Martyrdom in the Early Church

According to church tradition, both the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul were executed under Nero. Ignatius was likely martyred in the early second century, and Polycarp martyred around ad 156. Justin “Martyr” came to be known by this title after his death under Roman authorities in the mid-second century. The greatest concentrations of early Christian martyrdoms took place during the imperial persecutions of Decius and Diocletian (Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution, 389–439, 477–535). For the most part, the persecution of Christians was only local, limited, and sporadic (Hartog, “Maltreatment of Early Christians”).

While martyrs were revered in the church, at the same time the intentional seeking of martyrdom was discouraged. The author of the Martyrdom of Polycarp wrote that Polycarp “waited to be delivered up, even as the Lord had done” (Mart. Pol. 1.4). Clement of Alexandria, after quoting Matt 10:23, likewise condemned those who offered themselves up for martyrdom: “If he who kills a man of God sins against God, he also who presents himself before the judgment-seat becomes guilty of his death. And such is also the case with him who does not avoid persecution, but out of daring presents himself for capture” (Stromata 4.10; cf. 4.4).