Dionysius of Alexandria. Pope St. Stephen died at this time, perhaps while
leaving Rome in bad health. Nevertheless, the exiled bishops continued to
govern their sees in absentia and the Roman clergy immediately elected
Pope Sixtus II as St. Stephen’s successor. Valerian’s edict was not having
the desired effect, so he issued a second one commanding all bishops,
priests, deacons and Christians belonging to the aristocracy to abjure their
faith under penalty of decapitation and loss of goods.
Some of the greatest names enrolled in the Roman martyrology perished
during Valerian’s persecution: Pope Sixtus II and six of his deacons who
were arrested while saying Mass in the Catacombs and immediately
beheaded; the deacon Lawrence who was roasted to death on a gridiron; the
priests and deacons, together with their entire congregation, who were
buried alive by soldiers under an avalanche of stones and sand during Mass
near the tomb of Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria; the youthful deacon
Tarcisius, who was beaten to death while carrying the Eucharist to the
home of a Christian; St. Cyprian of Carthage, who was recalled from exile
and beheaded while kneeling in silent prayer; Bishop Fructuosus of
Tarragona and his two deacons, the first martyrs of Spain, burnt to death in
witness to Christ.
Like the Decian persecution before it, the Valerian persecution would come
to a sudden end due to political catastrophe. Renewed Persian military
pressure summoned Valerian once more to the east in 260. His campaign at
a stalemate, Valerian would seek a negotiated settlement, only to pay a
severe price no other Emperor every suffered:
“The aging Valerian wore out the plague-thinned ranks of his army
marching to and fro against them. Finally, camped before Christian
Edessa, he entered into peace negotiations with the formidable and
ruthless King Shapur I of Persia, who demanded a personal
interview. Valerian came with only a small guard. He was seized and
carried off a prisoner to Persia, never to return. It was the first time
in history that a Roman emperor had been captured by the enemies
of Rome. For five years or more Valerian lived in the utmost
degradation, loaded with chains, dressed in his robes of imperial
purple for constant mockery; Shapur mounted his horse by placing
his feet on Valerian’s neck, and when the former emperor finally
died, disgraced and forgotten at Rome, his skin was stuffed with
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