Editing Pope Caius (section)

==Pontificate==
[[File:HR-Salona-Monastirine-5.jpg|thumb|Remains of the [[basilica]] of [[Salona]].]]
Christian tradition makes Caius a native of the [[Dalmatia]]n city of [[Salona]], the son of a man also named Caius or Gaius, and a member of a [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|noble family]] related to the [[Roman emperor|Emperor]] [[Diocletian]].<ref name="San Caio">[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/50400 San Caio] at Santi e Beati {{in lang|it}}</ref> About 280, an early Christian house of worship was established on the site of [[Santa Susanna]], which, like many of the earliest Christian meeting places, was in a house (''domus ecclesiae''). The ''[[domus]]'' belonged, according to the sixth-century ''[[wikt:acta|acta]]'', to brothers named Caius and Gabinus, prominent Christians. Caius may be this pope, or [[Caius (presbyter)|Caius the Presbyter]]. Gabinus is the name given to the father of Susanna. Thus, sources state that Caius was the uncle of Susanna.<ref name="santasusanna">{{cite web|url=http://www.santasusanna.org/ourUniqueHistory/popes.html |title=Our Popes |publisher=The Church of Santa Susanna |access-date=16 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728074548/http://www.santasusanna.org/ourUniqueHistory/popes.html |archive-date=28 July 2015 }}</ref>

As pope, Caius decreed that before someone could assume the position of [[bishop]], he must first be [[Porter (doorkeeper)|porter]], [[lector]], [[exorcist]], [[acolyte]], [[subdeacon]], [[deacon]], and [[priest]]. He also divided the districts of Rome among the deacons.<ref name="St. Caius"/><ref>[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0422.shtml Saint of the Day, April 22: ''Caius''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028083931/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0422.shtml |date=28 October 2013 }} ''SaintPatrickDC.org.'' Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref> During his pontificate, [[anti-Christian]] measures increased, although new churches were built and cemeteries were expanded.<ref name="San Caio"/><ref name="St. Caius"/> 

===Martyrdom===
Pope Caius would go into hiding due to increased persecution of the church, alongside Saints Polycarp, [[Saint Sebastian|Sebastian]], [[Saint Tranquillinus|Tranquillinus]], [[Saint Tiburtius|Tiburtius]], Nicostratus and [[Zoe of Rome|Zoe]], in the house of [[Castulus]], a Christian officer employed at the Imperial Palace.<ref name="Crawford">{{cite book |last1=Crawford |first1=Alexander |title=Sketches of the history of Christian art |date=1847 |publisher=J. Murray |location=London |page=236 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sketches_of_the_history_of_Christian_art_(IA_gri_33125007724715).pdf |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref> Over the course of the next few years, the entire group would be discovered one by one by Roman authorities and martyred.<ref name="Crawford"/> Caius would be found praying with Tiburtius shortly after the conversion and baptism of Tiburtius' children and the pair was brought to the local [[Praefectus]], a man named Fabian, who ordered the construction of a great bonfire, and ordered the two to either throw [[frankincense]] into it to appease the Roman gods, or to cast themselves into it.<ref name="Crawford"/> Although Pope Caius' ultimate fate is unclear, often being associated with beheading, according to legend Tiburtius walked into the fire invoking the name of Christ and remained unhurt, so he was taken out of Rome by the [[Via Labicana]] and [[beheaded]].<ref name="Crawford"/> However, Caius' martyrdom is disputed, as the [[Diocletianic Persecution]] of Christians began in 303&nbsp;AD, after Caius’ alleged death, and Diocletian was not immediately hostile to Christianity upon becoming emperor.<ref name="San Caio"/><ref name="St. Caius"/>