The Martyrdom of Sts Perpetua and Felicity
(year 203)
Vibia Perpetua, twenty-two years old, was a young matron from a good family; Felicity, of the same age, was her personal slave-girl. Both suffered martyrdom. Felicity, pregnant at the time of her arrest, gave birth before her execution.
Two other young people, named Saturninus and Secundulus, a slave named Revocatus, and another young catechumen, named Saturus, who gave himself up voluntarily, accompanied them in their last trial.
Shortly after their martyrdom in AD 203, this beautiful account was composed by an eyewitness, probably Tertullian himself.
The ancient stories about the faith were a proof of God’s care for his children; they achieved the spiritual strengthening of man as well. These stories were set forth to honor God and to reassure man by reading about the past.
Why then should not recent examples be set down to contribute equally to both ends? Well, past and recent examples will become old; both examples will be useful for generations to come, even though the recent ones enjoy less prestige now.
Consider the gifts of the Holy Spirit intended for the advantage of the entire Church. These are bestowed on each person according to God’s Wisdom; all are for the glory of God. Well, then, even if someone may have a weak faith or tendency to despair, no one should think that supernatural grace was given only to the early Christians, who suffered martyrdom and had revelations. God always achieves what he decides –this is a testimony for the unbeliever and a consolation for the faithful.
1 Some young catechumens were arrested, Revocatus and his fellow slave Felicity, Saturninus and Secundulus, and Vibia Perpetua, twenty-two years old, a recently married matron of a respectable family and good education. Her mother and father were living, and of her two brothers, one was a catechumen like herself. She had a baby son.
Perpetua wrote some impressions on her sufferings before she passed away. This is how she described her ordeal.
“I was, at the time,” she said, “under arrest, and my father out of love for me was trying to persuade me to break my resolution. ‘Father,’ I said, ‘do you see this vase here, or jar, or whatever?’
“‘Yes,’ he said.
“And I told him, ‘Could it be called by any other name than what it is?’
“‘No,’ he said.
“‘Well, so too, I cannot but say what I am, a Christian.’
“My father was so angered when he heard the word ‘Christian,’ that he moved toward me to pluck my eyes out. But he left it at that and departed, defeated with his diabolic arguments.
“For a few days, I gave thanks to the Lord that I was separated from my father; I was comforted with his absence. During these few days, I received baptism; the Spirit inspired me to ask no other grace after the water, but physical perseverance.
“A few days later, I was moved to another prison. I was terrified; I have never been before in such a dark dungeon. It was quite hard! The heat was stifling because of the crowd, and the soldiers blackmailed us. To crown everything, I was tortured by worry over my baby.
“Tertius and Pomponius –those blessed deacons who took care of us– gave some money to the soldiers; we were allowed to go to a better section of the prison and refresh ourselves for a few hours. After leaving the dungeon, I nursed my baby, who was faint with hunger. I spoke to my mother anxiously about the child, encouraged my brother, and gave my child to their charge. I suffered because I saw them suffering.
“These were the trials I endured for many days. I got permission for my baby to stay with me in prison; I recovered my health at once, relieved of worry over the child. My prison had suddenly become a palace, and I preferred to stay there rather than anywhere else.
4 “One day, my bother told me, ‘You have God’s grace, why don’t you ask him whether you are going to be condemned or released?’
“I faithfully promised him that I would; I knew I could talk to the Lord, who was sending me so many blessings. And I said, ‘I will tell you tomorrow.’
“I asked our Lord, and this is the vision I had.
“I saw a stairway made of bronze of tremendous height, reaching all the way to the heavens, but so narrow that only one person could climb at a time. On the sides of the stairs, there were protruding all sorts of weapons: There were swords, spears, hooks, daggers, and spikes. If anyone went up carelessly, he would be mangled and his flesh torn by the weapons.
“Underneath the stairway, there was a dragon of enormous size; it was ready to attack any who wanted to climb. Saturus went up first; he had given himself up voluntarily. All the while, he had been giving us strength, although he was not with us when we were arrested. And he reached the top of the staircase, turned around, and said to me, ‘Perpetua, I am waiting for you. Be careful, the dragon may bite you.’
“And I said, ‘It shall not harm me, in the Name of Jesus Christ.’
