The persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire began late during the reign of Constantine the Great, when he ordered the pillaging and the tearing down of some temples.[which?][1][2][3] The first anti-pagan laws by the Christian state started with Constantine's son Constantius II,[4][5] who was an opponent of paganism; he ordered the closing of all pagan temples, forbade pagan sacrifices under pain of death,[2] and removed the traditional Altar of Victory from the Senate.[6] Under his reign ordinary Christians began to vandalise pagan temples, tombs and monuments.[7][8][9][10] This persecution had proceeded after a period of persecution of Christians in the Empire.