IV - Martyrdom and suicide

Summary

Among the most memorable scenes in the history of Roman persecution of the early Church is that crowd of zealous Christians pleading with Arrius Antoninus, a proconsul of Asia in the second century, to put them to death as martyrs. His bemused and anguished response directed these eager souls to the nearest available ropes and cliffs. Similar enthusiasm for martyrdom was no less apparent among some who, when condemned to die, betrayed impatience in waiting for their ultimate dissolution. In the narrative of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, we hear of the most noble Germanicus, who, when condemned to fight with wild beasts, rebuked the emperor who tried to dissuade him from self-destruction by dragging an animal directly on top of himself. In this way, says the writer, the noble Germanicus chose to be liberated all the more quickly from an unjust and lawless life. In an early version of the Martyrdom of Agathonike, the martyr takes off her clothes and throws herself voluntarily upon the pyre.

Such enthusiasm for martyrdom is mirrored in the frequent reports of radiant joy, smiles, and even laughter among the Christians on their way to a martyr's death. During the interrogation of Pionios, his companion Sabina smiled when Pionios said that it was far worse to burn after death than to be burned alive.