The Apology of Martyr Apollonius of Rome is an early Christian text from the second century (c. 183–185), representing one of the first written accounts of the defense of Christianity in the face of the Roman authorities.
In his speech to the Senate, Martyr Apollonius explains the essence of Christian teaching. He demonstrates that Christianity does not contradict common sense and poses no threat to the state, but rather, fosters loyal and virtuous citizens.
One of the main accusations leveled against Christians was their refusal to worship Roman gods and participate in traditional religious rites. Martyr Apollonius counters this accusation by explaining the essence of Christian worship as the worship of the One True God, the Creator of all things. He attempts to explain the fundamental tenets of Christian doctrine, such as faith in the One God, the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the future judgment.
Having refused to renounce his faith, Martyr Apollonius was executed.
Here is the text:
1. Terence, the prefect , ordered him to be brought before the senate and said to him: “Apollonius, why do you resist the invincible laws and the command of the emperor, and why do you refuse to sacrifice to the gods?”
Apollonius said: “Because I am a Christian and I fear God, who created heaven and earth, and I do not sacrifice to soulless idols.”
3. The prefect said: “But you should repent of such a mood in view of the imperial decrees and swear by the Fortune of the autocratic Commodus.”
Apollonius answered: “Listen carefully to my answer: he who repents of good and just deeds is in reality wicked and has no hope; but he who repents of unlawful deeds and evil thoughts and no longer returns to them, he loves God and has hope.
I firmly decided to keep the beautiful and glorious commandment of God, which He gave precisely through the Lord Christ, who knows the thoughts of people and sees everything that is done both openly and secretly.
"It is best not to swear at all, but to always live in peace and truth; for truth is a great oath, and therefore it is evil and impious to swear by Christ. But since unbelief arises from falsehood, and oaths arise from unbelief, I will freely swear the truth by the true God, although we also love the Emperor and offer prayers for His Majesty."
3. The prefect said: “Go and offer sacrifice to Apollo and the other gods, and also to the image of the emperor.”
Apollonius said: “As for the change of my mind and as for the oath, I have already given an answer; and as for the sacrifices, we Christians offer a bloodless sacrifice to God, the Lord of heaven and earth and sea and all living things, for the intelligent images (i.e. people) endowed with souls, who are appointed by God’s providence to rule on earth.”
Therefore, in accordance with the teaching of God, we pray to Him Who dwells in heaven and is the one true God , that (the authorities) may rule rightly on this earth, because we know with certainty that he (i.e., Commodus) was appointed emperor by none other than that one King - God, who holds everything in His hand."
4. The prefect said: "You have not been summoned here to discuss philosophy. I give you one day to reflect on your affairs and to consider the question of your life." And he ordered him taken to prison.
And after three days he ordered him to be brought to him and said to him: “What decision have you come to?”
Apollonius answered: “I am faithful and will be faithful to the worship of God, as I said before.”
5. The prefect said: "By virtue of the decree of the senate, I exhort you to repent and sacrifice to the gods to whom the whole earth offers worship and sacrifice; for it is far better for you to live among us than to die a miserable death . You, I think, are not unfamiliar with this decree of the senate."
Apollonius said: “I know the definitions of the Almighty God and am faithful and will remain faithful to His worship, and I do not worship idols made by human hands from silver, gold and wood, so that they do not walk and do not hear, because they are the work of human hands and do not know the true worship of God.
But I have learned to worship the God of heaven and to bow down only before Him who breathed the breath of life into all men and continually gives life to everything.
I will not humiliate myself and cast myself into the abyss, for it is a great dishonor to prostrate myself before insignificant creatures, and it would be base servility to idolize that which is not worthy of it: people sin by idolizing such things. Fools were those who invented them, and even more foolish are those who idolize and revere them.
The Egyptians, in their stupidity, deify onions.
To this day, the Athenians worship the copper bull's head, calling it "the Fortune of Athens." They also erected statues of Zeus and Hercules in a well-known location to offer prayers to them.
But in what way are they better than dried clay or baked potsherds? They have eyes but don't see, they have ears but don't hear, they have hands but don't grasp, they have legs but don't walk, because mere form doesn't give true being. I think Socrates was also mocking the Athenians when he swore by the sycamore, the dog, and the dry tree.
By worshiping idols, people sin first of all against themselves.
