Pontius’ Life and Passion of Cyprian

Before his conversion Thascius Caecilianus Cyprianus, better known as Cyprian, was a wealthy, unmarried, aristocrat and rhetorician born sometime around A.D. 200. As a result of knowing a Carthaganian pastor, Caecilius, he became a Chrisitan in 246. Two years later he was elected bishop of the church in Carthage and remained in his post until his martyrdom in 258.

While Cyprian inherited much of the theological and moral outlook of Tertullian, his spirit is perhaps closer to that of Iganatius. His was a wartime bishopric - in A.D. 250 the Decian persecution began and the government attempted to force Christians to sacrifice or be severely punished. As though that wasn’t enough, a plague broke out in Carthage and there was schism in the Church of Rome. Through these trials Cyprian remained committed to defending the faith and purity of the Church, holding steady in his conviction and steering the faithful through difficult moral and theological issues.

This episode contains the Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr, by Pontious the Deacon. According to Jerome, one of the Early Church historians, Pontius lived in exile with Cyprian up till the latter's martyrdom. As its name suggests, this work is a touching tribute to someone who clearly left a mark on Pontius. His reputation, holiness, and faith remain an encouragement today and serves as an excellent introduction to the next author in this series.

If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.