# Germanicus, An Eminently Pious Man, Devoured By The Beasts, At Smyrna In Asia Minor, For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, A. D. 170.

[Previous page: CARPUS, PAPYLUS, AGATHONICA AND MANY OTHER WOMEN, PUT TO DEATH AT PERGAMOS, IN ASIA MINOR, FOR THE CONFESSION OF THE TRUE FAITH, ABOUT THE YEAR 168.](/en/stories/mm-carpus-papylus-agathonica-and-many-other-women-put-to-death-at-pergamos-in-asia-minor-for-the-confession-of-the-true-fai/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: VETIUS, SURNAMED PAGATHUS, PUT TO DEATH ON THE RIVER RHONE IN FRANCE, ABOUT THE YEAR 172.92](/en/stories/mm-vetius-surnamed-pagathus-put-to-death-on-the-river-rhone-in-france-about-the-year-172-92/)

In P. J. Twisck’s Chronicle is found the following
account for the year A. D. 170: “Germanicus, with
other dear friends of God, had to suffer severe persecution
and torture for the name of Christ, and
was finally cast before the wild beasts, and thus
willingly ended his life.” 2d book, van den undergang,
page 46, col. 1, from Euseb., lib. 4.

Concerning the cause of his conversion, suffering
and death, other authors write thus: “When the
bystanders (while the Christians were being miserably
put to death) beheld with their eyes, that the
flesh of the martyrs of Christ, by many scourgings
and stripes, was lacerated and torn loose even to
the inmost veins and deepest sinews, so that their
entrails and the most secret parts could be seen
moving; and that the torturers then strewed potsherds,
sea-shells, and even caltrops on the ground,
over which they rolled, dragged, and on which they
pressed the Christians thus tormented, with their
naked bodies; and that at last, when they, on account
of the previous torments, could scarcely live
or draw breath any longer, they cast them before
the wild beasts, to be devoured by them; I say,
when the spectators of these tragedies saw, how inhumanly
these people were treated, and, on the
other hand, how patiently the suffering Christians
endured the tortures, they were greatly amazed,
yea terrified.

“Among these was the aforementioned Germanicus,
who, being strengthened through the grace of
God, so powerfully overcame the natural and innate
weakness of the mind, which so much dreads the
bodily death, that, on account of his singular steadfastness,
he could well be considered one of the
most eminent martyrs. For, when the Stadtholder
sought to persuade him, and to move him by soft
words, to spare the bloom of his youth, and to have
mercy upon himself, he despised his counsel, and,
for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ did not count
his youthful life precious.”

“After that, it is stated by the ancient writers,
how the wild beasts were let out to him, and how
greatly he desired to be devoured by them, that he
might be delivered from this body of sin and death;
so that both Jews and heathen who stood by, were
exceedingly astonished at him. Thus this pious witness
of the Son of God departed this life with an
immovable heart, and became united with Christ,
his blood-bridegroom and Savior.” Compare Abr.
Mell., 1st book, of the Hist., fol. 39, col. 1, 2, with
Joh. Gysii Hist., fol. 16, col. 4, and fol. 17, col. 1,
from Euseb., lib. 4.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_111)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

[Previous page: CARPUS, PAPYLUS, AGATHONICA AND MANY OTHER WOMEN, PUT TO DEATH AT PERGAMOS, IN ASIA MINOR, FOR THE CONFESSION OF THE TRUE FAITH, ABOUT THE YEAR 168.](/en/stories/mm-carpus-papylus-agathonica-and-many-other-women-put-to-death-at-pergamos-in-asia-minor-for-the-confession-of-the-true-fai/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: VETIUS, SURNAMED PAGATHUS, PUT TO DEATH ON THE RIVER RHONE IN FRANCE, ABOUT THE YEAR 172.92](/en/stories/mm-vetius-surnamed-pagathus-put-to-death-on-the-river-rhone-in-france-about-the-year-172-92/)

---

Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-germanicus-an-eminently-pious-man-devoured-by-the-beasts-at-smyrna-in-asia-minor-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-a-d-1/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Germanicus%2C+An+Eminently+Pious+Man%2C+Devoured+By+The+Beasts%2C+At+Smyrna+In+Asia+Minor%2C+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+A.+D.+170.&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AGermanicus%2C+An+Eminently+Pious+Man%2C+Devoured+By+The+Beasts%2C+At+Smyrna+In+Asia+Minor%2C+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+A.+D.+170.%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-germanicus-an-eminently-pious-man-devoured-by-the-beasts-at-smyrna-in-asia-minor-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-a-d-1%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-germanicus-an-eminently-pious-man-devoured-by-the-beasts-at-smyrna-in-asia-minor-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-a-d-1%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+170%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)