Then they deny God because they reject the truth. The Egyptians called leeks and the fruits we eat, which enter our stomachs and are expelled onto the dunghill, gods, and they worshiped them. Yes, they also worshiped fish, doves, dogs, stones, wolves, and even the figments of their own imaginations.
Thirdly, people sin when they idolize people, angels and demons, calling them gods."
7. The prefect replied: "You have spoken a lot of philosophy and have given us pleasure. But don't you know that, according to the Senate's decision, it is not at all proper for Christians to be Christians?"
Apollonius replied: "Yes, but the human decree of the Senate cannot overrule the decree of God. For to the extent that people frivolously hate and kill those who do good, to that extent in many ways people stand far from God."
Know that God has determined death and judgment after death for everyone, for kings and the poor, for rulers, slaves and freemen, for philosophers and simpletons.
But there is a difference in death (from death). Therefore, Christ's disciples die daily, crucifying their desires and mortifying them in accordance with the divine Scriptures. For we do not participate in immodest desires, nor do we tolerate impure spectacles, nor adulterous glances, nor ears that listen to evil, lest our souls be wounded by these things."
“For when we live, we live to God and are tormented for His sake, so that we may not suffer the misery of eternal death.
"Furthermore, we do not grieve when our property is taken from us, because we know that in life and death we belong to the Lord. Fever or any other illness can kill a person. I can assume that I died from just such an illness."
8. The prefect said: “That is why you insist on death?”
Apollonius replied: "I desire to live in Christ, but I do not fear death because I love life. For there is nothing more worthy of our veneration than eternal life, which for the soul that has led a noble life here is the mother of immortality."
9. The prefect said: “I don’t understand what you are saying.”
Apollonius said: "What should I do with you? That which illuminates the heart is the word of God, just as light gives vision to the eyes."
A philosopher who was present said: "Apollonius, you make yourself an object of ridicule, because you are lost, although you imagine that you are uttering profound truths."
Apollonius said: “I have learned to pray, but not to mock; however, your hypocrisy proves the blindness of your heart, because to fools only the truth seems ridiculous.
10. The dignitary said: “Explain to me carefully what you understand.”
Apollonius replied: "God the Word, the redeemer of souls and bodies, became man in Judea, fulfilled all righteousness, and was gloriously filled with divine wisdom. He preached the true religion, which was fitting for the sons of men, in order to suppress the beginning of sin.
For He taught men to restrain their anger, to moderate their appetites, to curb their lusts, to drive away sorrow, to be compassionate, to support love for mankind, to reject vanity, to put aside vengeance, not to be exacting, to despise death, not through injustice, but by patiently dealing with the unjust, to obey the laws of God, to honor rulers, to worship God, to believe in the immortality of the soul, which is in God; to expect judgment after death, to hope after the resurrection for the reward which God will grant to the pious."
"He taught all this in word and deed with great constancy, and being at first approved by all for the good deeds He performed, He was finally put to death, just as philosophers and righteous men were also put to death before Him. For the righteous hate the unrighteous; as the divine Scripture says: "Let us bind the righteous, for he is an insult to us" ( Isaiah 3:10 ).
But one of the Greek sages (Plato) also said: “the righteous will suffer and be spat upon and crucified.”
"Just as the Athenians, led by the mob, pronounced and issued an unjust sentence against (Socrates), so likewise the unjust finally pronounced the sentence of death (against Christ), because the unjust envied Him, just as they envied the prophets who lived before Him and foretold that He would come, do good to all people, and persuade all people to honor God the Father, the Creator of all things. In Him (the Word) we believe and bow before Him, for from Him we have learned the rules of piety, previously unknown to us, and from now on we will not wander, but lead a pious life and hope for the future life."
11. The dignitary said: “I thought you had changed your mind overnight.”
Apollonius said: “And I expected that your thoughts would change overnight, the eyes of your spirit would be opened by my answers, your heart would bear fruit, and you would worship God, the Creator of all, and would offer your prayers to Him constantly through compassion; for compassion shown by people to people is a bloodless sacrifice and is holy before God.”
12. The dignitary said: "I would like to free you, but I cannot do so because of the Senate's decision. However, I will pronounce a lenient sentence," and he ordered him to be beheaded with a sword.
Apollonius said: "I thank my God for your sentence."
And the executioners took him out and beheaded him, while he continued to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Apollonij_Rimskij/apologija/