperor Maximinus Thrax in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Emperor Maximinus Thrax?
Emperor Maximinus Thrax is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Firmilian of Caesarea and Eusebius of Caesarea. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Emperor Maximinus Thrax from?
The archive associates Emperor Maximinus Thrax with Rome, the Rhine. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Emperor Maximinus Thrax’s contemporaries?
The archive links Emperor Maximinus Thrax to 4 other figures, including Pontian of Rome, Hippolytus of Rome, Emperor Septimius Severus and Emperor Decius. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Epistle 75.10 (Firmilian recalls the persecution 'in the time of Maximinus')
c. AD 256Ecclesiastical History VI.28
c. AD 325The emperor Maximinus… raised a persecution, commanding that the leaders of the church alone should be put to death, as responsible for the teaching of the Gospel.Eusebius of Caesarea · VI.28 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 177 · Persecution at Lyon and Vienne, AD 177
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
- AD 190 · The Quartodeciman controversy, AD 190
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Emperor Maximinus Thrax.
- 1Rome