# Great Persecution under Diocletian (303)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/303-great-persecution-under-diocletian
Location: Roman Empire
Themes: Persecution

Diocletian orders churches destroyed and scriptures burned, beginning the last and most severe Roman persecution. At this point in the timeline (24 February 303), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Marcellinus (30 June 296 – 25 October 304).

## Why it matters
Great Persecution under Diocletian mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Marcellinus](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-marcellinus)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Diocletianic Persecution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletianic_Persecution)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Great Persecution under Diocletian](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Great+Persecution+under+Diocletian)
- [Wikipedia — Early Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante-Nicene_period)