Conclusion

Abstract

AbstractThe conclusion restates the three main ways in which Augustine’s martyr discourse may be considered rhetorical: (1) it takes place within significant rhetorical contexts; (2) it deploys argumentative techniques drawn from the canon of classical rhetoric; and (3) the martyrs themselves become, in Augustine’s hands, ideal rhetors and statesmen. To demonstrate that Augustine is not entirely unique, the chapter provides a reading of three martyr texts from fourth- and fifth-century Greek Christian authors: Asterius of Amasea, John Chrysostom, and Basil of Caesarea. These comparative examples allow us to see that Augustine is part of a larger rhetorical project in late antique Christian martyr discourse, though his contribution may make the most theologically substantive contribution.