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A Matter of Genre and Influence

This chapter discusses the generic properties of Perpetua’s narrative and the relationship of the martyr narratives to the contemporary Greek novel, the ancient secular novel, the Gospels, and the apocryphal acts of the apostles. It discusses the (false?) distinction between history and fiction. It also discusses dating of these works and whether the pagan or polytheistic works influenced the apocryphal acts or vice versa; it concludes that most of these works were written in the same 100–150-year timespan. It analyzes in depth some of the apocryphal acts and Greek novels, drawing parallels between those and the early martyr narratives and isolating common themes, and focuses on Apuleius’ Metamorphoses.