Martyrdom, whether occurring for the faith of Christianity or not, is a powerful tool that empowers and draws people to religion. People fighting for what they believe in and what they think is right, even if it isn’t for religion specifically, has always served to inspire people throughout the ages. Humans often see these defiant acts as heroic and courageous as the people who perform them knowingly do so even with the ever-present threats of death and brutal torture lurking every step of the way. The powerful effect caused by these people’s sacrifice has served many purposes, whether it be to attract people to a cause or to encourage them to chart their own path no matter the obstacles and criticism they may face. In Confessions, Augustine shows the effect that martyrdom had on the people living during his time period through one of his memories of a significant event that occurred during his time in the city of Milan.

During the novel when Augustine arrives in Milan to get baptized with his son and Alypius, Ambrose, the reigning bishop of Milan, is currently searching for relics of martyrs. These relics were considered to be holy objects and would often serve the purpose of sanctifying recently built basilicas and churches. After receiving a vision from god, Ambrose set out with a group of people to dig up the remains of two Christian martyrs, Gervasius and Protasius, who died defending their faith long before Christianity was legalized by the edict of Milan. The significance of the uncovering of these two saints is revealed when the bodies are brought back to Ambrose’s recently built Basilica Ambrosiana and miracles begin to take place. Augustine remarks how “people vexed by impure spirits were healed” and a blind man was once again able to see when he applied a cloth he put on the martyr’s body onto his eyes (Confessions IX.vii.16). These miracles were seen as a sign that the martyrs had been blessed by god and therefore the bodies were also seen as a vessel through which god’s power could heal those who sought out these relics. These miracles also served to validate the catholic orthodoxy so even people who persecuted the beliefs of the church, such as empress Justina, had to begrudgingly acknowledge the Christian faith and its practices. People were drawn more to the Catholicism as these random acts of god seemed to occur, further helping Christianity finally gain some ground as an up and coming major religion. There were also larger underlying reasons for why martyrs were seen as great spiritual beings blessed by god.

Saints and martyrs were especially important because they had a certain connection to Jesus who happened to be the first martyr in the history of Christianity when he died on the cross for his spirituality. This parallel to God’s only son serves to further highlight the fact that martyrs are holy or spiritual figures that are to be respected and admired for their sacrifice since it is believed to be the highest honor to die for one’s religion. Before Christianity was legalized, Christians were heavily persecuted and often gruesomely executed in the Colosseum where animals and gladiators fought to the death. Yet the terrifying reality of this situation didn’t seem to affect Perpetua and her fellow Christians as she boldly proclaimed in her diary entries detailing the last few days of her life how she was content to die for her religion. She even assisted in her own death when the gladiator about to execute her couldn’t bring himself to dispatch her with his sword. It is thanks to martyrs such as Perpetua who never gave up on their religion that Christianity still was able to flourish despite the hardships that came with its establishment. Many Christians have been moved by these martyrs’ efforts and have stayed true to their religion, defending it throughout history from various external forces that seek to tear it down. Their strength is often shown most clearly in situations of life and death such as during the event when empress Justina attempted to force bishop Ambrose to surrender some of his churches so that they may be changed into Arian ones. Common Christian folk, following the example of esteemed martyrs, decided to take up the duty of defending and guarding the church even when threatened with the brute force of one of the most powerful armies in the world. The influence of martyrs can clearly be seen in this act of defiance since one of the key elements of martyrdom is self-sacrifice so it is easy to see how people have been influenced heavily by these servants of god.

Even though these martyrs seemingly faced tragic and unjust fates, their death and refusal to reject Christianity has been a source of admiration for centuries. To be able to call oneself a martyr is to have earned a title of the highest honor that has served to transform ordinary people into sacred and divine religious figures. Their influence has held great purpose in confirming the faith of Christianity, whether that be through miracles performed through relics or by furthering the growth of Christianity by attracting others through examples of self-sacrifice. Overall, martyrs were viewed as people to be celebrated and praised for giving up their earthly lives to love and worship god who would welcome them into his kingdom of heaven for eternity.