„Ad illam vitam non ducit tortura sed causa“ (Acta Sebastiani 28): Das Bild des Märtyrers in den spätantiken römischen Märtyrerlegenden

“Ad illam vitam non ducit tortura sed causa (Acta Sebastiani 28). The Image of the Martyr in the Late Ancient Roman Martyr Legends” – At the end of the 6th century there existed no collection of gesta martyrum in Rome. The epic tails about the roman martyrs, compiled from the late 4th until the 6th century, are private literature demonstrating the devotional, in particular ascetic interests of their readers. The tails show us an advanced portrait of the martyr-figure. His spiritual nobility often occurs with real aristocracy and with the charity of the roman senatoric or ranked society.