02443cam a22003373u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000110010610000320011724500320014926400510018130000470023233600260027933700260030533800360033150000350036750000310040252014020043353400450183565300230188065300720190365300480197565300220202385600430204599900170208824680UtSlPG20260610133551.0mcr n260607r2008||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aBVaPS1 aDe Mille, James,d1833-188014aThe martyr of the catacombs 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2008  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aOriginal published anonymously  aRelease date is 2008-02-23  a"The Martyr of the Catacombs: A Tale of Ancient Rome" by James De Mille is a historical novel written in the late 19th century. The book explores themes of faith, martyrdom, and the persecution of Christians in ancient Rome, primarily through the stories of various characters caught in the brutal realities of this historical context, particularly focusing on a young gladiator and his struggle between his duty and his faith.  The opening of the tale presents a vivid scene set in the grandeur of the Roman Coliseum during a festival, highlighting the bloodthirsty nature of the crowd as they revel in the brutal spectacles of gladiatorial combat. The main character, Macer, is introduced as a renowned gladiator who chooses to refuse to kill his fellow man in favor of his Christian beliefs, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the emperor's desires for entertainment and violence. As the novel unfolds, Marcellus, a soldier tasked with seeking out Christians, begins to grapple with his own beliefs and values, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of faith and sacrifice amidst the oppressive regime of the time. The opening portion effectively captures the stark contrast between the cruel entertainment of the Romans and the profound convictions of the early Christians, foreshadowing the moral dilemmas that the characters will face. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aHistorical fiction  aChurch history -- Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600 -- Fiction  aRome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-284 A.D.  aChristian fiction40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24680  c65681d65681