MARCH 7TH 2003
STS PERPETUA AND FELICITY
MARTYRS( AD.---203)
LIFE
Martyrs, suffered at Carthage, 7 March 203, together with three
companions, Revocatus, Saturus, and Saturninus. The details of the martyrdom of these
five confessors in the North African Church have reached us through a genuine,
contemporary description, one of the most affecting accounts of the glorious warfare
of Christian martyrdom in ancient times. By a rescript of Septimus Severus (193-211)
all imperial subjects were forbidden under severe penalties to become Christians. In
consequence of this decree, five catechumens at Carthage were seized and cast into
prison, viz. Vibia Perpetua, a young married lady of noble birth; the slave Felicitas,
and her fellow-slave Revocatus, also Saturninus and Secundulus. Soon one Saturus, who
deliberately declared himself a Christian before the judge, was also incarcerated.
Perpetua's father was a pagan; her mother, however,and two brothers were Christians,
one being still a catechumen; a third brother, the child Dinocra!
tes, had died a pagan.
After their arrest, and before they were led away to prison, the
five catechumens were baptized. The sufferings of the prison life, the attempts of
Perpetua's father to induce her to apostatize, the vicissitudes of the martyrs before
their execution, the visions of Saturus and Perpetua in their dungeons, were all
faithfully committed to writing by the last two. Shortly after the death of the
martyrs a zealous Christian added to this document an account of their execution. The
darkness of their prison and the oppressive atmosphere seemed frightful to Perpetua,
whose terror was increased by anxiety for her young child. Two deacons succeeded, by
sufficiently bribing the jailer, in gaining admittance to the imprisoned Christians
and alleviated somewhat their sufferings. Perpetua's mother also, and her brother, yet
a catechumen, visited them. Her mother brought in her arms to Perpetua her little son,
whom she was permitted to nurse and retain in prison with h!
er. A vision, in which she saw herself ascending a ladder leading to green meadows,
where a flock of sheep was browsing, assured her of her approaching martyrdom.
A few days later Perpetua's father, hearing a rumour that
the trial of the imprisoned Christians would soon take place, again visited their
dungeon and besought her by everything dear to her not to put this disgrace on her
name; but Perpetua remained steadfast to her Faith. The next day the trial of the six
confessors took place, before the Procurator Hilarianus. All six resolutely confessed
their Christian Faith. Perpetua's father, carrying her child in his arms, approached
her again and attempted, for the last time, to induce her to apostatize; the
procurator also remonstrated with her but in vain. She refused to sacrifice to the
gods for the safety of the emperor. The procurator thereupon had the father removed by
force, on which occasion he was struck with a whip. The Christians were then condemned
to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, for which they gave thanks to God. In a vision
Perpetua saw her brother Dinocrates, who had did at the early age!
of seven, at first seeming to be sorrowful and in pain, but shortly thereafter happy
and healthy. Another apparition, in which she saw herself fighting with a savage
Ethiopian, whom she conquered, made it clear to her that she would not have to do
battle with wild beasts but with the Devil. Saturus, who also wrote down his visions,
saw himself and Perpetua transported by four angels, towards the East to a beautiful
garden, where they met four other North African Christians who had suffered martyrdom
during the same persecution, viz. Jocundus, Saturninus, Artaius, and Quintus. He also
saw in this vision Bishop Optatus of Carthage and the priest Aspasius, who prayed the
martyrs to arrange a reconciliation between them. In the meanwhile the birthday
festival of the Emperor Geta approached, on which occasion the condemned Christians
were to fight with wild beasts in the military games; they were therefore transferred
to the prison in the camp. The jailer Pudens had learnt to re!
spect the confessors, and he permitted other Christians to visit them. Perpetua's
father was also admitted and made another fruitless attempt to pervert her.
Secundulus, one of the confessors, died in
prison. Felicitas, who at the time of her incarceration was with child (in the eighth
month), was apprehensive that she would not be permitted to suffer martyrdom at the
same time as the others, since the law forbade the execution of pregnant women.
Happily, two days before the games she gave birth to a daughter, who was adopted by a
Christian woman. On 7 March, the five confessors were led into the amphitheatre. At
the demand of the pagan mob they were first scourged; then a boar, a bear, and a
leopard, were set at the men, and a wild cow at the women. Wounded by the wild
animals, they gave each other the kiss of peace and were then put to the sword. Their
bodies were interred at Carthage. Their feast day was solemnly commemorated even
outside Africa. Thus under 7 March the names of Felicitas and Perpetua are entered in
the Philocalian calendar, i.e. the calendar of martyrs venerated publicly !
in the fourth century at Rome. A magnificent basilica was afterwards erected over
their tomb, the Basilica Majorum; that the tomb was indeed in this basilica has lately
been proved by Pere Delattre, who discovered there an ancient inscription bearing the
names of the martyrs.
The feast of these saints is still celebrated on 7 March.
The Latin description of their martyrdom was discovered by Holstenius and published by
Poussines. Chapters iii-x contain the narrative and the visions of Perpetua; chapters
xi-ciii the vision of Saturus; chapters i, ii and xiv-xxi were written by an
eyewitness soon after the death of the martyrs. In 1890 Rendel Harris discovered a
similar narrative written in Greek, which he published in collaboration with Seth K.
Gifford (London, 1890). Several historians maintain that this Greek text is the
original, others that both the Greek and the Latin texts are contemporary; but there
is no doubt that the Latin text is the original and that the Greek is merely a
translation. That Tertullian is the author of these Acts is an unproved assertion. The
statement that these martyrs were all or in part Montanists also lacks proof; at least
there is no intimations of it in the Acts.
REFLECTION:
STAND FAST IN THE FAITH AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER ; AND DO NOT LET OUR
SUFFERINGS BE A STUMBLING BLOCK TO U-----ST.PERPETUA
we adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee,Because of Thy Holy Cross
Thou ha s redeemed the world....!!!!!
S.THOMAS
NOTTINGHAM
ENGLAND
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