Making martyrs in late antiquity
Book Description
In the transformative centuries following Emperor Constantine's conversion, Christianity faced the profound challenge of defining its identity in a newly legitimized world. Lucy Grig's scholarly exploration reveals how the creation and cultivation of martyr narratives became central to this spiritual evolution.
Drawing from the influential writings of Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome, alongside lesser-known texts that have been marginalized by history, this work illuminates the deliberate process through which early Christian communities shaped their understanding of sacred sacrifice. Grig demonstrates how both written accounts and artistic representations worked together to establish martyrdom as a cornerstone of Christian identity during the fourth and fifth centuries.
The book examines how suffering became woven into the fabric of Christian self-understanding, exploring the role of spectacle in martyr stories and the powerful influence of relics and images in developing religious devotion. Through detailed case studies of individual martyrs, including the African bishop Cyprian and the virgin martyr Agnes, readers discover how political, sexual, and ecclesiastical dynamics influenced the construction of these sacred narratives.
For those interested in understanding how spiritual traditions develop and maintain their power across generations, this work offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between storytelling, visual representation, and religious transformation. It reveals how communities create meaning through the careful cultivation of sacred memory and the deliberate shaping of spiritual exemplars.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 207 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Martyrdom
- ✓ Explore Beeldvorming
- ✓ Explore Martelaarschap
- ✓ Explore Church history
- ✓ Explore Vroege kerk
- ✓ Explore Christian martyrs in art
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Martyrs in literature
