Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Martyr Paper
Martyr Paper
show the power of the religion and the hold that it had on its followers. Since Jesus Christ was
willing to die on the cross for their sins it showed them the power of the belief of their God. His
unconditional love was hope enough for a better life beyond the one they were living. With the
visions Perpetua was receiving of her after life from the hand of God it made her suffering that
she knew was to come insignificant. With the other Martyrs behind her in the word of God and
Jesus Christ she was afraid to face nothing and would still preach the word of God to those who
cussed and spit at her. This showed to me the importance of Martyrs like Perpetua because
Throughout Perpetuas story you are able to witness her willingness to be martyred. She
was a new mother who was still nursing her child when she was arrested. Most women in this
circumstance despite their religion would sacrifice anything to remain with their child. While
Perpetua states that she was tortured with worry for her baby while in the prison she stills holds
strong to her beliefs. Her Father begs her to think of her child and her brother but she simply
points out a water pot and asks her father to name it. She then asks if he would think of any other
word to call the pot and he says no, so she goes on to state that is how she is as a Christian. I feel
as if Perpetuas willingness to defy her fathers wishes even we baited with the wellbeing of her
child shows how much of an over achiever she is. Paula Fredriksen speaks on this in her
paragraph on the Martyrdom of Perpetua. Fredriksen covers how desperate Perpetua was to make
her self-known to the governor. When Perpetua was arrested she made it known during her
hearing that she had no plans on submitting a sacrifice for the Roman gods. The Governor
pleaded with her to change her mind while her father threatened to beat her until she submitted.
No matter the threat thrown at her Perpetua she was determined to make it to the arena in the
end. Perpetua spread the love of Jesus while suffering at the hands of the Romans. When it came
to her finale execution the guard was shaking too much to properly execute her and all she did
was bring the sword up to her neck and guide the cut herself. Perpetua was the beginning of
martyrdom and made sure to prove the greatness of Jesus Christ while serving him until her end.
I believe that is what contributes to what made Perpetua an overachiever. She was willing to go
above and beyond the normal call of duty and thats what makes her such an exceptional martyr.
Before Perpetuas time, Christians were prosecuted lightly but never to the fullest extent
of the law. Wayne A. Meeks mentions how the Roman emperor didnt take a strong stance
against Christianity until it began to spread from city to city and became numerous. When the
Roman emperor officially decided that Christianity was a threat he aimed to take out all the
bishops and leaders so there was no one to motivate the spread of Christianity. This is where
Martyrs stepped in to continue to spread the word and were willing to die for their cause. Martyrs
stepping up to the plate to spread the word of Christianity when no one asked them to (except
God of course) shows a willingness and drive that I believe everyone should learn. It teaches that
our opinions, even the ones not favored by all, are just as important and we have the right to
express them freely even if it means suffering the consequences. Which makes me reflect back
on what is happening in our country today with people who are willing to sacrifice their careers
and the love of their fans so that they can speak out against the injustices they feel. While they
are not considered martyrs since they arent dying for their cause they are making an impact and
Reading about Perpetua and the other martyrs has really opened my eyes to what
it really means to be behind a cause you believe in. All of the Martyrs truly showed courage in
the face of diversity and persecution. They believed in what God showed them and were
prepared for what they were going to have to suffer to complete their missions for god. The
resilience all martyrs seem to have is an admirable characteristic that more people should follow
in the footsteps of because like other great martyrs and philosophers, if youre not willing to die
for your cause no one will be willing to believe in it after youre gone.