Blandina and the martyrs of Lyons and Vienne
About this date: The Gallic persecution is conventionally dated to 177 from the regnal setting in Eusebius; individual episodes unfold over a period of detention and public punishment.
A letter from churches in Gaul describes exclusion, arrests, interrogation, and deaths during a local persecution. Blandina's endurance becomes a central part of the community's remembrance.
Historical context
The surviving account moves among social hostility, official proceedings, imprisonment, and arena punishment. It also records the community's concern for people who initially denied their faith.
Key points
- The letter is addressed to Christians in Asia and Phrygia.
- It names enslaved as well as free members of the community.
- Eusebius preserves substantial excerpts rather than an independent second narrative.
People
- Blandina
- Pothinus
- Sanctus
- Attalus
Sources and further reading
- Church History V.1
Letter of the churches of Lyons and Vienne.