I believe that Martyrdom in the beginning of Christianity was used as a driving force to

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

without them Christianity would not be where it is in todays society.

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

shaking the world as we know it.

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.

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