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Ad Martyras

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

From the saying of our Lord we know that the flesh is weak

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

,

the

spirit

willing

.

Let

us

not

,

withal

,

take

delusive

comfort

from

the

Lord’s

acknowledgment

of

the

weakness

of

the

flesh

.

For

precisely

on

this

account

He

first

declared

the

spirit

willing

,

that

He

might

show

which

of

the

two

ought

to

be

subject

to

the

other

—

that

the

flesh

might

yield

obedience

to

the

spirit

—

the

weaker

to

the

stronger

;

the

former

thus

from

the

latter

getting

strength

.

Let

the

spirit

hold

convene

with

the

flesh

about

the

common

salvation

,

thinking

no

longer

of

the

troubles

of

the

prison

,

but

of

the

wrestle

and

conflict

for

which

they

are

the

preparation

.

The

flesh

,

perhaps

,

will

dread

the

merciless

sword

,

and

the

lofty

cross

,

and

the

rage

of

the

wild

beasts

,

and

that

punishment

of

the

flames

,

of

all

most

terrible

,

and

all

the

skill

of

the

executioner

in

torture

.

But

,

on

the

other

side

,

let

the

spirit

set

clearly

before

both

itself

and

the

flesh

,

how

these

things

,

though

exceeding

painful

,

have

yet

been

calmly

endured

by

many

,

—

and

,

have

even

been

eagerly

desired

for

the

sake

of

fame

and

glory

;

and

this

not

only

in

the

case

of

men

,

but

of

women

too

,

that

you

,

O

holy

women

,

may

be

worthy

of

your

sex

.

It

would

take

me

too

long

to

enumerate

one

by

one

the

men

who

at

their

own

self

-

impulse

have

put

an

end

to

themselves

.

As

to

women

,

there

is

a

famous

case

at

hand

:

the

violated

Lucretia

,

in

the

presence

of

her

kinsfolk

,

plunged

the

knife

into

herself

,

that

she

might

have

glory

for

her

chastity

.

Mucius

burned

his

right

hand

on

an

altar

,

that

this

deed

of

his

might

dwell

in

fame

.

The

philosophers

have

been

outstripped

,

—

for

instance

Heraclitus

,

who

,

smeared

with

cow

dung

,

burned

himself

;

and

Empedocles

,

who

leapt

down

into

the

fires

of

Ætna

;

and

Peregrinus

,

who

not

long

ago

threw

himself

on

the

funeral

pile

.

For

women

even

have

despised

the

flames

.

Dido

did

so

,

lest

,

after

the

death

of

a

husband

very

dear

to

her

,

she

should

be

compelled

to

marry

again

;

and

so

did

the

wife

of

Hasdrubal

,

who

,

Carthage

being

on

fire

,

that

she

might

not

behold

her

husband

suppliant

as

Scipio’s

feet

,

rushed

with

her

children

into

the

conflagration

,

in

which

her

native

city

was

destroyed

.

Regulus

,

a

Roman

general

,

who

had

been

taken

prisoner

by

the

Carthaginians

,

declined

to

be

exchanged

for

a

large

number

of

Carthaginian

captives

,

choosing

rather

to

be

given

back

to

the

enemy

.

He

was

crammed

into

a

sort

of

chest

;

and

,

everywhere

pierced

by

nails

driven

from

the

outside

,

he

endured

so

many

crucifixions

.

Woman

has

voluntarily

sought

the

wild

beasts

,

and

even

asps

,

those

serpents

worse

than

bear

or

bull

,

which

Cleopatra

applied

to

herself

,

that

she

might

not

fall

into

the

hands

of

her

enemy

.

But

the

fear

of

death

is

not

so

great

as

the

fear

of

torture

.

And

so

the

Athenian

courtezan

succumbed

to

the

executioner

,

when

,

subjected

to

torture

by

the

tyrant

for

having

taken

part

in

a

conspiracy

,

still

making

no

betrayal

of

her

confederates

,

she

at

last

bit

off

her

tongue

and

spat

it

in

the

tyrant’s

face

,

that

he

might

be

convinced

of

the

uselessness

of

his

torments

,

however

long

they

should

be

continued

.

Everybody

knows

what

to

this

day

is

the

great

Lacedæmonian

solemnity

—

the

διαμαστύγωσις

,

or

scourging

;

in

which

sacred

rite

the

Spartan

youths

are

beaten

with

scourges

before

the

altar

,

their

parents

and

kinsmen

standing

by

and

exhorting

them

to

stand

it

bravely

out

.

For

it

will

be

always

counted

more

honourable

and

glorious

that

the

soul

rather

than

the

body

has

given

itself

to

stripes

.

But

if

so

high

a

value

is

put

on

the

earthly

glory

,

won

by

mental

and

bodily

vigour

,

that

men

,

for

the

praise

of

their

fellows

,

I

may

say

,

despise

the

sword

,

the

fire

,

the

cross

,

the

wild

beasts

,

the

torture

;

these

surely

are

but

trifling

sufferings

to

obtain

a

celestial

glory

and

a

divine

reward

.

If

the

bit

of

glass

is

so

precious

,

what

must

the

true

pearl

be

worth

?

Are

we

not

called

on

,

then

,

most

joyfully

to

lay

out

as

much

for

the

true

as

others

do

for

the

false

?

Notes

1
Matt. xxvi. 41.
2
[He is said to have perished circa a.d. 170.]