Apostolic Fathers
Apostolic fathers are writers who lived at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries. They were in direct or indirect contact with the apostles – through personal acquaintance or acquaintance with their disciples. Proximity of time and content, the form of the teaching preached are other criteria for inclusion in the group of Apostolic Fathers.
Descriptions of martyrdom.
The first persecution of Christians took place in 64 AD during the reign of Nero. The greatest number of Christians suffered martyrdom during the periods of persecution organized by the Roman authorities in the 1st-4th centuries. The persecution gained a legal basis in Roman criminal law from the 2nd century and lasted until 313. This period also included longer breaks in repression; different emperors tried in different ways to limit the influence of Christianity, sometimes without the use of violence.
Greek apologists
Christ said to his disciples: „If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). This prophecy was fulfilled in a special way in the first centuries of the Church’s existence. From the very beginning, Christianity was met with misunderstanding, reluctance and hostility, which led to persecution. A number of accusations, slander and false accusations were made against Christians. This fact contributed to the creation of writings defending Christianity, called apologies (Greek: apologia – defense, defensive speech). We refer to the authors of these writings as apologists. A special role in this work was played by Greek writers of the 2nd century.