I Am A Christian: Authentic Accounts of Christian Martyrdom and Persecution from the Ancient Sources

Anthony P. Schiavo, Jr.

Arx Publishing, LLC, Sep 17, 2018 - History - 216 pages

"Jesus never existed." 

"The Bible is a book of fairy tales."

"Accounts of Christian persecution are fables."

Christians of today face ridiculous claims of this type on a regular basis. These charges gain traction in the modern world because the average person has practically no knowledge of the Church's ancient past. I Am A Christian: Authentic Accounts of Christian Martyrdom and Persecution from the Ancient Sources aims to remedy this deficiency.

The works collected in this book represent some of the most trustworthy first-hand accounts of the triumphs and travails of the early Church that have survived antiquity. These include several authentic transcripts of Roman legal proceedings against Christians, along with obscure but fascinating historical works that are unfamiliar to even the most informed Christians of today. In several cases, readers will be presented with the actual words of the martyrs themselves. In others, they will read accounts penned by eye-witnesses or authors writing within the living memory of the events themselves.

Taken together, these works form a glorious record of early Christian zeal and fortitude in the face of aggressive state persecution. When reading them, one notices a common refrain: when questioned, the accused would cry out: “I am a Christian,” which was the equivalent of saying, “I am guilty as charged.” In an era when such an admission carried a death sentence, these authentic testimonies provide a convincing answer to modern skeptics who will find them as baffling as did the ancient Roman emperors, proconsuls and magistrates of nearly two millennia ago.

Contents

• The First Martyrs: 3
• The Passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch: 17
• The Passion of Saint Polycarp: 25
• The Passion of Justin Martyr and Companions: 37
• The Apology and Acts of Apollonius: 43
• The Scillitan Martyrs: 51
• The Passion of Saints Perpetua Felicitas and Companions: 55
• Saints Potamiena Basilides and the Pupils of Origen who Became Martyrs: 73
• The Martyrs of Alexandria during the Decian Persecution: 77
• The Passion of Saint Saturninus: 85
• The Martyrdom of Saint Cyprian: 93
• The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence: 103
• The Passion of Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona and Companions 109 Chapter 14 The Acts of Saints Chionia Agape and Irene Who Hid the Scriptures: 115
• Traditores and the Burning of Christian Books: 123
• The Martyrs of Abitina: 129
• The Passion of Saint Crispina: 139
• Saint Agnes of Rome: 143
• Martyrdom Poems of Prudentius: 149
• The Persian Martyrs: 159
• Martyrs during the Reign of Julian the Apostate: 171
• The Epitaphs of Pope Saint Damasus: 179
• Index: 193

Bibliographic information

• Title: I Am A Christian: Authentic Accounts of Christian Martyrdom and Persecution from the Ancient Sources
• Editor: Anthony P. Schiavo, Jr.
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Arx Publishing, LLC, 2018
• ISBN: 1935228188, 9781935228189
• Length: 216 pages
• Subjects: History / Ancient / Rome; Religion / Christian Church / History; Religion / Christianity / Catholic