as an accomplished writer. Tertullian was a master of the Latin language—the first Christian author to use this noble tongue instead of Greek. Although his abbreviated style often made it difficult to ascertain his exact meaning, nobody could miss his main points. Even today he is famous for his pithy expressions, such as the critique of philosophy in his question, “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?” or the celebration of martyrdom in his slogan, “The blood of Christians is seed.”2 Tertullian