While abortion is sometimes thought of as a modern phenomenon, it has been practiced since ancient times. Even before the birth of Christ, Greek, Roman, and Jewish thinkers were writing about abortion and the status of the fetus. After the start of the Christian church, there were also many Christians writing about these topics, and prohibitions against abortion are present in some of the earliest Christian literature. There were Greeks, Romans, and Jews who were opposed to abortion for various reasons or in certain circumstances. However, by grounding their own views in the sanctity of human life and in an aversion to violence and bloodshed, early Christians were able to take a stance against abortion distinct from and more consistent than their secular and even Jewish counterparts. This paper will present an overview of the methods of abortion used in the ancient world. It will then survey the Greek, Roman, and Jewish attitudes towards abortion in the same period, focusing especially on the reasons the practice was prohibited or permitted for each group. The early Christian response to the practice will be examined, with salient passages from Ante-Nicaean Christians analyzed to determine the rationale behind their prohibitions. Finally, some of the effects of the early Christian opposition will be reviewed, along with ways in which the early Christian example can be brought into the modern discussion. Understanding the early Christian views on and arguments against abortion can be a great boon to those who oppose the practice today, and raises salient questions about the difference between being anti-abortion and pro-life.