The tenth successor of St. Peter, St. Anicetus governed the Church from 155 to 166 when he was martyred. These were years of great difficulty when Christianity in Rome had to face not only persecution by the emperors but also the heretical tendencies of the second century. St. Anicetus was visited in Rome by St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who came to discuss with him the date of Easter.