Introduction
The Roman city of Verulam was later named St Albans, after England’s first martyr. He was executed on June 22, possibly in AD 305, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The authorities held that religion was a social good so long as no one questioned the official values of the Roman state, and everyone regarded all gods as equally valid. Christians came up short on both counts.
ONE June night in 305,* in Verulam, a town in the Roman Empire’s Province of Britannia, neighbours might have heard a soft knock upon the door of a kindly citizen named Alban. When he answered the summons, he found there a Christian priest, fleeing the soldiers who were rounding up Christians on the orders of Emperor Diocletian in Rome.
Alban did not turn the priest over to the authorities. Instead, he ushered him inside, and that night they talked long about life and faith; so that when the soldiers, following a tip-off, beat imperiously upon his door some days later, Alban insisted on putting on the priest’s clothes, and presenting himself for trial in his place.
The judge was presiding over some pagan rites when Alban was brought before him. Alban’s clerical garb did not fool the judge for a moment. He was extremely angry with him for attempting to shield a Christian, a member of a banned religious sect,* and ordered Alban to step up and worship the gods at the altar. But Alban refused, and told him just what he thought of the gods approved of in Rome.
Various other dates have been suggested by scholars; AD 305 is the one in the account used for this story.
The Roman authorities kept a list of approved religions, based chiefly on two criteria: first, that they should be old, ancestral religions; and second, that they should recognise and appreciate all other religions approved by the State. Christianity fell down on both counts, because it was regarded as a novelty and because its followers would not say that other religions were also valid. See also William Caxton on Why Rome Persecuted the Christians.
Précis
Alban lived the Romano-British town of Verulam in the early fourth century. One June, perhaps in 305, a priest fleeing Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians took shelter with Alban. Such was his preaching that not only was Alban baptised, he volunteered to take the priest’s place at trial. He was duly arrested, and brought before a clearly unsympathetic judge. (59 / 60 words)
Alban lived the Romano-British town of Verulam in the early fourth century. One June, perhaps in 305, a priest fleeing Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians took shelter with Alban. Such was his preaching that not only was Alban baptised, he volunteered to take the priest’s place at trial. He was duly arrested, and brought before a clearly unsympathetic judge.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, just, must, or, otherwise, since, who.
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