Christian martyr as homeric hero: a literary allusion in Perpetua's "Passio"

• Autores: Celsiana Warwick
• Localización: Classical journal, ISSN 0009-8353, Vol. 114, Nº 1, 2018, págs. 86-109
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article argues that the scenes in Perpetua's Passio in which her father begs her to recant her Christianity contain allusions to scenes in the Iliad in which Hector's family begs him to preserve his life by fleeing the battlefield. Hector's choice to die gloriously despite the pain that such a death will cause his loved ones serves as an exemplum for Perpetua's prioritization of her calling as a martyr over her duty to her family. The emphasis placed on the emotional cost of Perpetua's choice is unique in early martyr narratives and may reflect Perpetua's singular status as a Roman matrona who narrates her own martyrdom.