3 1 3 ▁AD ▁as ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Car th age ▁and ▁Pr imate ▁of ▁North ▁Africa , ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Christian ▁sect ▁which ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Don at ist ▁sect , ▁even ▁though ▁Don atus ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁found ing ▁leader , ▁but ▁rather ▁followed ▁the ▁found ing ▁leader ▁Major inus . ▁ ▁The ▁background ▁to ▁the ▁controvers y ▁was ▁the ▁wave ▁of ▁per sec utions ▁of ▁Christians ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Dioc let ian . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁some ▁Church ▁leaders ▁- ▁unw illing ▁to ▁end ure ▁tort ure ▁or ▁death ▁and ▁become ▁mart y rs ▁- ▁had ▁been ▁ready ▁to ▁take ▁such ▁acts ▁as ▁wor sh ipping ▁the ▁gods ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁p ant he on , ▁considered ▁id ols ▁by ▁Christians , ▁or ▁surrender ing ▁church ▁books ▁and ▁property ▁to ▁the ▁imperial ▁authorities . ▁Such ▁people ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁“ trad itors ” ▁(" s urr ender ers "). ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁" trad itors ", ▁named ▁Ca ec ilian , ▁had ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁fol d ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁once ▁the ▁per sec utions ▁ended , ▁and ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Car th age ▁and ▁Pr imate ▁of ▁North ▁Africa . ▁Those ▁of ▁the ▁faithful ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁spiritual ▁leader ▁raised ▁Major inus ▁as ▁a ▁rival ▁bishop ; ▁however , ▁Major inus ▁died ▁shortly ▁after ▁being ▁consec r ated , ▁and ▁it ▁fell ▁to ▁Don atus ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁place ▁and ▁continue ▁the ▁struggle . ▁ ▁The