On the Death of Persecutors

work by Lactantius

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July 1, 2026

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On the Death of Persecutors is a work by Lactantius, a Christian apologist and rhetorician. Written around 317 AD, it details the fates of Roman emperors who persecuted Christians. Lactantius believed that these emperors faced divine retribution for their actions, arguing that God intervenes to correct injustice.12

The work serves as a historical account and a theological argument, asserting that the Christian God actively punishes those who harm his followers. It highlights the perceived downfall of figures like Diocletian, who initiated the last major Christian persecution. Lactantius's writing style, influenced by classical rhetoric, aimed to present Christianity as a rational and just faith, contrasting it with pagan practices.132

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Lactantius
In a companion work, “On the Death of Persecutors,” Lactantius held that the Christian God—in contradistinction to the remote, unconcerned God of Stoic deism—could intervene to right human injustice. Moreover, he maintained that Roman justice could be better perfected by rooting it in the Christian doctrine of divine fatherhood…
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In a companion work, “On the Death of Persecutors,” Lactantius held that the Christian God—in contradistinction to the remote, unconcerned God of Stoic deism—could intervene to right human injustice. Moreover, he maintained that Roman justice could be better perfected by rooting it in the Christian doctrine of divine fatherhood…
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patristic literature
Late 2nd to early 4th century
The later On the Death of Persecutors, now generally recognized as his, describes the grim fates of persecuting emperors; it is a primary source for the history of the early 4th century and also represents a crude attempt at a Christian philosophy of history.
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The later On the Death of Persecutors, now generally recognized as his, describes the grim fates of persecuting emperors; it is a primary source for the history of the early 4th century and also represents a crude attempt at a Christian philosophy of history.
Read More