Hristiyanlıkta İsa, önemli bir şahsiyettir. Çünkü o inancı uğruna çarmıhta can vermiştir. Onun gösterdiği fedakârlık, peşinden gelenler tarafından örnek alınır. Erken dönemden başlayarak günümüze kadar birçok Hristiyan, inancı için canını vermeyi kutsal bir eylem olarak görmüştür. Hristiyanlıkta şehitlik kurumu bu açıdan önemlidir. İnancı uğruna canını verenlerden biri de Azize Agatha’dır. Üçüncü yüzyılın sembol şahsiyeti hâline gelen Agatha, bakire ve iffetli bir kadın olarak Hristiyanlar için değerlidir. Azizenin bilhassa önemi, dönemin pagan otoritesine hayır demiş olmasından gelir. Baskı ve işkenceler karşısında inancı sayesinde ayakta kalan Azize, Hristiyanlara göre İsa’nın yolunu takip etmiştir. İsa gibi Agatha’nın da payına şiddet, acı ve ölüm düşmüştür. Münzevi ve sade bir hayatı tercih etmesine rağmen güzelliğinden etkilenen bir zorba pagan yöneticinin zulmüne uğramıştır. Yirmi yıllık yaşamı acıyla noktalanmıştır. Göğüsleri kesilip ateşler içine atılsa da Agatha inancından vazgeçmemiştir. Azizenin hayat öyküsünü, sanata yansımasını ve Hristiyanlık tarihindeki yerini anlamak, bu çalışmanın temel gayesini teşkil etmiştir. Bu çerçevede hakkında çok az bilgi bulunan fakat Hristiyanlık tarihinde hatırı sayılı bir yeri olan Azize Agatha, var olan literatür çerçevesinde ele alınmıştır.
Many Christians, from the early period to the present have regarded dying for their faith as a sacred act. The institution of martyrdom in Christianity is important in this respect. One of whom lost their lives for the sake of her faith is Sainte Agatha. She, also known as Agatha of Sicily, is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church. It is believed that she was born into a rich and noble family around 231 A.D. in Catania, Sicily. Her early years, notably beautiful Agatha dedicated her life to the God. She became a consecrated virgin, which was a stage in the life where young women chose to remain celibate and give themselves to wholly Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer. But, that did not stop men from desiring her and making unwanted advances towards her. However, one of the men who desired Agatha, whose name was Quintianus, and taking advantage of his high diplomatic ranking, forced her to turn away from her vow and persuaded her to get married with. His persistent proposals were consistently spurned by Agatha. So Quintianus, knew was a Christian during the persecution of Decius, had her arrested and brought to the justice.Agatha disclosed that she was an ardent advocate of Christianity, despite pressures such as being prisoned and torture. Agatha was left hungry and thirsty. Her breasts were cut off, thrown for your fevers. When it was understood that she would not turn from her path, her life was taken. Quintianus ordered her to be tortured. He had her laid down on a rack to be torn with iron hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. Then sent her back to prison with an order of no food or medical attention. But the Lord gave her all the care she needed. He was her Sacred Physician and protector. Agatha had a vision of the apostle, St. Peter, who comforted her and healed her wounds through his prayers. After four or five days, Quintianus denied the miraculous cure of her wounds. He had her stripped and rolled her naked body over hot coals which were mixed with sharp shards. When she was returned to prison, Agatha prayed, as "Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you given me from the love of the world and given me patience to overcome suffering: take may my soul now." Agatha was believed to have passed into Heaven around the year 251. She becomes one of the important martyrs of the period of Christians. Various ceremonies and festivals are held for Agatha in the regions where Christianity spread. Agatha has often been a common and unifying theme in different Christian cultures from past to present. The saint, who has become the symbol name of nurses, cancer patients and those who in need, and it is remembered with hymns and prayers in rituals. Her name is mentioned where blessings and healing are needed. Because the martyr Agatha has the labor she paid with her blood for the formation of today's Christianity. She also has an important place in Christian art. Many Christians put or engraved her name live on church walls, icons, paintings and in their daily lives, about this devotional character. Artists try to keep the saint's painful life story alive in the Christian consciousness by transferring them to paintings. Agatha is considered an important cornerstone of the Christian religious tradition. She, who devoted her short life to her faith, has a meaningful place in the minds and hearts of today's Christians. She is commonly attributed in religious art with shears, tongs or breasts on a plate. Agatha, who became the symbol of the third century, is beloved to Christians as a virgin and chaste woman. The significance of the Sainte comes from the fact that she said “no” to the pagan authority of the period. According to Christians, the Sainte, who survived the oppression and torture because of to her belief, followed the path of Jesus. Violence, pain, and death fell to Agatha's share, as Jesus had once. Although she preferred a solitary and simple life, a tyrant who was impressed by his beauty and persecuted by a pagan ruler. Her twenty years of life had ended in pain. Although her breasts were cut and thrown into the fire Agatha did not give up her belief. The main purpose of this study is to understand the life story of the mentioned saint and her place in the history of Christianity.