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The document, The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, shows just how mighty and fearless the faith of the martyrs were in Rome around 203 A. D. in which our story takes place. During the rule of Diocletian, Christianity was not the religion of popular belief.
Many of Romans practiced polytheism. As a result, numerous Christian believers were persecuted for their divine faith in God. Surprisingly, the Christian martyrs did not care that they were sentenced to death. They believed that by dying for what they believe, it would only bring them closer to God and the Gates of Heaven.
The document states, For this cause have we devoted our lives, that we might do no such thing as this; this we agreed with you (para. 18). To the martyrs, nothing was more important than fulfilling Gods The martyrs in the document take on the role of mediator between God and man, spreading the Word of God to the masses of people and the relaying to them his holy message, in a sense taking on the role of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Perpetua, one of the martyrs when confronted about her faith by her father retorts, I am Christian (para. 6). Another martyr, Felicity, confidently defends her faith and proclaims it openly by stating, Stand fast in the faith, and love you all one another; and be not offended because of our passion (para. 20). This statement portrays to the reader the martyrs general attitude towards their faith and how they embraced the lifestyle of Christ and his The way these martyrs died is a crucial element in the rise of Christianity. When Christian martyrs were sentenced to death, they were not executed in a private manner, but rather were tormented and killed publicly, allowing all the citizens of Rome to witness the account.
The official of the Roman government hoped that by making the martyrs execution public, it would deter others from joining the religion and moving away from the traditions of Roman life, which in essence secured the wealth and social status of the Roman elite. Despite the cruelty and crudeness of the gladiator contest, the citizens of Rome wanted to witness the brutal torment of these martyrs in expectations that they would give up their proclaimed faith, in fear of death. However, regardless of the Roman officials and citizens intentions, the martyrs in fact viewed death as the Gateway to Heaven, thus making the act of dying more appealing to In early Christian perception, the boundary between supernatural and natural was that of ones willingness to die for his faith. Throughout the document, the martyrs are regarded as being saintly and embodying the holy spirit in its entirety, that they would give up their life on earth, for the chance to live in heaven.
This was and still is something that most people would not do, or are even capable of doing. Therefore, in early Christian times, this sacrifice was considered something out of a persons natural state and thus being supernatural. Bibliography:
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