The places marked on the map above indicate sites of martyrdoms according to ancient Christian and Roman texts. As you ponder the map, consider the vast geographic spread of these martyr accounts (from Antioch to Lyons) and the chronological span they cover (more than a century). Even if we give credence to these martyr accounts, the odds were very low that any Christians would have witnessed the public execution and torture of their fellow Christians. Yet the odds were much higher than they would have seen public, state-sponsored acts of violence (especially when you consider most major cities on the map had amphitheatres where public games were held) and heard stories of Christian martyrdom.