Anyone who’s studied enough history has read about blood being shed for Jesus. The most common examples cited are the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the Thirty Years’ War. But far fewer have heard about the first major persecution the Church ever committed. It happened at the end of the fourth century, just a decade after Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire.

At the time, Rome was ruled by Emperor Theodosius, a cruel bastard prone to losing his cool. But in 390 C.E., his temper erupted a lot worse than usual. He unleashed his wrath on Thessalonica, a Greek city that loved chariot racing more than any other sport. So when their local garrison arrested a favorite champion on dubious charges, the fans rioted to free him. The troops soon subdued the uprising and restored order. But that wasn’t good enough for Theodosius, who craved vengeance for the defiance. So during a scheduled chariot race, when much of the city was sitting in a stadium, he commanded his soldiers to barricade the gates and butcher the trapped crowd. In the span of hours, his troops massacred over 7000 men, women, and children.

The news horrified the ancient world, a place that was pretty used to violence. Ambrose, the bishop of the imperial capital Milan, excommunicated his emperor for the atrocities and damned Theodosius to Hell. Terrified that he would burn forever, Theodosius begged Ambrose for mercy. Ambrose offered to lift the excommunication and forgive him if Theodosius did sufficient penance for his wrongs. And so Theodosius, the most powerful monarch of his day, became a dog on a leash, eager to appease his new master, the Church.

Desperate to save his soul, Theodosius enacted a series of draconian laws which pushed the Empire toward becoming a Christian theocracy. While he suppressed various religions, he particularly targeted the pagans, who worshiped the numerous deities of the Classical Age. Theodosius banned the Olympic Games of Athens, which would not be restored for nearly 1500 years. Theodosius toppled the pagan temples and shrines, seized their treasures, and destroyed their statues to prevent idol worship. Pagans who continued to practice their religion faced dire consequences, ranging from fines to imprisonment to even the sword. Once the ruling class, the pagans now had to either abandon their gods or dare becoming enemies of the state. It was an ironic reversal of fortune: the Christians, who had previously endured persecution and violence on account of their beliefs, now waged a hypocritical campaign to purge another religion.

In the end, Theodosius succeeded enough to satisfy Ambrose. The bishop lifted the excommunication and readmitted Theodosius into his congregation. In fact, Theodosius was of such pious service that he was made a saint after his death. By ensuring that no rival sect could compete against the Christian faith, Theodosius equipped it to dominate the rest of Europe. Thus began the dangerous union between church and government, which would corrupt politics for centuries to come.

If you want to learn more about this historical event, I highly recommend you check out the novel INVICTUS by Brandon White. While a few of the characters are fictional, most depict real people. There’s a bunch of eye-opening information in it. It’s a great primer on this barbaric period of Christianity.