In The Young Martyr, how is the Possible narrative(s) discussed?
On the surface, The Young Martyr depicts the sacrifice of a young Christian woman into the Tiber River. However, what the painting alludes to is not merely the countless Christian martyrs throughout the centuries, but specifically the martyrdom of Christians under the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian- when Christians were systematically persecuted for their religious beliefs.  Briefly, the Roman Emperor Diocletian ruled in the 3rd and 4th centuries. About nineteen years into his reign, however, Diocletian, a polytheist, instituted the systematic persecution of Christians with the Diocletianic Persecution of 303-311 AD. Under these laws, Christians were expected to sacrifice and honor gods they themselves did not believe in, under penalty of imprisonment or death. As such, although the painting of The Young Martyr does not overtly allude to Diocletian, it could easily be said that, since the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians is so well known in history, and so often cited in Art, the Persecution would have served as a firm foundation for Delaroche, artistically, and would have given Delaroche ample reason to paint the martyrdom of a young Christian. Delaroche opted to depict the martyrdom of a female Christian in The Young Martyr. Although Delaroche is known to have “introduced the genii or muses, who symbolize or reign over the arts,” and to have often idealized female figures, the choice to depict the martyrdom of a young woman may, more truly, have been part of Delaroche's response to the death of his wife, Louise Vernet, in 1845, whom he was known to have included as a figure in many of his paintings, for homage.
Diocletianic Persecution Diocletian