It's a fictional story set in a history. You follow a Roman soldier named Marcellus as he is tracking a group of criminals in Roman around A.D. 251. The criminals are Christians who are persecuted under the Roman Emperor Decius, hated and forced to live out their lives in the Catacombs.

The story follows Marcellus, a member of the Praetorian guard, whose duty is hunt down Christians, regardless of age or gender, and drag them to a horrific death in the Coliseum for the entertainment of the "civilized" Roman masses, but Marcellus wants to find out for himself if the Christians are truly as evil as he and the majority of his society have been lead to believe. Along the way, he encounters a 13-year-old believer named Pollio and a venerable old believer named Honorius. Is it possible they have the Truth Marcellus has vainly sought in his study of philosophy? Can Marcellus kill those he now calls friends? How will he be changed by an encounter with those who "love not their own lives, even unto death"? Will this member of the esteemed Praetorian guard discover that a mere child is much braver than he?

I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say this made me get a little misty eyed toward the end. It certainly caused me to question my own faith and ask myself whether I would be strong enough to lay down my life and be martyred for Christ if called upon to do so, and the truth is I really don't know.

The novel is emotionally engaging and intelligently written, and it's a good way to learn about the persecution that plagued not only the early church, but that still exists in many countries around the world today where Christians are still being martyred for their faith. Death didn't end at the Coliseum. ( )

A true believer this author. ( )

It is during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius (A. D. 249-251). Marcellus is a Roman soldier, born at Gades, Spain, who has served in Africa, Syria, and Britain. Upon his arrival in Rome, he witnesses a spectacle in the Coliseum. A famous gladiator Macer defeats all the animals sent against him, but when he announces that he will not kill a fellow gladiator because he himself is a Christian, Macer is killed instead. Following this, an aged Christian teacher named Alexander and a group of young Christian maidens singing, “Unto Him that loved us, to Him that washed us from our sins in His own blood…,” are brought in to be ripped apart by savage beasts. As Marcellus muses upon what he has seen, his friend Lucullus brings him word from the Emperor as to why he has been brought to Rome. Marcellus is to lead a group of soldiers from the Praetorian Guard down into the catacombs to ferret these Christians out and bring them to punishment.

While on a scouting mission, Marcellus meets several Christians, including a thirteen-year-old boy named Pollio, the lady Cecelia who is Pollio’s mother, and an elderly teacher Honorius. As a result of their influence, Marcellus becomes a Christian. A price is then put on his head, and he must also flee to the catacombs. But then Pollio is arrested. What will happen to him? What will happen to Marcellus when he goes in an attempt to exchange himself for Pollio? And what does Lucullus think about all this? According to the Foreword, an anonymous copy of this book was salvaged from an American sailing vessel commanded by Captain Richard Roberts which had been abandoned at sea after a disastrous hurricane in January, 1876. Sometimes Roberts is listed as the author. Often the book is still reprinted with the attribution “By an Anonymous Christian.” However, it is now known that it was written by James De Mille (1833-1880), a Canadian novelist born in Saint John, New Brunswick, son of the merchant and shipowner, Nathan De Mille. In addition to writing, De Mille also served as Professor of Classics, first at Acadia University, then at Dalhousie University, both in Nova Scotia, Canada.

In my research, I have found dates of both 1858 and 1865 for The Martyr of the Catacombs; perhaps one is the first publication in Canada and the other is the first publication in the United States. This story, drawn from church history, of a young Roman army captain who is converted to Christianity in the third century uses fictional characters to show how the early Christians lived in the catacombs of Rome and to emphasize the severe persecutions which they had to suffer. It is not for the faint of heart, but there is nothing objectionable or overly graphic; and even though the reader encounters much sadness, the end certainly has a ring of triumph in it. Numerous Biblical quotations, especially from the book of Revelation, are found throughout. We did it as a family read aloud, and everyone liked it. There were times when it brought tears to my eyes. It is recommended by Nathaniel Bluedorn in Hand that Rocks the Cradle: 400 Classic Books for Children. The novel is not to be confused with another book having a similar title, Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs, by William Henry Withrow (1839-1906). Other works by De Mille include the 1867 historical novel Helena's Household: A Tale of Rome in the First Century, which takes place in the time of Paul and Nero. ( )

A picture of what the early saints endured for our Lord Jesus Christ under one of the bitterest persecutions of Rome will challenge and stimulate the mind and soul of anyone who dares to read it. Presented in vivid narrative, this exciting record reveals the sacrifice of early Christians and the impression they made on Roman minds.