Martyrs of Lyon

The martyrs of Lyon were martyrisés in 177 after J.C with Lugdunum (Lyon). They set up the first group of Christians known in Gaulle.

Historical context

Towards 177, Christianity is a not recognized religion of the authorities ( religio illicita ), but more or less tolerated in the facts. It is primarily established in the cities of the oriental party of the Roman Empire. Preceding notable persecution is localized in Bithynie and goes back to Trajan (reign of 98 with 117). With this occasion, Trajan prescribes not to seek the Christians, even on anonymous denunciation, but to punish them if they persist in their beliefs, irreligious people and atheists with the eyes of the Romans. This regulation makes it possible to the Christians to know two generations of peace on the whole of the Roman Empire, with the help of a careful discretion.

But the situation degrades towards the Années 170. A radical Christian movement appeared in Phrygie, the Montanisme, announces the end of the world and preaches the Ascétisme, martyrdom, and disputes hierarchy, State and military service. The Christian intellectuals reject the montanism like heretic, but the Roman world does not make the difference. At the same time, the cruel threats on the borders tighten the political situation: in 167 - 169, then in 175 - 180, the Christians refuse to take part in the religious ceremonies of support for the Empire required by Marc Aurèle.

Lyon in 177

At that time, Lyon or more exactly Lugdunum is a Roman colony, capital of the Lyons province of Gaulle and sits of the federal Sanctuaire of the three Gaules dedicated to the official worship in Rome and Auguste, celebrated by the representatives of the Gallic cities.

Worships of Eastern origin are well established in Lugdunum, like the worship of Cybèle, attested by taurobolic furnace bridges (with head of bull), and the worship of Dionysos, attested by dionysiaques sarcophagi decorated with topics.

Documentary sources

The martyrs of Lyon are known by the historian Eusèbe de Césarée (towards 260, towards 339) who quotes in Ve delivers of his “Ecclesiastical History” a letter “of the Churches of Lyon and Vienna to the Churches of Asia and Phrygie”. Eusèbe takes again broad passages of this letter, but does not mention of it the author, that the tradition identifies like Irenee of Lyon, member of the group of the Christians of Lyon and having escaped to persecution. This author is known for other writings, and is quoted by Eusèbe a little further in the “Ecclesiastical History”. Let us notice nevertheless that Eusèbe quotes its sources by name each time it can do it, Irenee attribution is thus an extrapolation of its text. By simplification, the article thus mentions this source under the term of " the lettre". Eusèbe places the events in the 17th year of reign of Antoninus Verus, i.e. in 177 pennies Marc Aurèle. One can find the translation complete of the text of Eusèbe on this Internet site. It is advisable for the integral reading of this source to keep in memory which the ancient authors altered sometimes the texts or speech that they quoted, to improve of it the literary effect and the impact on the reader. In addition the successive copyists of the ancient manuscripts added sometimes their comments, in the same optics of effect on the reader. These literary practices applied to the relative texts with the martyrs explain the frequent mention of wonders such as the odor suave emanating from the martyrized bodies, or in the case of the martyrs of Lyon, miraculous cure of the wounds of Sanctus at one second meeting of tortures. Finally Eusèbe frequently designates the martyrs under the words of “athletes” or “fighters”, combatant in the amphitheater against the enemies of their faith.

The account of the martyrs of Lyon

According to the letter transcribed by Eusèbe, Polycarpe, bishop of Smyrna in Phrygie sends as a Gaulle a group directed by Pothin and some companions, with mission of developing the establishment of Christianity to with it. Chapter I of Ve delivers ecclesiastical History begin with the evocation from anger from pagan against the Christians: “… one did not only drive out us houses, baths, public place, but still one prohibited to us to appear in some place that it was " “ the innumerable maltreatment that inflicted to them whole crowd, they (martyrs) supported them liberally: they were insulted, struck, trailed by ground, were plundered, lapidated, imprisoned together; one made them undergo all that an unchained multitude has habit to do against of the adversaries and the enemies .

