Mapping the Martyrs is designed as a resource for the study of persecution and martyrdom in the early centuries of Christianity. In the past, a common belief was that early Christians were subjected to constant persecution. More recently, a nearly opposite approach has gained notoriety in which the realities of martyrdom have been deemphasized or even denied outright. Both of these approaches distort our picture of early Christianity.
The goal of this site is to gather and present the data concerning incidents of persecution and martyrdom. The map provides a view of the spatial distribution of martyr stories according to the traditions.