Women Martyrs: Martyrdom as a Means of Liberation from Gender Stereotypes in the Early Church

While the common idea of women in both Christianity and the non-believing world was that the sex was inherently weaker and flawed, female martyrs gained respect in the eyes of the world because of their tenacious adherence to their beliefs, their mental and physical perseverance in the face of terrifying circumstances, and their equality with men and association with Christ found in their suffering. 

    Contrary to the stereotype of women as having weak minds and flighty associations with religions, women chose to openly follow Christ with the knowledge that their adherence to the faith would attract persecution not only from without but also from within the Church itself. For a woman to proclaim herself a servant of Christ and to act as a leader within the Church was a bold move that many Christian men opposed. In addition, the Roman Empire sought out Christians to persecute because of their refusal to worship the polytheistic Roman religion. Though more men than women were martyred, the Roman government considered the martyrdom of women an opportunity to make a public spectacle of the Christian faith. Expecting Christian women to react in terror and cowardice when faced with painful deaths, the Roman government concluded that the martyrdom of women would prove that any faith in which this flawed sex is given freedom and equality with men before a deity is a weak and foolish religion. However, such women as Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas shocked the Empire with their refusal to recant their beliefs. Their allegiance was to God alone, and for Him, they sacrificed their roles in the world as mothers, wives, and daughters. No fate however terrible shook these women from their convictions and adherence to the Truth, and for their unwavering belief for which they would give their lives, these women gained the respect of the Church and the pagan world.