Martyrdom of Apollonius

Contents

1. 0Title of the account.
2. 1Apollonius is arrested under Commodus and brought before Perennis.
3. 2Apollonius confesses that he is a Christian.
4. 3Perennis demands an oath by the emperor's Fortune.
5. 4Apollonius distinguishes true repentance from apostasy.
6. 5Christians learned their commandments from the Word of God.
7. 6Christians do not swear, but honor and pray for the emperor.
8. 7Perennis orders sacrifice to the gods and the emperor's image.
9. 8Christians' bloodless sacrifice is prayer, including prayer for rulers.
10. 9Christians pray daily for the emperor, who reigns by God's will.
11. 10Perennis gives Apollonius a day to reconsider.
12. 11Three days later the record is read and Apollonius is questioned again.
13. 12Apollonius resolves to remain faithful.
14. 13Perennis cites the senate's decree.
15. 14Apollonius refuses to adore idols made by human hands.
16. 15Apollonius worships only the God who gives life.
17. 16Worship of lifeless objects is shameful folly.
18. 17The Egyptians adore a foot-basin.
19. 18The Athenians worship a bronze ox-skull.
20. 19Idols cannot hear or act; Socrates mocked them.
21. 20A gap in the text.
22. 21Some worship plants, others animals.
23. 22Worship of deified men refuted from the myths themselves.
24. 23The senate has decreed that there shall be no Christians.
25. 24Persecution only multiplies the Christians.
26. 25One death and one judgment await all.
27. 26Christians die daily to pleasure and guard eyes and ears.
28. 27Christians endure all things and do not fear dying for God.
29. 28Death for Christ is no worse than death by disease.
30. 29Perennis asks whether he dies gladly.
31. 30Apollonius values eternal life above this life.
32. 31Perennis does not understand.
33. 32The word of the Lord needs a seeing heart.
34. 33A Cynic philosopher mocks Apollonius.
35. 34Apollonius answers the philosopher.
36. 35Perennis speaks of the Word of God.
37. 36Christ, made man, taught the knowledge of God and by his suffering ended sin.
38. 37A summary of Christ's moral teaching and Christian hope.
39. 38Christ was envied, as the righteous always are.
40. 39Scripture foretold the binding of the righteous.
41. 40Plato also foretold the suffering of the righteous man.
42. 41Christ was condemned like Socrates.
43. 42Even if Christian hope were a delusion, it teaches a good life.
44. 43Perennis had hoped Apollonius would change his mind.
45. 44Apollonius hoped Perennis would be enlightened.
46. 45Perennis sentences Apollonius to have his legs broken.
47. 46Apollonius gives thanks for his sentence.
48. 47Closing exhortation and date of the martyrdom (April 21).