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The martyr of the catacombs
The martyr of the catacombs

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The martyr of the catacombs
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.
PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."
It was a great festival day in Rome.
From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.
Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The martyr of the catacombs

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.
Line 2
PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."
/pɔːl ˈbʊtʃərd tuː meɪk ə ˈroʊmən ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
Line 3
It was a great festival day in Rome.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ɡreɪt ˈfestəvəl deɪ ɪn roʊm/
Line 4
From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.
/frʌm ɔːl ˈkwɔːrtərz væst ˈnʌmbərz ʌv ˈpiːpəl keɪm ˈpɔːrɪŋ fɔːrθ tuː wʌn ˈkɑːmən ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/
Line 5
Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Arch noun US /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading “Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.”

Butchered verb US /ˈbʊtʃərd/

past form of “butcher” — kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading “PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."”

Coliseum noun US /ˌkɑːləˈsiːəm/

an oval large stadium with tiers of seats; an arena in which contests and spectacles are held

From this reading “Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.”

destination noun US /ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/

the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)

From this reading “From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.”

Ephesus noun US /ˈefʊsəs/

an ancient Greek city on the western shore of Asia Minor in what is now Turkey; site of the Temple of Artemis; was a major trading center and played an important role in early Christianity

From this reading “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.”

festival noun US /ˈfestəvəl/

a day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration

From this reading “It was a great festival day in Rome.”

Forum noun US /ˈfɔːrəm/

a public meeting or assembly for open discussion

From this reading “Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.”

Titus noun US /ˈtaɪtəs/

a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul

From this reading “Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

advantageth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

ArchnounUS /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

beastsnounUS /biːsts/

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

ButcheredverbUS /ˈbʊtʃərd/

past form of “butcher” — kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

Capitoline

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

ColiseumnounUS /ˌkɑːləˈsiːəm/

an oval large stadium with tiers of seats; an arena in which contests and spectacles are held

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

destinationnounUS /ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/

the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

EphesusnounUS /ˈefʊsəs/

an ancient Greek city on the western shore of Asia Minor in what is now Turkey; site of the Temple of Artemis; was a major trading center and played an important role in early Christianity

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

festivalnounUS /ˈfestəvəl/

a day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

ForumnounUS /ˈfɔːrəm/

a public meeting or assembly for open discussion

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

foughtverbUS /fɔːt/

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

imperialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɪriəl/

relating to or associated with an empire

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

numbersnounUS /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

PAULnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

PeacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

pouringadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrɪŋ/

flowing profusely

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/

housing available for people to live in

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

ST

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

TitusnounUS /ˈtaɪtəs/

a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading PAUL "Butchered to make a Roman holiday."

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was a great festival day in Rome.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?--ST.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; on they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors and disappeared within.

Chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs by James De Mille holds 214 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs contain?

Chapter 1 holds 214 sentences of The martyr of the catacombs, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs by James De Mille exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 214 sentences, grouped into 43 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The martyr of the catacombs?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #24680, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 194 minutes of reading across 467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The martyr of the catacombs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The martyr of the catacombs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Manner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The martyr of the catacombs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The martyr of the catacombs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beasts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The martyr of the catacombs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ephesus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The martyr of the catacombs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.