Late Antiquity & the Early ChurchOrdinary TimeWeek 9 of 32

The Age of Martyrs

Essential Question

How did a persecuted faith conquer the empire that tried to destroy it?

This week the student watches a small, persecuted faith outlast the empire that tried to destroy it. We study the Roman persecutions, the witness of the martyrs, the hidden world of the catacombs, and the turning point of Constantine and the Edict of Milan (313). Faith threads run deep: the saints of the week are themselves martyrs, the catechism turns to the Holy Spirit who gave them courage, and the virtue is perseverance.

Liturgical note: Ordinary Time (early November). The great feasts of All Saints (Nov 1) and All Souls (Nov 2) have just passed, and the whole 'communion of saints' that begins with the martyrs makes this a fitting week to honor those who died for the faith.

Threads at a Glance

What Each Thread Covers This Week

World History

The early Church under Rome; the persecutions and why Rome feared Christians; the catacombs; the witness of the martyrs; why Christianity spread; Constantine and the Edict of Milan (313).

US History

The Road to Revolution: Taxes, Protest, and Crisis

Historical Figure

Emperor Constantine the Great and his conversion.

Geography

The spread of early Christianity; mapping Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople.

Art History

Early Christian art — catacomb frescoes, the Good Shepherd, the Chi-Rho and fish (ICHTHYS) symbols, the first basilicas.

Music History

The birth of Christian chant; psalmody; St. Ambrose and Ambrosian chant.

Saint

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs of Carthage (203).

Virtue

Perseverance — constancy unto death.

Catechism

YOUCAT on the Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life (Q113-Q120).

Grammar

Complements — direct and indirect objects; predicate nouns and predicate adjectives.

Writing

Persuasive writing introduction — make and support a claim (why did Christianity spread?).

Weekly Writing Assignment

Why Did Christianity Spread? — A First Persuasive Paragraph

In one well-built paragraph, argue why Christianity spread so rapidly across the Roman Empire despite three centuries of persecution. Begin with a clear claim (your thesis), then give at least three reasons, each backed by a specific example from this week (the martyrs' witness, the catacombs, the message of hope and equality, the Roman roads and common Greek language, Constantine's conversion). End with a sentence that restates your claim more powerfully.

Skill: Stating a clear claim (thesis) and supporting it with at least three distinct reasons drawn from the week's history.Length: 1 paragraph, roughly 150-200 words

Show rubric ▾

States a single clear claim/thesis in the first sentence.
Gives at least three distinct supporting reasons, not just one repeated.
Each reason is backed by a concrete historical example from the week.
Ideas are ordered logically and connected with transition words (because, therefore, in addition).
Ends with a concluding sentence that restates the claim; grammar and spelling are clean.

The Week