Beginning with Diocletian's persecution of Christians, culminating in the formation of a so-called "imperial cult", to what extent was Christianity responsible for the decline of the Roman Empire (Backman 48)? Pagans certainly believed that Christians were responsible for the sack of Rome in 410 by the vexatious Visigoths, and many were uncomfortable with Theodosius' "rash establishment" of Christianity as the official state religion (Backman 56). Christian teachings slowly made their way into formal policies and civil legislation. Pagan traditions and rituals were abandoned as emperors took control, not only as rulers of the Roman Empire, but also as pontifex maximus – “chief priest” – as well (Backman 48). The brutal laws against Jews and Pagans did not arise from any practical or logical stipulation, but from the fact that the Christian faith began to merge with the Roman Empire, leading to a decline in tolerance. Subsequently, many scholars of the day strove to align their belief in a Christian faith with their "love of classical literature", a truly daunting task (Backman