An Account of Those Who Suffered in the Second Century

[The two Roman, or, properly speaking, Greek emperors, Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, raised the chief persecutions against the Christians in this century. This is fully shown in the following account, as well as which persons suffered for the name of Christ in these persecutions.

In the persecutions under Trajan these were killed, after enduring much suffering: Simon Cleophas, who was a hundred and twenty years old, Rufus and Zosimus, the Ethiopian baptized by Philip, Ignatius, Onesimus, Dionysius Areopagita, Publius, Barsimeus, Barbelius and his sister Barba, Justus and Pastor, Phocas, Faustina, Jacobita, Felicitas with her seven sons, and Lucius.

Under Marcus Aurelius these suffered: Justinus, Polycarpus, and twelve of his beloved disciples, who had come from Philadelphia to Smyrna and were killed there; Carpus, Papylus, Agathonica and many women, Germanicus, Vetius, Attalus, Alexander of Phrygia, Maturus, Sanctus Blandina and a youth, Photinus, ninety years old, Alcibiades, Epipodius, Alexander the Greek, Leoxides, Plutarchus, Sagaris, Thraseas. All these fought even to blood under the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ; their deaths may be read in full in the following account.]

We will begin the second century with the third general persecution that was raised against the followers of Jesus Christ, and will proceed at once to give an account of the time, place, persons, and circumstances.