There were many tortured and murdered Christian martyrs. Was the violence done by the empire in the past still felt by the Christians, even years after acknowledgment of the religion? Was the memory of persecution still invoked to them, while venerating the saints perhaps?
What do they think of the past emperors/empire generally?
To be more specific, all that I know of the Donatists comes from MacCulloch's Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years and wikipedia. Can an expert weigh on their history and the relevant distinctions between them and those that submitted to the Bishop of Rome?
Also, in "The Davinci Code" they imply large scale riots and values in the streets of Rome between worshippers of Jupiter and Christians. Is this true?