Final answer:
The early Christians refused to participate in the state cults honoring the Roman gods, which led many Romans to view them as treasonous. Their refusal to perform animal sacrifice and worship the emperor was seen as an act of treason by the Roman authorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early Christians refused to participate in the state cults honoring the Roman gods, which led many Romans to view them as treasonous. Their refusal to perform animal sacrifice and worship the emperor was seen as an act of treason by the Roman authorities. This led to sporadic and localized persecutions of Christians over a period of two and a half centuries, with the most widespread official persecution carried out by Emperor Diocletian in 303.