In AD 177, forty-three martyrs confessed their faith in Christ and were put to death for it in Lyon. In the same year, the Churches of Lyon and Vienne composed a letter concerning the steadfastness of the Gallic faithful and their confession of faith. This letter constitutes the earliest documentary evidence for the existence of Christians in the region of present-day France. It describes the persecutions that took place during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, when the pagans forbade Christians from entering their homes and marketplaces, while the crowds beat them and pursued them through the streets.
Many Christians were imprisoned and subjected to torture. Among them, there were those who were ready to suffer martyrdom for Christ and those who were overcome by unbearable fear. Among them there was the Bishop of Lyon, Pothinus, who, despite his advanced age, appeared before the judge and was cast into prison, where he soon reposed. Also among them there was Saint Blandina, who died after suffering more than all the others.
The remaining martyrs were thrown into the arena with the wild beasts. The pagans further dishonoured their bodies by throwing them to the dogs and burning them.
