A Partial Martyrology, Focusing on the East

[Monk Brendan]

Persecution in the Roman Empire

(64-313 AD)

Christianity quickly spread from Jerusalem to the important cities of the Roman Empire where there where Jews, and these places soon became important Christian centers as well--one of the first being Antioch. "It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11: 2 5).

Almost immediately Christians were charged with being less than good citizens because they would not worship the Roman gods, a patriotic duty in Roman eyes. Beginning with Emperor Nero in AD 64 Roman officials in different parts of the Empire attempted to suppress Christianity. In some places Church leaders were sought out for punishment and were often condemned to death. In other places Christians were allowed to sign statements that they had sacrificed to the Roman gods without actually having done so.

Beginning in AD 250 the persecution of Christians became empire-wide policy. Thousands of Christians died during the Roman persecutions. Perhaps the most famous of them was St. Ignatius the God-Bearer ("Theophoros"), himself a disciple of the apostles, whom our Church remembers on December 20. Towards the end of the first century he had become bishop of Antioch.

In AD 107 Emperor Trajan, flushed with victory in his Balkan wars, decreed that everyone should offer a sacrifice in thanksgiving to the Roman gods, Christians included. Death was the penalty for those who refused. Trajan was wintering in Antioch at the time and Ignatius was brought before him. Instead of offering sacrifice, Ignatius proclaimed the Gospel before the emperor who condemned him to be taken to Rome in chains and fed to the beasts in the arena.

During his lengthy journey to Rome Ignatius was able to meet with Christians along the way and encourage them to remain faithful. He also wrote letters to the communities he had visited. St letters tell us how he viewed his approaching death: "I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God. No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire" (To the Romans, 4).

Soon after he arrived in Rome, Ignatius was taken to the arena where he was devoured by the beasts. His bones were brought back to Antioch where they were venerated until the Arabs conquered the city in AD 63 The relics are enshrined today in the Roman Church of St Clement. The last and most severe Roman assault on Christians was the Great Persecution ordered by Emperor Diocletian. It was particularly intense in the East, especially in Egypt where the mass execution of Christians was widespread. To this day the Coptic Church calendar is dated from the beginning of Diocletian's reign (AD 284) which is AM 1 (Year of the Martyrs 1). This persecution was to continue until AD 313 when the Edict of Milan abolished the practice.

I have taken these quotes from the 2017 Melkite Calendar.

 

[JellyQuest]

I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God. No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire

after making statements like this , he would have been so embarrassed and ashamed to know his bones were venerated (the closest simile to the word worshipped ) with the attitude of contempt he held to things of the flesh in order to please god he would actually have been disgusted by such an action.-sad .

 

[prodromos]

after making statements like this , he would have been so embarrassed and ashamed to know his bones were venerated (the closest simile to the word worshipped ) with the attitude of contempt he held to things of the flesh in order to please god he would actually have been disgusted by such an action.-sad .

I'm guessing that veneration of the Saints is not part of your Christian tradition, otherwise you would likely be aware of the innumerable miracles God has wrought through the relics of the Saints over the last 2 millenia. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. They don't cease to be such when we die. Those who are advanced in holiness when they die, such as St Ignatius, continue to act as conduits of God's grace after their soul has gone to be with God.

 

[Monk Brendan]

he would actually have been disgusted by such an action.-sad .

What is sad is that people like you think that the only thing they can get from God is a trip to heaven, which has to be worked for, very, very hard. Even though they deny works at all.

 

[JellyQuest]

What is sad is that people like you think that the only thing they can get from God is a trip to heaven, which has to be worked for, very, very hard. Even though they deny works at all.

I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God. No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire

-after making statements like this , he would have been so embarrassed and ashamed to know his bones were venerated (the closest simile to the word worshipped ) with the attitude of contempt he held to things of the flesh in order to please god he would actually have been disgusted by such an action.-sad .

 

[prodromos]

what was the point of simply reposting what you posted before?

 

[Monk Brendan]

-after making statements like this , he would have been so embarrassed and ashamed to know his bones were venerated (the closest simile to the word worshipped ) with the attitude of contempt he held to things of the flesh in order to please god he would actually have been disgusted by such an action.-sad .

Reposting something is like repeating something. It says that you have one argument, that it is not well thought out, and that, if you don't get your way, you will shout next.