Postawa chrześcijan Kościoła perskiego w czasie prześladowań Szapura II

Abstract

The subject of this article deals with Persian Christians in the period of the persecution of Shapur II. The ruler derived from the Sassanid dynasty had gov-erned the Persian Empire since 309 to 379 and on that time of his reign Sassanid Empire saw its first golden era. The three source accounts were analysed: Demonstrations of Aphrahat, The History of the Hermias Sozomenus and Chronica Seertensis – nestorianical source dated from the IX or X century. Each of analysed reports concerning the persecution of the Persian Christians appears to be interesting and noteworthy. In his Church History Hermias accepted the role of external factors in origin and turn of events of Church persecution in Persia in the IV century (magicians and Jews). Nestorian author of Chronica Seertensis has also made observations of these groups in forming the antichristian politics of the Persian ruler but besides that he even expands theological reflection: the persecution should be interpreted as the time of trial, strengthening the faith and calling on to convert. The Aphrahat in his Demonstrations, particularly in his Synodical Letter had briefed the similar historical-redemptive conception in the martyr theology but judging the posture of Simeon negatively.