Final answer:
In response to persecution, Christians either remained faithful despite severe consequences, denied their faith publicly but continued it in secret, or converted to other religions like Judaism as a means of escape.
Step-by-step explanation:
During periods of severe persecution, Christians displayed various reactions. One such reaction was faithfulness, where believers held to their faith despite the threat of severe consequences, including torture and execution.
Others may have chosen the path of denial to avoid persecution, which sometimes involved renouncing their Christian faith publicly while continuing to practice it in secret.
Finally, some individuals may have converted to other religions, such as Judaism, which did not actively seek new converts and was less threatening to the Roman hierarchy.
While conversion to Judaism was not a common reaction among persecuted Christians, the context of religious fluidity in the Roman Empire makes it a plausible response for some individuals seeking to escape persecution.