rance of suffering are not denied to the
other. The weaker sex has never been inferior in the ability to bear
pain, or in the courage to go cheerfully to a martyr's death. It was no
more common for women under the stress of torture to relinquish their
faithfulness than for men. In the enthusiasm born of their hope in the
Gospel, it was as much the wont of young virgins to meet the lion's eye
without flinching as it was that of wise and venerable bishops.

The first principal persecution took place under Nero. There is no sign
of any general edict by him against the Christians; so it is probable
that the severities in this reign were confined to Rome. It is even
doubtful if Nero cherished any purpose of suppressing Christianity. He
found the Christians the most convenient victims for a charge of burning
the city; so he satisfied the people by affixing the guilt to these
hated sectaries, and at the same time amused the idle Roman populace by
an unusual exhibition.

There is no mention of the names of those who suffered under the
imperial actor; but there is no doubt there were many women in the
number. Doubtless, some of those women to whom Paul sent greeting and
gave other mention in his Epistle suffered at this time. Though their
names are not recorded in the chronicles of martyrdom, the blood of many
of the Apostle's feminine friends at Rome helped to cement the
foundation of the Church. Of all the tragedies witnessed by the City of
the Seven Hills, in which women had taken a part, none was so
significant as this. The wives and daughters of kings, consuls, and
emperors had met death in the pursuit of ambitious projects. To them the
fatal violence of tyrants meant hopeless failure; to these Christian
women, who belonged to the lowest walks of society, it meant glorious
success. When those died, their ambitions ended; when these perished,
the faith which they so bravely confessed was only made stronger by
their sufferings.

It is not unlikely that Poppaea, the wife of Nero, may have played an
important part in this persecution. The Christians encountered as bitter
opposition from the Jews as from the heathen. The fellow countrymen of
Paul frequently succeeded in stirring up the animosity of the rulers
against him and the other teachers of the new religion. While, as a
rule, they themselves were extremely obnoxious to the Romans, it
happened that at this time they had a powerful friend in the wife of the
tyrant. Joseph