“And from under the stairs, the dragon slowly stuck its head out as if afraid of me. And, using it as a first step, I trod on its head and went up.
“And I saw an immense garden; there was a tall, gray-haired man in a shepherd’s garb milking the sheep. Standing around him were many thousands of people clad in white. He raised his head, looked at me, and said, ‘I am glad you have come, my daughter.’
“He called me over and gave me milk to drink. I took it into my cupped hands and drank. And all those around said, ‘Amen!’
“At the sound of this word, I woke up with the taste of something sweet still in my mouth. At once I told this to my brother; we realized that we would have to suffer. From then on, we had no more hope in this life.
“A few days later, the story went about that a hearing was to take place for us. My father arrived from the city, worn with worry, with the idea of persuading me.
“‘Daughter,’ he said, ‘have compassion on my gray hairs. Have pity on your father –if I deserved to be called your father, if I have favored you beyond all your brothers, if I have nurtured you to reach this prime of life. Don’t abandon me. Consider your brothers, consider your mother and your aunt, consider your baby, who will not be able to live once you are gone. Give up your pride. Do not be the ruin of us all –for none of us will feel free to speak again if anything should happen to you!’
“This is what my father spoke in his love for me, while kissing my hands and casting himself at my feet. With tears in his eyes, he no longer addressed me as his daughter, but as a woman. I felt sorry for my father; he alone, of all my family, would not be happy in my suffering.
“I tried to comfort him, saying, ‘It will all happen as God wills; you see, we are in his hands and not in our own.’
“And he left me in great sorrow.
“On another day, when we were having our meal, we were suddenly called for a hearing. We went to the court of justice, and soon the rumor went around the neighborhood; a huge crowd was gathered. We mounted the platform; each, when questioned, admitted being a Christian. My turn came, and there my father appeared with my son, he dragged me from the platform, and said, ‘Perform the sacrifice. Have pity on your baby.’
“Hilarianus, the governor, with power of life and death, said to me, ‘Have pity on your father’s gray hairs. Have pity on your baby son. Offer sacrifice for the genius of the emperor.’
“‘I will not,’ I replied.
“‘Are you a Christian?’ Hilarianus asked.
“And I said, ‘I am.’
“When my father tried to convince me, Hilarianus ordered him to be thrown to the ground and struck with a rod. I was sorry for my father; it was almost as if I myself had been struck. I was so grieved for his pathetic old age.
“Then the governor passed sentence on all of us: we were condemned to the wild beasts. And we went back to prison in great spirits. Meanwhile, my baby had gotten used to being nursed at my breast and to staying in prison with me; immediately after the trial, I sent the deacon Pomponius to my father to ask for the baby. But my father refused to give him over. Thank God that the baby had no further desire for the breast, nor did I suffer any inflammation; I was relieved of my anxiety for the child and of any physical discomfort.
7 “A few days later, we were all at prayer, and all of a sudden, in the midst of the prayer, I spoke out and uttered the name of Dinocrates. I was surprised, for I seldom remembered him. At once I realized that I was allowed to make a petition for him. On the same night, I had the following vision. I saw Dinocrates coming out of a dark place, in which there were many others, feverish and very thirsty, pale of countenance, and dirty. And on his face was the wound that he had when he died.
“Dinocrates was my brother; he had died of cancer of the face when he was seven years old, and his death was a source of loathing to everyone. I prayed for him. There was an enormous gulf between us, so neither could get close to the other.
“There was a pool full of water in the spot where Dinocrates was. Its edge was higher than the child, so he could not drink. And I woke up realizing that my brother was in difficulty. But I was confident that I could help him in his trouble; I prayed for him every day until we were transferred to the military prison. For we were supposed to fight with the wild beasts in the military games on the occasion of emperor Geta’s birthday. I prayed for my brother night and day with tears and sobs, so that he might be relieved from torment.
“One day, while we were kept with chains, I had another vision. I saw the same place I had seen before; Dinocrates was there all clean, well dressed, and refreshed. I saw a scar where there had been a wound; I saw the same pool, but its rim was now at the level of the child’s waist. He kept on drinking from it. Above, there was a golden bowl filling the pool with water. When Dinocrates had drunk enough, he began to play as children do. I awoke, and then I realized that he had been released from his punishment.
