Ptolemaeus and Lucius
Encyclopedia
Ptolemaeus and Lucius are venerated as Christian
martyr
s and saints, who died during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
, Ptolemaeus converted a promiscuous woman to Christianity
, teaching her to live in chastity
. The woman left her husband. Ptolemaeus was then accused by the woman’s husband of engaging in improper behavior with her. Ptolemaeus was brought before the prefect Lollius Urbic(i)us at Rome
and was thrown into prison. He was later executed.
Lucius was a man who protested against Ptolemaeus' sentence. He argued that Ptolemaeus has not been found guilty of any crime, and argued that Ptolemaeus was innocent of the charges brought against him (adultery
, sexual immorality, murder
, clothes stealing, robbery
), challenging the honor of the prefect, the emperor, and the Senate
. Lucius dangerously maintained that the sentence that had been imposed was unworthy of all of them. Lucius was then executed. Justin writes about a third, unnamed martyr: "Next, a third man also deserted [i.e. disagreed with the sentence] and was sentenced to be punished." Justin's description of the martyrdom of these three people in his Second Apology is one of the oldest authentic reports of martyrdom at Rome.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s and saints, who died during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
Biography
According to an early account by St. Justin MartyrJustin Martyr
Justin Martyr, also known as just Saint Justin , was an early Christian apologist. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and a dialogue survive. He is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church....
, Ptolemaeus converted a promiscuous woman to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, teaching her to live in chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
. The woman left her husband. Ptolemaeus was then accused by the woman’s husband of engaging in improper behavior with her. Ptolemaeus was brought before the prefect Lollius Urbic(i)us at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and was thrown into prison. He was later executed.
Lucius was a man who protested against Ptolemaeus' sentence. He argued that Ptolemaeus has not been found guilty of any crime, and argued that Ptolemaeus was innocent of the charges brought against him (adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, sexual immorality, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, clothes stealing, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
), challenging the honor of the prefect, the emperor, and the Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
. Lucius dangerously maintained that the sentence that had been imposed was unworthy of all of them. Lucius was then executed. Justin writes about a third, unnamed martyr: "Next, a third man also deserted [i.e. disagreed with the sentence] and was sentenced to be punished." Justin's description of the martyrdom of these three people in his Second Apology is one of the oldest authentic reports of martyrdom at Rome.