In the final chapter of the first volume of his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), Gibbon claims that Christians had greatly exaggerated the scale of the persecutions they suffered: After the church had triumphed over all her enemies, the interest as well as vanity of the captives prompted them to magnify the merit of their respective suffering.
Dalam bab terakhir dari volume pertama Sejarah Kemunduran dan Kejatuhan Kekaisaran Romawi (1776) karyanya, Gibbon mengklaim bahwa kaum Kristiani telah sangat membesar-besarkan skala penganiayaan yang mereka alami: Setelah Gereja meraih kemenangan atas semua lawan-lawannya, kepentingan serta keangkuhan para tawanan mendorong mereka untuk memperbesar jasa dari penderitaan mereka masing-masing.