# Great Persecution Begins (303)

URL: https://roman-history.com/timeline/303-great-persecution-begins
Location: Roman Empire
Categories: politics

Diocletian and his colleagues ordered churches destroyed and demanded religious conformity.

## Why it matters
The last major empire-wide persecution preceded Christianity's rapid political ascent.

Ruler at the time: [Diocletian](https://roman-history.com/rulers/diocletian)