How did the Roman government treat Christians during Marcus Aurelius’s reign?

During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, there was no systematic, state-initiated persecution of Christians. The legal status of Christians remained consistent with the policies established by his predecessors, Trajan and Hadrian: Christians were considered ipso facto punishable for their faith, but they were not to be actively sought out by authorities.1

However, this policy created an inconsistent environment. In times of instability, such as during the plague or frontier wars that characterized Marcus Aurelius’s reign, local populations often denounced Christians, whom they blamed for provoking the wrath of the gods by refusing to participate in the imperial cult or sacrifice to state deities. When such denunciations occurred, governors were often compelled to act, and the law was enforced. Consequently, while Marcus Aurelius was not an initiator of persecution, Christian blood flowed more profusely during his reign than in previous periods, most notably during the martyrdoms at Lyon in 177.213