The documents in this chapter help to illustrate the complex process of cultural exchange that accompanied the expansion and institutionalization of the Roman Empire. As the empire grew, its rulers gradually decided to extend the benefits of citizenship to select non-Romans. This process was completed in 212 C.E., when citizenship was granted to all free men in the empire. As they incorporated new peoples into the empire, Romans did not simply impose their culture on others; they allowed for a fusion of traditions. This tolerance, however, had limits. So long as local populations were willing to acknowledge the imperial cult and participate in public ceremonies affirming their loyalty to the empire, the Romans were content to leave local cultural and religious traditions alone. If, however, those beliefs and traditions seemed to undermine a population’s loyalty to the empire, the Romans were inclined to see them in a very different light. Thus, the Romans persecuted the Jews of Judea, not because their beliefs were different from those of the Romans, but because they resisted Roman rule and that resistance often had religious underpinnings. Similarly, the overt rejection of pagan religion by early Christians made them potential rebels and subversives in the eyes of many Romans, and they thus became the targets of sporadic persecution, particularly in times of general political and social unrest. ■