Persecution of the Christians in the empire has been sporadic and local up to the reign of Emperor Decius, but in about the beginning of January 250, he issues an edict ordering all citizens to perform a religious sacrifice in the presence of commissioners.
A large number of Christians defy the government.
Pope Fabian is said to have baptized Philip the Arab and his son, to have done some building in the catacombs, to have improved the organization of the church in Rome, and to have appointed officials to register the deeds of the martyrs.
According to "later accounts, more or less trustworthy", Fabian has sent out the "apostles to the Gauls" to Christianize Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian communities.
Fabian sends seven bishops from Rome to Gaul to preach the Gospel: Gatianus of Tours to Tours, Trophimus of Arles to Arles, Paul of Narbonne to Narbonne, Saturnin to Toulouse, Denis to Paris, Austromoine to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont, and Saint Martial to Limoges.
He also has the bodies of Hippolytus of Rome and Pope Pontian brought from Sardinia to Rome.
He is martyred during the persecution of Christians under Decius and is one of the first to die on January 20, 250.
("Pope St. Fabian".
Catholic Encyclopedia.
New York: Robert Appleton Company.
1913.)
Although there is very little authentic information about Fabian, there is evidence that his episcopate was one of great importance in the history of the early church.
He was highly esteemed by Cyprian; Novatian refers to his nobilissima memoriae, and he corresponded with Origen.
One authority refers to him as Flavian.
