Inspired by the martyr's death of St. Blandina in Lyons, Gaul, 177 A.D., THE MARTYR, follows the fictional story of her life from her capture in Parthia by the Romans, to the slave auction in Antioch to her final destination near Lyons, Gaul.Set during the reign of Roman Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, when being a Christian is a crime punishable by death, Blandina's life suddenly changes when the Roman army invades Seulecia, her home town in Parthia. Blandina's mother, dying of a terminal illness, perishes before they can escape to the nearby city of Ctesiphon and the family is captured by the Roman invaders. They are sold off to slavers who plan on taking them to the slave market in Antioch. On the road to Antioch Blandina is reunited with her sweetheart, Antonio but suffers the loss of both her father and her oldest brother. When they reach Antioch, they are purchased by Caius, a cruel man who loads them on a ship destined for Rome. But a shipwreck claims Blandina's remaining brother leaving her with a choice to either escape with Antonio or stay with her sister, Lucida who has been recaptured by Caius. Blandina chooses to sacrifice her own happiness and Antonio promises to find her again. When they reach Ostia, Romes seaport, Caius, separates them, selling them to different owners. Blandina's world crashes in on her and she determines to escape, find Lucida, and run away to some distant land where they can live in freedom. But her escape plan goes horribly wrong and Blandina ends up a runaway. Alone, desperate and possessing nothing more than her womanly wiles, Blandina experiences one bad turn after another until she finally falls into the hands of a new slave owner, Victoria and a final twist of events she never expected.
