Ujm – “ones mamon” is considered an ones for certain things; avodah zara not being one of them. What they did was assur, but jt was also forcible, because the alternative was to leave behind their entire lives – some did, and they were mekadesh shem zhomayim…their schar is immeasurable. It was not by any means an easy nisayon, and we have no idea what we would do if faced with it.
And yes, I have read reports that it was more…but i shudder to think about it and hope that the historian was mistaken.