“ Then, they were brought to the forum by the powerful orator and the magistrates appointed at the city; questioned in front of all the people, they made profession of their faith; then they were locked up in the prison until the arrival of the legate . ”

At the time of the appearance before the Legate of the province, a Christian not stopped, Vettius Epagathus is posed as a defender accused “ it claimed to be as heard to him in favor them brothers, to show as there was on our premises neither atheism nor impiété ” Convinced to be Christian, it is imprisoned in its turn. The wave of arrests continues:

“ Each day one stopped those which of it were worthy, to supplement the number of the martyrs. Thus all the dedicated believers of the two Churches were imprisoned, those on which mainly rested the businesses of our countries. One stopped even some pagan, servants as of ours, because the governor had officially ordered to seek us all . ”

According to the regulation of Trajan, the Christians should not be required; the legate orders nevertheless research, because it informs a business of disorders of the law and order. The procedure of investigation receives testimonys of slaves only under torture, the not converted slaves thus charge their Masters with the charges usually formulated against the Christians: cannibalism, inceste, “ and to do what it is not to us allowed to say nor to even imagine ”, causing general indignation.

“ All the anger of crowd, as well as that of the governor and the soldiers, concentrated without measurement on Sanctus, the deacon of Vienna, and on Maturus, all lately baptized but generous athlete; on Attale, originating in Pergame, which had always been the column and the support of those from here; and finally on Blandine ” but the three above mentioned ones resist tortures, including the fragile Blandine slave.

Only ten decrees disavow, in spite of that, they remain imprisoned and are questioned under torture to testify against the Christians. One named Bilbis reconsiders its disavowal and joined the martyrs. Other reversals of renegades are mentioned on several occasions in the text, which admits nevertheless that all do not reconsider their disavowal.

The procedure is prolonged, a certain number of prisoners piled up in the prison die of the continuations of the ill treatments and the detention conditions, and among them Pothin, old of more than eighty ten years. The letter does not state that he was tortured, but hard not abused at the time of its appearance “ He then was taken along and trailed without pity; he suffered all kinds of blows: those which were close to him outrageaient in any case, of the hands and the feet, without any respect for its age; those which were far launched on him all that each one had under the hand. It hardly breathed when it was thrown in the prison and, after two days, it returned the heart . ”

Maturus, Sanctus, Blandine and Attale are tortured and exposed to the deer in the amphitheater. Sanctus and Maturus finish cut the throat of, while Blandine is scorned animals. The execution of Attale is suspended by the governor, who learned his Roman Citoyenneté. “ it wrote on their subject with César, then it awaited its answer. César answered that it was necessary to put the ones at torture, but to release those which would disavow . ”.

The emperor Marc Aurèle or his services imperial thus take again the regulation of Trajan. The final judgment coincides with what one can identify like the celebration of the federal worship of Rome and Auguste, gathering the representatives of the Gallic cities in the federal Sanctuaire of the three Gaules:

“ the solemn festival of the country - she is very attended and one comes there from all the nations - having started to be held, the governor advanced the happy ones with the court in a theatrical way, to give them in spectacle to crowd. It thus questioned them again. With those which seemed to him to have the established among Roman, it made cut the head; the others, it sent them to the animals. ”

“ While they were questioned, some Alexandre, Phrygien of race, doctor of profession, established for several years in Gaules, known almost all, - had been held upright near the court and by signs exhorted them with the confession” Located, Alexandre compared in front of the governor and is carried out in the arena with Attale. Blandine, accompanied by the Ponticus young person, is torture victim the last.

“ the bodies of the martyrs thus were exposed and left in the open air during six days; then, they were burned and reduced of ashes by the perverts who threw them in the river of the Rhone ”.

Comments on the origin of persecution

Let us mention for memory the thesis of J. Hake in 1964, which located the events in Phrygie and not with Lugdunum. None of its fellow-members historians took again this proposal, and all admit that persecution proceeded in Lyon.

Nothing in the text quoted by Eusèbe specifies the origin of this persecution, which did not prevent various proposals.

Followers of Cybèle against Christians?

Certain historians, whose Lyons archeologist Amable Audin, allotted the origin of the events to the followers of the worship of Cybèle, whose religion promised safety after death with its followers and was thus in competition with Christianity. The arguments which support this thesis base on a possible coincidence of religious calendar, collision between Christian celebration and celebration of Cybèle, and causes of an exacerbation of the religious tensions.

