Ariyana Dozier

LBST 2102
Sinclair
September 27, 2016

Martyr Essay
Word Count (0)
I believe that early Christian martyrdom can be characterized by supernatural visions,
faith, and willingness to sacrifice. The stories of early Christians being persecuted at the hands of
Romans, continue to be told to this day. Before reading the personal accounts of Perpetuas
martyrdom, I never had much knowledge of the topic. However, as Goodwin states, Its and
amazing, complicated story. Perpetuas presence of supernatural visions, faith, and persistence
to die are all qualities of early Christian martyrs. Their bravery and hope is something to be
admired.
The visions seen by Perpetua in her account serve several purposes. Firstly, the ability she
has to see these visons are a Godly gift, which gives Perpetua comfort in her fate. She does not
fear her fate because she knows it is the final step in being able to live in eternity with Christ.
Martyrs knew that their pain and suffering connected them to the torment Jesus Christ
experienced. The visions also bring bravery, hope, and confidence to her in the midst of her
inhumane, and unimaginable circumstances. I believe that Perpetuas faith in Christ was so
strong that it allowed her to see and interpret these supernatural visions without fear; such as in

her vision of the ascending ladder into heaven. Perpetua shows no fear of the devil, represented
as a serpent dragon, and almost shows dominance and authority over him while stepping on his
head as a guide to the ladder. In an article I read with an unknown author, it was stated that
Those who oppose the Christian martyrs would actually sometimes become helpers in Gods
will. Those who would normally persecute the martyrs for Christian faith actually end up
promoting faith and the faithful.
Faith, I have learned, is a major factor in martyrdom. Around the time of Perpetuas
death, practicing the religion of Christianity was practically illegal. Perpetua, Felicitas, and
others like them all knew this. By labeling themselves as Christians, they were asking for an
instant death wish. A common thing among martyrdom is the individuals unwillingness, and
even inability to deny Christ. Fredrikson talks about how Paganism was traditional at the time,
and those who did not take part in that had to honor the God of the Emperor. Christians by
insisting not to do this, were in a sense breaking the law; which in turn allowed legal action to
take place. The legal action in almost all of their cases was death. The martyrs knew all of this,
yet still chose to give up their lives and hold steadfast to their beliefs in Jesus Christ. Being able
to put your whole life in the hands of an unseen being takes an unfathomable amount of faith.
Perpetuas faith allowed her to pass on with pride, dignity, and peace. This is because she knew
she would be living everlasting joy with the Lord.
Lastly, Perpetuas willingness to die and sacrifice herself is the key characteristic in what
makes her or anyone else a martyr. Perpetua did not avoid death at the hands of her prosecutor.
Her death was a voluntary act and for her to have shown fear would have been a despised act. To
be a martyr is to be a part of an elite group of heroes. Martyrs knew that there would be suffering
and death, but the end goal was freedom and immediate presence with God. Their life did not

belong to them, but to the lord. Many compared their deaths to the crucifixion of Christ which
was used as a final blow to diminish the world of all evil. In many cases the martyr would insist
death. The worse their death was, the greater their reward from God would be. Saturus,
describes a vision in which angels welcome Saturus and Perpetua into the heavenly realm, along
with many other martyrs who are there to receive them. Saturus and Perpetua are taken into the
very presence of God, where they receive Gods blessing and are welcomed to enjoy paradise.
Early Christian martyrs had a significant influence on others. All around those who were
being persecuted and killed people were accepting the Christian gospel and confessing
themselves before God. The strength of God through Jesus Christ empowered the martyrs to
suffer through miserable conditions so courageously. The martyrs left a huge impact on witnesses
and changed the face of Christianity for others. By understanding the characteristics of early
Christian martyrs, I was able to better stand who they were and why they put themselves through
such agony.