History 301 - Col:Martyrdom as Socl Protest

We find martyrs in times of crisis, under tyranny and persecution. Yet not all victims of tyranny and persecution become martyrs, nor are all martyrs victims of tyranny. What social and political conditions have in the past fostered the choice of martyrdom? What cultural values drive this form of self-immolation? What's worth dying for? In antiquity, the word 'martyr' meant an active 'witness'; today it can mean a passive victim.' Our approach uses cross-cultural historical comparisons to help understand how martyrdom shaped history and culture from the ancient world of the Mediterranean and of Europe to the early modern period.

Prereq: 8 credits in History department