Introduction
At the end of the 3rd century, Christians of the pagan Roman Empire were comparatively free: they built churches, founded schools, and established networks of charity and goodwill that the authorities both envied and feared. One Emperor sent in the army to nip the flower in the bud, but George, one of his most senior military commanders, would have no part in it.
IT was on 24th February 303 that Galerius issued an edict that the Christians’ churches should be demolished and their Scriptures burned, and that they should sacrifice to the traditional gods of Rome or face execution.* Many died courageously but unknown; others received the most bitter kind of publicity, when the authorities declared they had capitulated even though they had not.
But as Galerius sat in Nicomedia going through the army lists, weeding out every Christian so the rest could be trusted to enforce his law, one of his highest-ranking generals (the son of an old friend) ripped the edict from the place where it was posted in the city, and tore it to shreds in the street.
The brave officer was summarily executed for his defiance, along with Anthimus, the town’s bishop. His body was taken to Lod in Israel, his birthplace, and there he was laid to rest in a church built in his honour: the Church of St George.*
At this time, there were four Emperors governing the Roman world: Diocletian, the most senior, together with Maximian, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus. The action in this story takes place in Nicomedia (now İzmit, Turkey) map and Lydda (now Lod, Israel) map.
The Church commemorates the martyrdom of St George on 23rd April, and the translation of his relics to Lod on 3rd November. For the mediaeval legend of St George and the Dragon, see St George and the Dragon.
Précis
After the Roman Emperor Galerius announced a crackdown on the Christian church, he purged his army of Christians too. One high-ranking officer defied him, shredding the edict in public, and was executed. His body was taken home to Lod in Israel, where it remains today in the church named in his honour, the Church of St George. (57 / 60 words)
After the Roman Emperor Galerius announced a crackdown on the Christian church, he purged his army of Christians too. One high-ranking officer defied him, shredding the edict in public, and was executed. His body was taken home to Lod in Israel, where it remains today in the church named in his honour, the Church of St George.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, may, must, or, otherwise, since, until.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Kind. Rank. So.
2 Burn. Could. Edict.
3 Friend. Law. There.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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