In 212, universal citizenship had been granted to all freeborn inhabitants of the empire, and with the edict of Decius enforcing religious conformity in 250, Christian citizens faced an intractable conflict: any citizen who refused to participate in the empire-wide supplicatio was subject to the death penalty.
Pada tahun 212, kewarganegaraan universal diberikan kepada seluruh penduduk merdeka di kekaisaran tersebut, dengan edik Desius memberlakukan penyelarasan agama pada 250, warga Kristen menghadapi konflik berkesinambungan: warga manapun yang menolak ikut serta dalam supplicatio di seluruh belaahn kekaisaran akan menghadapi hukuman mati.