Chapter 9, Maximin's Renewed Attacks on the Church Summary and Analysis

The recantation of persecution spread throughout the empire. As the persecutions ended, the churches overflowed with parishioners and the non-believers were amazed and many converted. However, Maximin could not tolerate an end to persecution for longer than six months. He looked for pretexts to harass Christians. Eventually persecution broke out again, with Maximin producing awful blasphemes and idols. Eusebius discusses the martyrs of the day and reproduces Maximin's rescript justifying his persecution of Christians.

Famine, pestilence and war struck quickly after one another. The tyrant had to fight a war against the Armenians, who were Christians. The tyrant forced them to sacrifice to idols and demons, which had turned them into enemies. The war destroyed food supplies and everyone people begged and starved to death. This suffering was Maximin's...