In AD 249, the Plague of Cyprian swept through the Roman Empire. Named after Cyprian of Carthage, who vividly described its horrors, this plague led to loss of life and increased imperial destabilization during an already turbulent time. Accounts from Cyprian and Dionysius of Alexandria highlight the plague's severity, noting it seemed to threaten the very existence of humanity. At the same time, the emperor Trajan Decius issued an edict requiring universal sacrifice to Roman gods across the entire Empire, putting Christians in the crosshairs. How did the Christian community respond to both the plague and the persecution under Decius?