Editing Pope Zephyrinus (section)

===Conflicts===
During the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus (193–211), relations with the young Christian Church deteriorated, and in 202 or 203, the edict of persecution appeared, which forbade conversion to Christianity under the severest penalties.<ref name="ce"/>

Zephyrinus's predecessor, Pope Victor I, had excommunicated [[Theodotus of Byzantium|Theodotus the Tanner]] for reviving a heresy that Christ became God only after the Resurrection. Theodotus' followers formed a separate heretical community at Rome, ruled by another Theodotus, the Money Changer, and Asclepiodotus. [[Antipope Natalius|Natalius]], who was tortured for his faith during the persecution, was persuaded by Asclepiodotus to become a bishop in their sect in exchange for a monthly stipend of 150 denarii. Natalius then reportedly experienced several visions warning him to abandon these heretics. According to an anonymous work entitled ''The Little Labyrinth'' quoted by [[Eusebius]], Natalius was whipped a whole night by an angel, and the next day, he donned sackcloth and ashes and weeping bitterly threw himself at the feet of Zephyrinus.<ref>Eusebius, ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' 5.28.9–12; translated by G.A. Williamson, ''Eusebius: The History of the Church'' (Harmonsworth: Penguin, 1965), pp. 236f</ref><ref name="ce"/>