St. Augustine’s Confessions: Milan Martyrs

Brendan McGoldrick

HIST 103: The Midevil World

Professor Paul Evans

1 September 2020

     In the medieval world in which Saint Augustine’s Confessions takes place – around the late fourth century – martyrdom is no foreign practice. Many Christian saints and patriarchs died martyrs, including the pioneer at the pinnacle of the religion, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for his faith. The symbol of Christ’s crucifixion and the story of his journey and resurrection laid the foundations for Christianity. He inspired many martyrs with his relentless credence and determination, which he sustained even up until his dying breath. Christ’s legacy and resoluteness are still thriving today, over two millennia later. In Augustine’s time, when Christianity was not as widely accepted – and up until Emperor Constantine’s recent legalization, punishable by death – there were likely more martyrs willing to pledge the ultimate honor to their Lord in refusing to cede to expectations and common practice. Specifically described in Confessions is the consecration of Bishop Ambrose’s Basilica, which, according to tradition, requires the excavation of martyr saints. This scene paints a perfect picture of the historical context in which Augustine wrote his autobiography. 

     During Augustine’s time in Milan, he describes the consecration of Ambrose’s Basilica, which still exists today as the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio. After the recent completion of the monumental house of worship, the Church required its blessing with two Christian martyrs’ bodies. Ambrose faced a problem, though: Milan was too new of a city to have such a history. Luckily, in his disparity, God came to him in a vision to show him the way to martyrs’ graves in a local cemetery. With the help of his disciples, and driven by his Lord and savior, Ambrose successfully brought back two martyrs whom he declared were Saints Gervasius and Protasius. Immediately following the consecration, miracles of healing ensued in the Basilica, particularly that of a blind man whose sight was restored after touching his face to the martyr saints’ cloaks. As Augustine describes: “some people vexed by impure spirits were healed… your saints whose ‘death is precious in your sight'” (IX.vii.16). While the Roman Empire tolerated Christianity during the time of Augustine’s conversion, it was both illegal and frowned upon in society to practice such monotheism. Martyrs were willing to take their beliefs to the grave, as more often than not, they were killed for their faith. In Augustine’s citation of the Book of Pslams, he describes how death with honor and belief in Him is a precious symbol of loyalty to the Lord (IX.vii.16, Ps. 115:15). These martyrs paid the ultimate price for their Christianity, but now, displayed in the Basilica, their bodies serve as a symbol of their undying resilience and devotion to their religion. With Augustine’s nonchalant description of the scene, it may be assumed that the unearthing of carcasses is a common practice in this time period. In modern times, such customs would be very striking and unfamiliar to people, including Christians. With the amount of respect Augustine and his peers show to the martyrs, it is evident that these Saints are revered and praised in the Chuch. 

     Another similarly striking story is that of St. Perpetua, who died a Christian martyr in Carthage during the early third century when the religion was still severely outlawed. In The Passions of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, Perpetua describes on her own accord her faithfulness and martyrdom surrounding her eventual execution. Perpetua’s story offers a glimpse into the intense persecution early Christians faced in the Roman Empire and explains why martyrs were so respected by Augustine and his Christian peers. The fact that Perpetua’s story has survived the ages is a feat in and of itself. It is even more shocking because Perpetua was a female, making her story one of the few surviving texts by a woman from this period. The detailed recount of Perpetua’s relentless spirituality likely inspired many other martyrs to follow in her footsteps. Perpetua leaves behind her infant child, aging father, and family to compete against “the beasts” in the arena. Her devotion to Christ is solidified in her vision of climbing a gold ladder to Heaven, welcomed into the Garden by the Lord himself (Geary 52). While the loss of her family disheartens her, the Lord’s perpetual support and promise of the end to her suffering inspires her. Perpetua’s story of martyrdom and society’s fierce opposition to Christianity exudes historical information. It also provides background as to why Christian martyrs in Augustine’s time were so widely revered. Even through the torture, starvation, and solitude these martyrs endured, they never relinquished their belief in God. They welcomed their own demise, even if it meant leaving a widow or an orphan. Their stories, legacies, and glory will not be forgotten, as proven by Augustine. 

     Christian martyrs are practically nonexistent in modern times. During Saint Augustine’s lifetime, when Christianity was still a reasonably new concept, stories of martyrdom were far more frequent, as the Roman Empire often executed Christian worshipers. The Church highly respected martyrs for their undying devotion to God. Even after death, their bodies served as holy artifacts capable of divine miracles. To Christians, these sacred abilities after death proved the Lord’s reverence of martyrdom. Saint Perpetua’s journal describes the horrors martyrs faced when Christianity was forbidden, but her poise when facing death proved God’s ability to grant lucidity. Saint Augustine’s description of martyrs in Confessions shows how Christians viewed martyrdom in the middle ages. Today, society is composed of a motley of religions, but other issues may force people to martyrdom, given the growing social divide.