“A few days later, a military adjutant called Pudens, in charge of the prison, began to show us great esteem, realizing that we possessed some mysterious power within us. And he began to admit visitors to see and comfort us.
“The day of the contest was approaching, and my father came to see me; he was overcome with sorrow. He began to tear the hairs from his beard and to cast them to the ground; he threw himself to the ground and began to curse his years; he said so many things, enough to move all creation. I was sorry for his unhappy old age.
10 “On the day before we were to fight, I saw the following vision. The deacon Pomponius came to the gate of the prison and knocked violently. I went out and opened the door for him; he was dressed in a white tunic without a cincture and wore very fancy sandals.
“And he said to me, ‘Come, Perpetua, we are waiting for you.’
“He took my hand and we began to walk through a rough and winding terrain. At last we arrived with difficulty at the amphitheater, out of breath; he led me to the center of the arena.
“He told me, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here with you, struggling with you.’ And he disappeared.
“I looked at the huge crowd, who were watching in astonishment. I knew I was condemned to die by the beasts, but I was surprised that no beasts were on sight. And out came an Egyptian, foul of aspect, with his minions, to fight me. There also came up to me handsome young men to be my assistants and bodyguards.
“I was being prepared for the combat; the Egyptian was on the other side, rolling in the dust. Then there came forth a man of marvelous height; he was higher than the amphitheater. And he was clad in a purple tunic without a belt, with two stripes running down the middle of his chest, one on either side. His sandals were wondrously made of gold and silver. And he carried a wand, like a trainer, and a green branch on which there were golden apples.
“When silence was made, the tall man said, ‘If this Egyptian defeats her, he will slay her with the sword; but if she defeats him, she will receive this branch.’ And he withdrew.
“The combat started, we came close to each other and began using our fists. My opponent wanted to get hold of my feet, but I kept on striking him on the face with my heels. I was lifted up in the air, and began to rain blows on him without, as it were, touching the ground. When there was a lull, with my hands clasped, I got hold of his head; I pulled him down, his face touching the ground; and I stepped upon his head.
“The crowd began to shout, and my assistants began to sing psalms. I came forward to the tall man and received the branch. He kissed me and said, ‘Peace be with you, my daughter.’
“I began to walk in triumph toward the gate of Life. And I awoke. Then I realized that I would not fight against wild animals, but against the devil; but I knew I would win.
“This is what happened before the time of the contest. Somebody else may wish to write about what will happen at the contest.”
14 These were the visions of the blessed Perpetua, written by her own hand. Secundulus –by God’s grace– was called to depart from this world earlier, without having to face the animals. His flesh, if not his spirit, knew the sword.
Felicity, too, enjoyed a special favor with the Lord. She was pregnant at the time of her arrest; now she was in her eighth month. As the day of the spectacle approached, she was growing worried about her pregnancy; her martyrdom might be put off, for it was illegal to execute a pregnant woman. Thus, she might have to shed her clean, innocent blood afterward, among criminals.
Her fellow martyrs were also saddened; they were afraid of leaving behind such a good companion and fellow traveler, of leaving her alone on the way to the same hope. In an avalanche of common concern, they all prayed together to the Lord for this intention, two days before the contest.
Immediately after this prayer, Felicity went into birth pains. It was a painful childbirth because of the natural difficulty of an eight months’ delivery. One of the prison guards told her, “You’re suffering so much now; what will happen when you’re tossed to the wild beasts? You thought little of them when you refused to sacrifice.”
Felicity replied, “What I am suffering now, I suffer by myself. But another will be inside of me, who will suffer for me, because I am to suffer for Him.”
She gave birth to a girl; one of her sisters brought her up as her own daughter.
16 The military tribune treated them with unusual severity, because, on the information of some foolish people, he was afraid that they would be spirited out of the prison by some magic spell.
Perpetua spoke to him directly, “Why don’t you even allow us to live decently? Don’t you know that we are the most distinguished convicts; that we belong to the emperor, and that we are going to fight on his very birthday? Won’t it be to your credit if we appear on that day in healthier condition?”
The officer was disturbed and grew red; he gave the order that we should be treated more humanly, and allowed relatives to visit us. By this time, the head of the prison was himself a believer.
18 The day of the martyrs’ victory dawned. They marched from their cells into the amphitheater, as if into heaven, with cheerful looks and graceful bearing. If they trembled, it was for joy and not for fear.
