als ▁( for ▁re put edly ▁e ating ▁the ▁" body ▁of ▁Christ "), ▁they ▁were ▁called ▁at he ists ▁( for ▁not ▁following ▁the ▁established ▁Roman ▁religion ), ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁accused ▁of ▁burning ▁Rome ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁N ero , ▁and ▁thus ▁were ▁tort ured ▁and ▁burn ed ▁as ▁tor ches . ▁Em per ors ▁after ▁N ero ▁also ▁saw ▁them ▁as ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁unity ▁of ▁the ▁Empire . ▁ ▁T ert ul li an , ▁an ▁early ▁Christian ▁ap ologist , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Christians ▁helped ▁in ▁propag ating ▁Christian ity : ▁" The ▁blood ▁of ▁mart y rs ▁is ▁the ▁seed ▁of ▁Christians ." ▁According ▁to ▁Catholic ▁histor ians ▁like ▁Philip ▁Hugh es ▁and ▁Warren ▁Car rol , ▁when ▁the ▁Empire ▁fell ▁in ▁ 4 7 6 ▁AD , ▁Christian ity ▁continued ▁to ▁prosper ▁and ▁to ▁spread ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁and ▁beyond . ▁These ▁histor ians ▁say ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁Christian ▁mon ks ▁who ▁eventually ▁tried ▁to ▁keep ▁int act ▁the ▁ancient ▁culture ▁in ▁their ▁monaster ies . ▁ ▁Early ▁Church ▁F athers ▁Many ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁F athers ▁are ▁also ▁seen ▁by ▁the olog ians ▁as ▁signs ▁of ▁contradiction . ▁A ▁specific ▁example ▁is ▁St . ▁Ath anas ius ▁or ▁Ath anas ius ▁of ▁Alexand ria , ▁who ▁def ended ▁the ▁div inity ▁of ▁Christ , ▁the ▁basic ▁reason ▁behind ▁the ▁Christian ▁religion , ▁according ▁to ▁Pat ro log ist ▁Johannes ▁Qu ast en . ▁ ▁J .