Date
2014
Department
Seminary
Degree
Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
Chair
Edward Smither
Keywords
Christianity, Church History, Lyon, Martyrdom, Patristics, Persecution
Disciplines
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity | Christianity | European History | History | History of Christianity | History of Religion | History of Religions of Western Origin | Religion
Recommended Citation
Yonts, Timothy, "An Examination of the Martyrdoms of Lyon in AD 177: A Critique of the Theory of The Trinqui" (2014). Masters Theses. 346.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/346
Abstract
Historical research concerning the Christian persecution of Lyon in AD 177 has attempted to solve the question of relationship between the events in Lyon and the political and religious context of the Roman Empire. One such theory, the trinqui theory, posits that the Gallic aristocracy exploited Christians as sacrificial victims in an ancient Celtic ritual involving the use of criminals in gladiatorial entertainment. If true, the trinqui theory effectively shifts the responsibility for the killings from the imperial government under Marcus Aurelius to the provincial and aristocratic authorities in Gaul. This thesis will critique the trinqui theory by showing that it insufficiently correlates the revitalization of Celtic religion in second-century Gaul to the martyrdom of 177 while overlooking correlations to Roman methods of torture and execution.
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Christianity Commons, European History Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons
