The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Ammon the Soldier
d. AD 250 (martyr) · Soldier of the tribunal guard · Martyr · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Ammon the Soldier was
One of five soldiers standing guard at the Decian tribunal who, seeing a Christian on the point of denial, signalled him courage with their faces — and when the crowd turned, ran forward to the bench declaring themselves Christians before the astonished judge.
Dionysius to Fabius only — one letter names all five of the tribunal guard.
Also listed in martyrs and the decian persecution.
Common questions
When did Ammon die?
Ammon the Soldier is dated d. AD 250 (martyr) in the archive, which places Ammon in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Ammon?
Ammon the Soldier is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Dionysius the Great. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Ammon from?
The archive associates Ammon the Soldier with Alexandria.
Who were Ammon’s contemporaries?
The archive links Ammon the Soldier to 5 other figures, including Dionysius the Great, Zeno the Soldier, Ptolemy the Soldier and Ingenes the Soldier. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (1)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Dionysius of Alexandria, via Ecclesiastical History VI.41
c. AD 255Ammon and Zeno and Ptolemy and Ingenes, and with them an old man, Theophilus, soldiers, were standing before the tribunal; and as one was being tried as a Christian and inclining toward denial, they gnashed their teeth, made signs and gestures — and rushed up to the bench, saying they were Christians.Dionysius the Great · VI.41 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
- AD 190 · The Quartodeciman controversy, AD 190
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Ammon.