To early Christians, ancient gladiators were potent symbols of martyrdom, embodying virtue and bravery despite being enslaved ...

No, Early Christian Martyrs Were Not Self-Immolating Protesters By Madeleine Kearns About Madeleine Kearns February 27, 2024 10:03 AM ...

NARRATOR: Across the Roman Empire, we saw early Christians form small, scattered congregations, preserving and nurturing their faith. But some would pay a terrible price, martyred at the hands of ...

Washington, D.C. – The third annual March for the Martyrs, held on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., aimed to raise awareness of Christian persecution all over ...

The early martyrs talked about battles, warfare, and victory, but all of their "combat language" was spiritualized as they peaceably emulated Jesus' sacrifice. That's not always the case today.

The city, which dates from between the third and seventh centuries, includes residences, tombs and two churches ...

“Jesus Christ warned his followers that they could face persecution, Mark 10:39 and Matthew 10:16-25, and the first Christian martyr was Stephen, who was stoned to death, Acts 7:58-60.

Through the first 250 years of Christian history, the Church grew at a steady rate of 40% per decade — and all that happened at a time when the practice of the faith was a capital crime.” ...

Pope Pius V, who reigned from 1566 to 1572, according to some sources urged pilgrims to gather dirt from the floor of the Colosseum because it was soaked with the blood of early Christian martyrs.

Gladiator as martyr Some early Christians followed Paul's example and wrote themselves into the culture of ancient sports, particularly in a genre of Christian writing focused on martyrdom.