In history, hundreds of early Christians have faced persecution for their faith. Some historians even believed that the Roman Catholic Church was born out of the martyrdom of its members. A Christian martyr is someone willing to face death rather than deny Jesus Christ or his Gospel.
Beheading, stoning, crucifixion, and burning at stake were some of the horrific ways they were punished for their beliefs. But why did the members of the church undergo such sacrifices? It was because the Romans were polytheistic ever since the beginning. From an initial array of gods and spirits, Romans included Greek gods as well as several foreign cults. The earliest forms of Roman religion were animistic in nature, in which people believed that spirits inhabit everything around them.
Due to this pagan belief, Romans developed animosity towards people with a different view on religion from them. The refusal of Jews and Christians from practicing the Roman belief and offering sacrifices in their temples was seen as a threat to the empire. As Christianity continued to spread across the empire, persecution towards the Church and its followers became rampant.
The Roman empire began conducting public execution of the members of the Catholic Church at least before the middle of the third century. Below is the list of famous martyrs and why they died , including a peek into their early life and the legacy they have left behind. Stoning is among the traditional forms of punishment for grave sin.
Stephen died in 36 AD in Jerusalem, and was the first to suffer that gruesome fate making him the first Catholic martyr. He was a Hellenistic Jew and he was among the first ordained deacons of the Catholic Church. Given the title archdeacon, St. Stephen was recognized for his exemplary gift as an evangelist. However, his popularity caused animosity among Jews, particularly from the members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen.