The worship of Cybèle was indeed present in Lyon, and Amable Audin granted to him a considerable influence in its interpretations on the Sanctuaire of Cybèle. Its archaeological interpretations today are completely revised, which weakens its thesis. Though this attribution is often quoted, it must be taken for what it is, i.e. a possible assumption but that no element of the text comes to support.

Montanist influences?

Pothin and its companions are originating in Phrygie, cradle of the Montanisme, connects extremist of Christianity. The assumption of a provocative proselytism or a research of the martyr is thus also possible. Eusèbe de Césarée itself tackles this question in its quotations: the letter indeed mentions (and condemns) the extreme asceticism of one of the Christians before and after his arrest, attitude which one can bring closer to the montanism: “ certain Alcibiade which was among them carried out a completely miserable life. it used only of bread and water for food; even in prison, it tried to live kind. Attale. learned by revelation that Alcibiade did not make well not make use of the creatures of God and that it gave to the others an example of scandal. Alcibiade was convinced. ”

Eusèbe further specifies the martyrs of Lyon took their distance with respect to this fraction “ the disciples of Montan, of Alcibiade and of Théodote started precisely then, in Phrygie, to spread near much their design of prophecy. As a dissension existed on their subject, the de Gaulle brothers in their turn subject their own judgment on them, careful and completely orthodoxe judgment, and they produce various letters of the martyrs who had completed their race among them ” ( Ecclesiastical Histoire , delivers V, 3).

The development of the tradition

After Eusèbe de Césarée, a second author, Gallo-Roman this time, evokes the de Gaulle martyrs. Oddly, neither Sidoine Apollinaire (430-486) however originating in Lyon, nor Victrice of Rouen names the martyrs of Lyon in their list of martyrs. It is necessary to await Gregoire de Tours (538? - 594?) to see them quoted in its Of gloria martyrum , book first of the Seven books of the miracles .

Gregoire de Tours introduces his grandmother like related to Vettius Epagathus, martyr previously quoted. More surely, its great-uncle is not other than the bishop of Lyon, Nicetius (Saint Nizier), perhaps information source complementary to the writings of Eusèbe de Césarée. Always are it that Gregoire de Tours enumerates 48 names of martyrs, deaths in prison or vis-a-vis the animals, in a place which it names Athanacum , identified like Ainay , district of Lyon between the Rhone and the Saone, and at the time of Gregoire, a small island downstream from the amphitheater. Though this site is not that of their death, the Lyons tradition is based on the text of Gregoire and associates Ainay to the martyrs.

The memory of the martyrs of Lyon

This episode is retained like the event founder of the Christianity of Gaulle Roman. For this reason, it is often the only event announced in the summarized versions of the French history, between Vercingétorix and the great invasions.

The Lyons monument oldest commemorating the martyrs of Lyon is the Basilique Saint Martin's day d' Ainay, with a vault dedicated to Sainte Blandine. The current religious tradition locates at this site the stranding of the remainders of the martyrs, thrown in the river after their torment. These relics would have been transferred in the church from the Saints Apostles, which will take later on the name of Église Saint-Nizier.

Other Lyons monuments point out this period:

Church St Irenee, founded at the same time as Holy Martin d' Ainay, with the site of a Gallo-Roman cemetery. It was several times transformed and its actual position goes back to 1834.
Eglise St Polycarpe, old church of Oratoriens become in 1791 the parish church Saint Polycarpe,
Eglise St Pothin, built in 1843 in the new district of Brotteaux, in a style of Roman temple
Eglise co. Blandine, built at the end of the XIXe century in the south of the station of Perrache, of style neogothic

the Order of lawyers of Lyon dedicated in the years 1980 a meeting room of the House of lawyers to Epagathus, first known Lyons defender.

Documentary sources

Book V, I of the ecclesiastical , Eusèbe de Césarée, consultable History on this site of the Latin antiquity and Greek
Book I, 49 of the Seven Books of the miracles , Gregoire de Tours, consultable on this site of the Latin antiquity and Greek

general History of the Empire Romain , Paul Small, Threshold, 1974
History and Archéologie of old France, Rhône Alpes , Andre Pelletier, Andre Blanc, Pierre Broise, Jean Prior, Horvath editions, 1988

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