While reading Confessions, it is extremely important to consider the historical context during the time period. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the read is the mention of religious martyrs, and the overall influence they played in society. To begin, a martyr is someone who is persecuted because of their faith. They are seen as the ultimate followers of Christ, willing to sacrifice their own lives in the name of God. Like Jesus himself, Martys made the ultimate sacrifice for God in giving up their physical bodies for him. In Confessions, Ambrose, the Bishop at the time, was in the midst of conflict with the Arians, a separate denomination of Christianity that placed less emphasis on the importance of Jesus as a religious symbol. One night while sleeping Ambrose had a dream; he envisioned a cemetery in Milan, and soon after went out in search of the mysterious site. On his search he found two bodies, belonging to the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius. Ambrose has the bodies transported to his basilica, and soon after miracles were happening left and right all over the city. Those “vexed by impure spirits” who visited the bodies “had been healed” (165). Even a man, “blind for many years,” had his eyes “opened” after touching the cloth of the martyrs to his eyes. The stories of these healings quickly spread throughout the city, and soon after “praises of [Gervasius and Protasius] were fervent and radiant” (165). All of this seems to occur at just the right moment; Ambrose, a Catholic himself, is in a state of conflict with the Arians. Justina, a member of the influential Arian family that controls Milan, is at odds with Ambrose and seeks to persecute him. Justina’s ill feelings towards Catholics makes Ambrose, and many others in the church, scared and nervous for what she could be plotting. The discovery of the martyrs, however, reassures Ambrose and many other Catholics that everything will be okay despite the current situation. They feel as though God “produced [the bodies] to restrain the fury of a woman, indeed a member of the royal family” (165). Overall, this is taken as a sign from God that Catholics will be okay even though Arians are in control of Milan and looking to persecute.

Martyrs are especially significant in this context because they function as a sign of hope and devotion during a time when Catholics legitimately felt in danger because of their religion. Using martyrs as a symbol for ultimate devotion made those unsure of their dedication to the church more willing to stick with the church and also die for the cause, even in the face of danger. Christians should strive to act like the Martyrs they admire and, like them, also be willing to die for the church knowing they are doing the right thing. Doing so will ensure they go straight to heaven with God rather than having to endure a waiting period beforehand. This ensures followers remain devout even when there is a genuine motivation, in this case death, to vacate Catholicism. Augustine even points out a “hostile woman,” resistant to the church, was “nevertheless checked in [her] anger” after the bodies of Gervasius and Protasius were brought to the basilica (166). Not only did the Martyrs themselves serve as a kind of example for what an ideal Catholic should be, their post-death bodies often worked miracles, as seen by Augustine’s account of Gervasius and Protasius. When word spread that a martyr’s body healed a man’s blindness, people desperate for a solution to their own problems also came in numbers. This increased the church’s overall number of followers during a time when the new upcoming religion was Arianism, which threatened to shrink Catholicism’s population. Ultimately, the influence of martyrs is undeniable. It made followers of the church stronger believers in their faith, even helping some find solace in the midst of a close family member’s death. Augustine notes that after his mother’s death, he found comfort in knowing it was for a perceived bigger purpose and in the name of God. Like the martyrs who died before, one could find peace in knowing death was not for nothing. Even though one could argue the martyrs all died for trivial religious reasons and just a general lack of tolerance, you cannot deny they at least stood up for what they believed in even in the face of death. That kind of courage in one’s beliefs can be admired no matter the historical or religious context.