What it is
The trial of the Scillitan martyrs.
The Christians of Scilium are tried before the proconsul Vigellius Saturninus for refusing the oath per genium imperātōris. They saw the oath as idolatry, the Romans saw refusal as treason. Saturninus offers pardon if they swear; they refuse and are beheaded.
What the Latin is like
Short and mostly dialogue.
It is a question-and-answer exchange in a courtroom, under 400 words, so you can read it in one sitting. On LC’s difficulty scale it scores 5.0 (Intermediate).
In the reader
The whole text, with every variant disclosed.
The reader text comes from J. Armitage Robinson’s 1891 edition, checked section by section against two other modern presentations; every variant between them is disclosed rather than silently resolved.
Read next
Passio sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis
Perpetua’s own account of prison and the arena, a generation later in Carthage.