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⛪ A martyr's shrine 📜 A martyr's story 🗣️ A martyr's testimony
martyria

martyria

9.9
A written story about a person who suffered or died for their beliefs
  • noun
  • /mɑrˈtɪrɪə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : martyrologio
  • The ancient text recorded the martyria of early Christian saints, detailing their trials and ultimate sacrifices.

Examples

  • There exists a voluminous discussion of the form-critical characteristics of this material, which is often divided into subcategories such as Acta, Passiones, and Martyria.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Scholars often analyze the martyria of martyrs to understand the impact of their sacrifices on the spread of faith.

  • Melania's martyria marked the ground made holy by the feet of Christ, and her churches imposed an added holiness through the overlaying of the bones of saints.

    Academic text (2007)

  • In church history, the martyria of notable martyrs serves as inspiration for the faithful.

Synonyms

martyrology
vsmartyria
  • Specialized
9.9

A list of people who died for their faith that a church keeps for services

is a detailed narrative focusing on one person's life and suffering rather than a list

Surface Forms

martyria singular
martyriae plural

Morphology

martyria = martyr (opaque) = martyr + ia

Although historically related to 'martyr', the sense 'written account' is a specialized or extended usage that learners cannot reliably derive from 'martyr' + '-ia'.

Etymology

Martyria comes from the Greek word martyrion and the root martyr, which mean 'witness'. A helpful way to remember this sense is that a martyria can be a written 'witness', a story that records the life and suffering of a martyr.