Perpetua was the first to be thrown down to the arena. They selected an unusual beast, a mad heifer. Perpetua was hit by the cow and fell on her back. Sitting down, she pulled her torn tunic from her side to cover her body, thinking more of her modesty than of her suffering. Next she fastened her disheveled hair; it was not right that a martyr should die with her hair in disorder; she may seem to be in mourning in her hour of victory.
After a while, she got up and, seeing that Felicity was also lying down, bruised, went over, gave her a hand, and raised her up. Both stood up together for some time.
The people’s cruelty was now appeased; the shouts of the crowd subsided; they were ordered to the gate called Life-giving (Sanavivaria). There Perpetua was welcomed by a catechumen called Rusticus. Rousing herself as if from sleep –she had been in deep spiritual ecstasy– she began to look around. To everyone’s amazement, she said, “When are we going to be led to the wild beasts?” When she heard that it had already happened, she did not at first believe it, until she saw the marks of violence on her body and her clothing. Then she beckoned her brother and the catechumen to come, and told them, “Stand firm in faith, love one another, and do not slacken because of our sufferings.”
21 Saturus, too, in another gate, encouraged the soldier Pudens, saying, “Here I am; just as I thought and foretold, I have not yet felt any wild beast. Now believe this: I will go there and be killed by a leopard in one bite.” And right there, as the spectacle was coming to a close, he was thrown to a leopard; he was, in fact, covered with so much blood from the first bite that the people cried out to him, “Wash and save yourself, wash and save yourself!” Without knowing, they were giving evidence of Saturus’s second baptism; he was clearly saved after being washed in blood.
Then Saturus said to the soldier Pudens, “Good-bye, keep your faith as I have done; these things should not frighten you; they should strengthen you.” At the same time, he asked for the little ring from Pudens’s finger. After dipping it into his wound, he handed it back to Pudens as a legacy, leaving him a pledge and a remembrance of his bloodshed.
Half dead, Saturus was thrown along with the others in the usual secluded place to have his throat cut. The people, however, demanded that the martyrs be led to the middle of the amphitheater. They wanted to see the sword thrust into the victims’ bodies, to share in the slaughter. Without being asked, they went where the people wanted them to go, but first they kissed one another, to complete their testimony with the customary kiss of peace.
The others stood motionless and received the deathblow in silence, especially Saturus, who had gone up first and was the first to die. Once more, he was waiting for Perpetua. But Perpetua had to experience the pain more deeply; she screamed as the gladiator struck on the bone. She then took the shaking hand of the young gladiator and guided it to her throat. It was as though such a great woman –one before whom the unclean spirit trembled– could not be killed unless she herself were willing.
Bravest and happiest martyrs! You were called and chosen for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Vibia Perpetua, twenty-two years old, was a young matron from a good family; Felicity, of the same age, was her personal slave-girl. Both suffered martyrdom. Felicity, pregnant at the time of her arrest, gave birth before her execution.
Two other young people, named Saturninus and Secundulus, a slave named Revocatus, and another young catechumen, named Saturus, who gave himself up voluntarily, accompanied them in their last trial.
Shortly after their martyrdom in AD 203, this beautiful account was composed by an eyewitness, probably Tertullian himself.
The ancient stories about the faith were a proof of God’s care for his children; they achieved the spiritual strengthening of man as well. These stories were set forth to honor God and to reassure man by reading about the past.
Why then should not recent examples be set down to contribute equally to both ends? Well, past and recent examples will become old; both examples will be useful for generations to come, even though the recent ones enjoy less prestige now.
Consider the gifts of the Holy Spirit intended for the advantage of the entire Church. These are bestowed on each person according to God’s Wisdom; all are for the glory of God. Well, then, even if someone may have a weak faith or tendency to despair, no one should think that supernatural grace was given only to the early Christians, who suffered martyrdom and had revelations. God always achieves what he decides –this is a testimony for the unbeliever and a consolation for the faithful.
1 Some young catechumens were arrested, Revocatus and his fellow slave Felicity, Saturninus and Secundulus, and Vibia Perpetua, twenty-two years old, a recently married matron of a respectable family and good education. Her mother and father were living, and of her two brothers, one was a catechumen like herself. She had a baby son.
Perpetua wrote some impressions on her sufferings before she passed away. This is how she described her ordeal.
