The main theme of the book is the persecution of Christians and, more generally, the relationship between the early Christians and Roman society and imperial administration. The author has dealt with these issues several times, preparing a book that he did not have time to complete. In the Greek edition, along with the studies on persecution, published and unpublished works by Saint Croix on the religion of the Roman world, the attitude of the early Christians towards property and slavery, as well as the Council of Chalcedon, are included. The volume is completed with a very original exploration of the way in which the lower classes of ancient Greeks and Romans spoke, based on testimonies, myths, parables, and other popular readings.