Bishop
Little is known about the life of Pothinus. He was a disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna, and may have seen the Apostle John the Theologian while with him. Pothinus arrived in Lugdunum (present-day Lyon) from Asia Minor around the year 140 and became the first bishop in Gaul. Nothing definite is known about his episcopal activity, and he is remembered above all for his martyrdom together with many other Christians of Lyon.
The martyrdom of forty-three people for Christ in Lyon took place in the year 177. That same year, the churches of Lyon and Vienne composed a letter about the steadfast confession of faith by the Gallic Christians, which is the first documentary witness to Christianity on the territory of modern France. The letter describes the persecution of the Christians of Gaul during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, when pagans refused to admit Christians into their homes and to the marketplace, and the mob beat them in the streets.
The Christians were imprisoned and subjected to cruel tortures. Among them were the deacon Sanctus, Maturus, Attalus, and the young slave Blandina, who steadfastly confessed their faith. Despite the tortures, the tormentors could not compel them to renounce Christ. Pothinus, the aged bishop of Lyon, also appeared before the judge and was beaten by the crowd, after which he died in prison.
The martyrs were thrown into the amphitheatre, where they endured various torments, but many of them remained unshaken. Blandina, though tortured, was not harmed by the beasts and was returned again to prison. In the end, the pagans burned the bodies of the martyrs and scattered their ashes into the river Rhône, seeking to erase their memory.
The martyrs of Lyon, who suffered greatly, did not consider themselves martyrs but only confessors, and they prayed for their executioners, asking that they be granted faith. Showing courage and patience, they remained faithful to Christ until the end.