“I was, at the time,” she said, “under arrest, and my father out of love for me was trying to persuade me to break my resolution. ‘Father,’ I said, ‘do you see this vase here, or jar, or whatever?’
“‘Yes,’ he said.
“And I told him, ‘Could it be called by any other name than what it is?’
“‘No,’ he said.
“‘Well, so too, I cannot but say what I am, a Christian.’
“My father was so angered when he heard the word ‘Christian,’ that he moved toward me to pluck my eyes out. But he left it at that and departed, defeated with his diabolic arguments.
“For a few days, I gave thanks to the Lord that I was separated from my father; I was comforted with his absence. During these few days, I received baptism; the Spirit inspired me to ask no other grace after the water, but physical perseverance.
“A few days later, I was moved to another prison. I was terrified; I have never been before in such a dark dungeon. It was quite hard! The heat was stifling because of the crowd, and the soldiers blackmailed us. To crown everything, I was tortured by worry over my baby.
“Tertius and Pomponius –those blessed deacons who took care of us– gave some money to the soldiers; we were allowed to go to a better section of the prison and refresh ourselves for a few hours. After leaving the dungeon, I nursed my baby, who was faint with hunger. I spoke to my mother anxiously about the child, encouraged my brother, and gave my child to their charge. I suffered because I saw them suffering.
“These were the trials I endured for many days. I got permission for my baby to stay with me in prison; I recovered my health at once, relieved of worry over the child. My prison had suddenly become a palace, and I preferred to stay there rather than anywhere else.
4 “One day, my bother told me, ‘You have God’s grace, why don’t you ask him whether you are going to be condemned or released?’
“I faithfully promised him that I would; I knew I could talk to the Lord, who was sending me so many blessings. And I said, ‘I will tell you tomorrow.’
“I asked our Lord, and this is the vision I had.
“I saw a stairway made of bronze of tremendous height, reaching all the way to the heavens, but so narrow that only one person could climb at a time. On the sides of the stairs, there were protruding all sorts of weapons: There were swords, spears, hooks, daggers, and spikes. If anyone went up carelessly, he would be mangled and his flesh torn by the weapons.
“Underneath the stairway, there was a dragon of enormous size; it was ready to attack any who wanted to climb. Saturus went up first; he had given himself up voluntarily. All the while, he had been giving us strength, although he was not with us when we were arrested. And he reached the top of the staircase, turned around, and said to me, ‘Perpetua, I am waiting for you. Be careful, the dragon may bite you.’
“And I said, ‘It shall not harm me, in the Name of Jesus Christ.’
“And from under the stairs, the dragon slowly stuck its head out as if afraid of me. And, using it as a first step, I trod on its head and went up.
“And I saw an immense garden; there was a tall, gray-haired man in a shepherd’s garb milking the sheep. Standing around him were many thousands of people clad in white. He raised his head, looked at me, and said, ‘I am glad you have come, my daughter.’
“He called me over and gave me milk to drink. I took it into my cupped hands and drank. And all those around said, ‘Amen!’
“At the sound of this word, I woke up with the taste of something sweet still in my mouth. At once I told this to my brother; we realized that we would have to suffer. From then on, we had no more hope in this life.
“A few days later, the story went about that a hearing was to take place for us. My father arrived from the city, worn with worry, with the idea of persuading me.
“‘Daughter,’ he said, ‘have compassion on my gray hairs. Have pity on your father –if I deserved to be called your father, if I have favored you beyond all your brothers, if I have nurtured you to reach this prime of life. Don’t abandon me. Consider your brothers, consider your mother and your aunt, consider your baby, who will not be able to live once you are gone. Give up your pride. Do not be the ruin of us all –for none of us will feel free to speak again if anything should happen to you!’
“This is what my father spoke in his love for me, while kissing my hands and casting himself at my feet. With tears in his eyes, he no longer addressed me as his daughter, but as a woman. I felt sorry for my father; he alone, of all my family, would not be happy in my suffering.
“I tried to comfort him, saying, ‘It will all happen as God wills; you see, we are in his hands and not in our own.’
“And he left me in great sorrow.
