The Early Persecutions of the Christians

Canfield, Leon Hardy. The Early Persecutions of the Christians. New York: Columbia University Press, 1913. 215 pp. Reprint available February, 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-481-9. Cloth. $75. * Based on a sensitive reading of all known primary sources, many of a legal or legislative nature, Canfield reconstructs the early history of the Christians' persecution. After discussing their legal basis, he shows how the law was employed from the reign of Nero through the reign of Hadrian. The book has two parts. Each chapter in Part I has a corresponding chapter of relevant source documents in Part II. All appear in translation, some are also presented in the original Latin or Greek. Originally published as Volume LV, Number 2 in Columbia's series Studies in History, Economics and Public Law.