Because Christians faced daily persecution anyway, martyrdom was a way for them to take back their lives and their fates, allowing them to decide when they died and by whose hands. Martyrdom, unlike standard death or murder, gave Christians the power to decide their own destinies; they were given the choice to either follow the Roman government or to stand with God, instead. If they went against what their government told them to do, they knew the consequences would be harsh and painful; however, even though the punishments were severe, they also knew that they had decided their death. One of the most striking examples of an ancient Christian taking his or her life back and demanding control is Vibia Perpetua, who spent the vast majority of her life under the thumb of either her father or her husband. She never had the chance to make strong, independent decisions about her own life, regardless of the fact that she grew up educated and was constantly exposed to …show more content…
In her account of the end of her life (from her journal while she was in prison), Perpetua detailed how enraged her father was by her decision, as well as how she refused to “offer sacrifice for the emperor’s welfare.” During her time in court, she was sentenced to the beasts, which caused her and her fellow Christians great joy. There was no fear in any of them, only joy, and when the beasts were released, Perpetua didn’t feel excruciating pain, nor did she feel great pain from the stab wound she got from the gladiator. It wasn’t until Perpetua “took the young gladiator’s trembling hand [and] guided his sword to her throat” and killed herself did she truly experience martyrdom. In a short amount of time, Perpetua went from making no decisions to deciding when and by whom her life ended. She did so not to spite her father or hurt her family, but simply because of her devotion to God and to take advantage of an opportunity she had to gain control over her life and exercise power over her own