For millennia, the Coptic Christian community has formed an essential strand in the fabric of Egyptian culture. As can be seen through the remnants of the Coptic language and the standing Coptic churches, the influences have long stood the test of time. Similarly, the Coptic calendar has managed to weave its way into the everyday lives of some Egyptian communities. Historically, Copts in Egypt were brutally persecuted under the Roman Empire. Under the rule of Diocletian, the Roman emperor, Christians were mercilessly killed and tortured. After this great suffering, the Copts named their calendar anno martyrum or AM (Latin for Era of the Martyrs) to commemorate the era of martyrdom that the Copts endured under the Roman emperor Diocletian in 280 A.D. The Era of Martyrs is remembered as the Church’s strongest period due to the steadfastness of its believers and its ability to withstand and survive challenges.co As said by Tertullian, a second century Western Church father “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The evolution of the calendar The Coptic calendar is known as the most recent rendition of the ancient Egyptian civil calendar….
