The Living Tradition An Orthodox Archive of the Church Fathers and Early Church

The apostolic and early Church — lesson 2

Persecution, martyrdom and apology

What Christians were actually accused of, how they answered, and how the martyr accounts should be read.

  • Historical consensusBroadly agreed among historians working from the surviving evidence. Consensus can shift when the evidence or the method changes.

Primary evidence verified Content last reviewed 2026-08-29

What still needs checking (1)
  • Add tier D scholarship on the extent and legal basis of persecution.

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What this lesson covers

  • State the charges commonly brought against Christians.
  • Describe how the apologists answered them.
  • Read a martyr account as the genre it is.

About 7 minutes to read.

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Persecution before the middle of the third century was sporadic, local and usually driven by public accusation rather than by systematic imperial policy. The Decian persecution of 250 and the Diocletianic persecution from 303 were different in scale and intent.

The charges were specific: atheism, because Christians refused the gods; cannibalism and incest, from garbled accounts of the Eucharist and of Christians calling each other brother and sister; and disloyalty, for refusing to sacrifice for the emperor.

The apologists' answer

Justin's First and Second Apologies, both archived here, answer these charges directly and are addressed to the imperial authorities. Tertullian's Apology does the same in Latin, with more edge. Their method is to describe what Christians actually do — which is why Justin's account of Sunday worship exists at all.

Reading a martyr account

Key Scripture

  • 1 Peter 4:12-16 — Suffering as a Christian, not as a wrongdoer.
  • Revelation 2:10 — Be faithful unto death.

On Scripture references. References are given so you can read the passage in the translation your parish uses. This site does not reproduce a modern copyrighted Bible text.

Council and canon connections

  • The aftermath of persecution shapes several canons of Nicaea: XI and XII on those who lapsed, and I on those mutilated by their captors.

Why this matters in lived Orthodoxy

The Church's calendar is largely a calendar of martyrs, and the Liturgy is celebrated on an antimension containing relics. The memory of the persecutions is not historical background in Orthodoxy; it is built into the furniture.

Review

What were Christians commonly accused of?
Atheism for refusing the gods, cannibalism and incest from garbled accounts of the Eucharist and of Christian language, and disloyalty for refusing to sacrifice for the emperor.
How should a martyr account be read?
As a document written to be read in the churches, shaped on the pattern of Christ's passion — neither as a police report nor as fiction.

Your notes

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Going deeper

Sources for this page

  1. Tier C The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (eds.); A. Cleveland Coxe (American ed.) Justin Martyr, The First Apology translated edition of primary texts Source record
  2. Tier C Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (eds.) Tertullian, The Apology translated edition of primary texts Source record
  3. Tier C Eusebius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (eds.); Arthur Cushman McGiffert (trans.) Eusebius, Church History, Books V and VIII translated edition of primary texts Source record

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