A grave or shrine in memory of a martyr in the early Christian architecture. Since the second or third century, the followers of Christ that had died for their faith have been called martyrs (martus ), after the Greek word martnV , denoting a saint who suffered because of the belief in Christ. Their graves are situated in the graveyards out of the town, and they are often marked by particular ediculums or sepulchral edifices, alike the pagan antique tombs. Back in the fourth century, the belief had been created that the remains of the followers who suffered for their faith in Christ were sacred, so those sufferers were proclaimed martyrs and saints. Martyrs are buried in small groups, either in graves or crypts, and these burial grounds become central zones for the interment of the privileged. During the fourth century, churches were formed out of the martyries containing the bodies of saints.