The article provides an interpretation of the early Christian martyrdoms and acta of the 2nd - 3rd centuries as a set of practical guidelines for those who prepared to become a confessor or a martyr. Insignificant at first glance, the details in these works point out how a Christian should behave at arrest, in prison, on trial and the court and during the time of execution. Moreover they give important advice for those who remain to live. The reading of the martyrdoms developed the specific model of behavior, preparing a person to go through all the stages of this way, and offered him answer variants easy to remember and reproduce. The exact imitation of the heroes of the past was not required, but it was necessary to imbibe their courage and virtues.