1 August 177 A.D. They Roared for His Blood: Remembering
Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons.
Mr. Graves tells it this way.
Graves, Dan. “Lyons Crowd Roared
for His Blood.” Christianity.com. Jun 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/lyons-crowd-roared-for-blood-11629604.html?utm_source=nextArticleBox&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=next-article-box.
Accessed 5 May 2007.
The mob in the amphitheater
roared. This day, August 1, 177 was a holiday to celebrate the greatness of
Rome.* For entertainment, the people of Lyons were enjoying watching the
torture of members of a vile sect called Christians.
The governor of Gaul was expected
to show his patriotism by sponsoring entertainment for the whole city. It was
expensive to hire gladiators, boxers and wrestlers. It would be a lot cheaper
to torture Christians for holiday entertainment!
Christianity had come to Lyons about 25 years
earlier when Polycarp of Smyrna (in modern Turkey) sent Pothinus as a
missionary to Gaul (modern France). Through diligent work, Pothinus established
church groups in Lyons and nearby Viennes. As the groups grew, spiritual
resistance mounted, and persecution of Christians began. They were shut out of
businesses and houses. Mobs beat, stoned and robbed them. In spite of the fate
they faced, when believers were arrested by city authorities they boldly
confessed their allegiance to Christ.
In 177, some Christians were
imprisoned to await the arrival of the governor to the region. Their unbelieving
servants were also seized. Under threat, they invented lies about the
Christians--saying they practiced cannibalism and incest. These accusations
enraged the authorities and gave them an excuse to punish the Christians.
The Christians were confined in
the darkest and nastiest part of the prison where many of them suffocated.
Pothinus, the 92-year-old bishop of Lyons, died in his cell after torture. His
cell was about the size of a modern electric dishwasher.
The torturers placed some
Christians in stocks; they placed others on a red hot-iron grill. After
torture, they took some of the Christians to the amphitheater for wild beasts
to devour as the crowd watched. Among that group was the slave girl Blandina,
who had already endured every imaginable torture and cruelty. She was suspended
on a stake and exposed to the wild beasts. Because she appeared to be hanging
on a cross, she inspired the other Christians. When they looked at her they
were reminded that Christ was crucified for them and that everyone who suffered
for Christ's glory would enjoy eternal fellowship with him.
In the midst of her pain and
suffering Blandina cried out, "I am a Christian and there is nothing vile
done by us." Although the crowd detested the Christians, they had to admit
that they had never seen a woman endure so many terrible tortures. She died
comparing her death to marriage since she was going to her bridegroom, Christ.
Sanctus, a deacon from Vienne
also stood firm in his faith, even when red hot plates were fastened to the
most tender parts of his body. He was an example for the other victims, showing
that "nothing is fearful where the love of the Father is, and nothing is
painful where there is the glory of Christ." With such hope, the
Christians exhorted and encouraged each other in the faith to the end.
Their tormentors exposed their
bodies for six days, and then burned them to ashes and thrown into the Rhone
river. They threw the bodies of those who suffocated in prison to the dogs, and
stationed guards to prevent other Christians from burying them. By doing this,
the pagans hoped to destroy any hope of resurrection.
*The date may well be wrong.
Other than a Festival of Ceres, I find no Roman holiday or festival in the
calendar for this day.
Bibliography:
1. Adapted from Glimpses #51
"Blandina." Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute.
2. Aland, Kurt. Saints and Sinners;
men and ideas in the early church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.
3. "The Persecution and
Martyrdoms of Lyons in 177 AD." http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/earlychurch/lyons.shtml
Last update June, 2007
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