Augustine, Martyrdom, and the Exemplary Rhetoric of History

Abstract

While martyrdom is a powerful cultural symbol for early Christianity, those seeking to encourage emulation of the martyrs in the post-Constantinian period face a special problem: how can Christians imitate those who died under imperial persecution when they now live in a period of imperial privilege? This article explores Augustine’s solution to this problem through his cultivation of the martyrs as rhetorical exempla who serve to undermine traditional Roman historiography as represented by Sallust and Livy. By rejecting the premise of a Golden Age and the accompanying narrative of decline, Augustine makes every historical period ripe for imitating the martyrs in their true fight—not against human enemies but against spiritual temptation and demonic powers. In this way, he helps to make martyrdom a relevant category for Christian identity even in a time of imperial privilege for the church.