Megan DeVore: Prophetess, Confessor...or Benefactor? Dynamics of Benefaction in an Early Christian Martyrdom Narrative

Scholars have long acknowledged the significance of benefaction in Greco-Roman society. Over the past decade, avenues within this field have multiplied, particularly with regard to the participation of women. Studies in early Christianity have not neglected these insights, and exploration continues as to the myriad ways that early Christian communities were impacted by benefaction’s dynamics. Much work, however, remains. This paper argues that heretofore neglected indications of benefaction in the early Christian martyrdom account Passio Perpetuae warrants revisited approaches to this work. The Passio, which relates the trial, prison experience, and deaths of six Christians in North Africa at the dawn of the third century, presents a narrative in which the central figure, Perpetua, is identified as a wealthy matron. This elite identity typically has been treated by scholars as part of her “pre-conversion” background. It is assumed that the Passio martyrs disrupted the social norms and relationships that had comprised their world. While important to recognize, an overemphasis on such subversion has arguably resulted in a lacuna that impacts interpretation, particularly in several key passages of the text. This paper proposes that aspects of benefaction manifest throughout the narrative and are especially significant in three scenarios. When the vocabularies and realities of these contextual landscapes are attended, a new perspective on otherwise peculiar or incongruous aspects of the Passiocan result. The implications of this proposal affect not only analysis of this text but also contribute to gender studies in early Christianity and scholarship on early Christian social identities