“On another day, when we were having our meal, we were suddenly called for a hearing. We went to the court of justice, and soon the rumor went around the neighborhood; a huge crowd was gathered. We mounted the platform; each, when questioned, admitted being a Christian. My turn came, and there my father appeared with my son, he dragged me from the platform, and said, ‘Perform the sacrifice. Have pity on your baby.’
“Hilarianus, the governor, with power of life and death, said to me, ‘Have pity on your father’s gray hairs. Have pity on your baby son. Offer sacrifice for the genius of the emperor.’
“‘I will not,’ I replied.
“‘Are you a Christian?’ Hilarianus asked.
“And I said, ‘I am.’
“When my father tried to convince me, Hilarianus ordered him to be thrown to the ground and struck with a rod. I was sorry for my father; it was almost as if I myself had been struck. I was so grieved for his pathetic old age.
“Then the governor passed sentence on all of us: we were condemned to the wild beasts. And we went back to prison in great spirits. Meanwhile, my baby had gotten used to being nursed at my breast and to staying in prison with me; immediately after the trial, I sent the deacon Pomponius to my father to ask for the baby. But my father refused to give him over. Thank God that the baby had no further desire for the breast, nor did I suffer any inflammation; I was relieved of my anxiety for the child and of any physical discomfort.
7 “A few days later, we were all at prayer, and all of a sudden, in the midst of the prayer, I spoke out and uttered the name of Dinocrates. I was surprised, for I seldom remembered him. At once I realized that I was allowed to make a petition for him. On the same night, I had the following vision. I saw Dinocrates coming out of a dark place, in which there were many others, feverish and very thirsty, pale of countenance, and dirty. And on his face was the wound that he had when he died.
“Dinocrates was my brother; he had died of cancer of the face when he was seven years old, and his death was a source of loathing to everyone. I prayed for him. There was an enormous gulf between us, so neither could get close to the other.
“There was a pool full of water in the spot where Dinocrates was. Its edge was higher than the child, so he could not drink. And I woke up realizing that my brother was in difficulty. But I was confident that I could help him in his trouble; I prayed for him every day until we were transferred to the military prison. For we were supposed to fight with the wild beasts in the military games on the occasion of emperor Geta’s birthday. I prayed for my brother night and day with tears and sobs, so that he might be relieved from torment.
“One day, while we were kept with chains, I had another vision. I saw the same place I had seen before; Dinocrates was there all clean, well dressed, and refreshed. I saw a scar where there had been a wound; I saw the same pool, but its rim was now at the level of the child’s waist. He kept on drinking from it. Above, there was a golden bowl filling the pool with water. When Dinocrates had drunk enough, he began to play as children do. I awoke, and then I realized that he had been released from his punishment.
“A few days later, a military adjutant called Pudens, in charge of the prison, began to show us great esteem, realizing that we possessed some mysterious power within us. And he began to admit visitors to see and comfort us.
“The day of the contest was approaching, and my father came to see me; he was overcome with sorrow. He began to tear the hairs from his beard and to cast them to the ground; he threw himself to the ground and began to curse his years; he said so many things, enough to move all creation. I was sorry for his unhappy old age.
10 “On the day before we were to fight, I saw the following vision. The deacon Pomponius came to the gate of the prison and knocked violently. I went out and opened the door for him; he was dressed in a white tunic without a cincture and wore very fancy sandals.
“And he said to me, ‘Come, Perpetua, we are waiting for you.’
“He took my hand and we began to walk through a rough and winding terrain. At last we arrived with difficulty at the amphitheater, out of breath; he led me to the center of the arena.
“He told me, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here with you, struggling with you.’ And he disappeared.
“I looked at the huge crowd, who were watching in astonishment. I knew I was condemned to die by the beasts, but I was surprised that no beasts were on sight. And out came an Egyptian, foul of aspect, with his minions, to fight me. There also came up to me handsome young men to be my assistants and bodyguards.
“I was being prepared for the combat; the Egyptian was on the other side, rolling in the dust. Then there came forth a man of marvelous height; he was higher than the amphitheater. And he was clad in a purple tunic without a belt, with two stripes running down the middle of his chest, one on either side. His sandals were wondrously made of gold and silver. And he carried a wand, like a trainer, and a green branch on which there were golden apples.
“When silence was made, the tall man said, ‘If this Egyptian defeats her, he will slay her with the sword; but if she defeats him, she will receive this branch.’ And he withdrew.
