Lucian of Samosata, nicknamed 'blasphemer' or 'slanderer' - better, in fact, to call him 'atheist', because in his dialogues he went so far as to ridicule religious beliefs ... The story goes that he was killed by dogs, because of his rabid attacks on the truth, for in his Life of Peregrinus he inveighed against Christianity, and (accursed man!) blasphemed against Christ himself. For that reason he paid the penalty due for his rabidity in this world, and in the life to come he will share the eternal fire with Satan.

LRB 25 February 2010 | PDF Download