The Age of Martyrs: Christianity from Diocletian (284) to Constantine

by Giuseppe Ricciotti

In The Age of Martyrs, the famous Catholic historian Abbot Giuseppe Ricciotti records the epochal events of Roman history from the rise of Diocletian (284) to the death of Constantine the Great (337); a period which witnessed the last and greatest of the ten persecutions of the Christians by the Roman government.

Genres: History, Catholic

305 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 1959

About the author

In 1905 he entered the novitiate of the Roman Catholic religious order of the Canons Regular of the Lateran, taking religious vows the following year. After his seminary studies and completing mandatory military service, he was ordained as a priest in 1913. After ordination, Ricciotti continued his studies at the University of Rome, where he took courses in both philosophy and theology. At the same time he did coursework at the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

During World War I he was required to interrupt his studies and to perform military service, during which time he served as a military chaplain, volunteering for service at the front lines, and was afterwards awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for his service in the trenches, where he was seriously wounded. Because of this experience, he came to oppose any kind of war.

After the war, Ricciotti resumed his studies and graduated in 1919 with a degree in Biblical Studies. From 1924 onwards, he taught Hebrew literature at the University of Rome. He also taught similar courses briefly at the University of Genoa and at the University of Bari, where he taught from 1935-1960. In addition to this, Ricciotti set up and directed a small seminary in Liguria.

In 1935 he was appointed Procurator General of his religious congregation. During World War II, due to his office he was able to give refuge to many refugees at the congregation's motherhouse at the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. During this period, he also served as a consultant to the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. He held this position for his congregation until 1946, when he was named as the Abbot of Gubbio.

Reviews

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was extremely informative and gave me a lot of background on the Roman Tetrarchy and the rulers who persecuted Christianity before Constantine. Some people may find it dry, but if you are truly interested in finding out about the history, you'll enjoy it. The book sort of switches between Roman politics and battles (which give a great backdrop to the early Church) to gripping (and often gorey) martyr stories. Four stars and recommended.

[Brett Stortroen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Monumental Scholarly Account of the Greatest Persecution of Christianity in Ancient Rome.

This book really filled in some gaps for my own ten year study of Christian persecution during the age of the Roman Tetrarchy. Ricciotti has done a superb job in classifying the different levels of veracity in the accounts of martyrdom during the reign of Diocletion and his cohorts. He demonstrates the evidence in a clear and ordered manner. This book ranks with "Fox's Book of Martyrs," yet perhaps even surpasses it. The sheer determined bold faith of these ancient martyrs should amaze anyone. His balanced historical account of Constantine and the period was exceptional. If I choose to write a sequel to "Night of the Dragon: The Saga of Saint George," I will definitely be able to use some of this well researched source material. Ricciotti was an excellent historian and biblical scholar of the highest degree.