“The combat started, we came close to each other and began using our fists. My opponent wanted to get hold of my feet, but I kept on striking him on the face with my heels. I was lifted up in the air, and began to rain blows on him without, as it were, touching the ground. When there was a lull, with my hands clasped, I got hold of his head; I pulled him down, his face touching the ground; and I stepped upon his head.
“The crowd began to shout, and my assistants began to sing psalms. I came forward to the tall man and received the branch. He kissed me and said, ‘Peace be with you, my daughter.’
“I began to walk in triumph toward the gate of Life. And I awoke. Then I realized that I would not fight against wild animals, but against the devil; but I knew I would win.
“This is what happened before the time of the contest. Somebody else may wish to write about what will happen at the contest.”
14 These were the visions of the blessed Perpetua, written by her own hand. Secundulus –by God’s grace– was called to depart from this world earlier, without having to face the animals. His flesh, if not his spirit, knew the sword.
Felicity, too, enjoyed a special favor with the Lord. She was pregnant at the time of her arrest; now she was in her eighth month. As the day of the spectacle approached, she was growing worried about her pregnancy; her martyrdom might be put off, for it was illegal to execute a pregnant woman. Thus, she might have to shed her clean, innocent blood afterward, among criminals.
Her fellow martyrs were also saddened; they were afraid of leaving behind such a good companion and fellow traveler, of leaving her alone on the way to the same hope. In an avalanche of common concern, they all prayed together to the Lord for this intention, two days before the contest.
Immediately after this prayer, Felicity went into birth pains. It was a painful childbirth because of the natural difficulty of an eight months’ delivery. One of the prison guards told her, “You’re suffering so much now; what will happen when you’re tossed to the wild beasts? You thought little of them when you refused to sacrifice.”
Felicity replied, “What I am suffering now, I suffer by myself. But another will be inside of me, who will suffer for me, because I am to suffer for Him.”
She gave birth to a girl; one of her sisters brought her up as her own daughter.
16 The military tribune treated them with unusual severity, because, on the information of some foolish people, he was afraid that they would be spirited out of the prison by some magic spell.
Perpetua spoke to him directly, “Why don’t you even allow us to live decently? Don’t you know that we are the most distinguished convicts; that we belong to the emperor, and that we are going to fight on his very birthday? Won’t it be to your credit if we appear on that day in healthier condition?”
The officer was disturbed and grew red; he gave the order that we should be treated more humanly, and allowed relatives to visit us. By this time, the head of the prison was himself a believer.
18 The day of the martyrs’ victory dawned. They marched from their cells into the amphitheater, as if into heaven, with cheerful looks and graceful bearing. If they trembled, it was for joy and not for fear.
Perpetua was the first to be thrown down to the arena. They selected an unusual beast, a mad heifer. Perpetua was hit by the cow and fell on her back. Sitting down, she pulled her torn tunic from her side to cover her body, thinking more of her modesty than of her suffering. Next she fastened her disheveled hair; it was not right that a martyr should die with her hair in disorder; she may seem to be in mourning in her hour of victory.
After a while, she got up and, seeing that Felicity was also lying down, bruised, went over, gave her a hand, and raised her up. Both stood up together for some time.
The people’s cruelty was now appeased; the shouts of the crowd subsided; they were ordered to the gate called Life-giving (Sanavivaria). There Perpetua was welcomed by a catechumen called Rusticus. Rousing herself as if from sleep –she had been in deep spiritual ecstasy– she began to look around. To everyone’s amazement, she said, “When are we going to be led to the wild beasts?” When she heard that it had already happened, she did not at first believe it, until she saw the marks of violence on her body and her clothing. Then she beckoned her brother and the catechumen to come, and told them, “Stand firm in faith, love one another, and do not slacken because of our sufferings.”
21 Saturus, too, in another gate, encouraged the soldier Pudens, saying, “Here I am; just as I thought and foretold, I have not yet felt any wild beast. Now believe this: I will go there and be killed by a leopard in one bite.” And right there, as the spectacle was coming to a close, he was thrown to a leopard; he was, in fact, covered with so much blood from the first bite that the people cried out to him, “Wash and save yourself, wash and save yourself!” Without knowing, they were giving evidence of Saturus’s second baptism; he was clearly saved after being washed in blood.
Then Saturus said to the soldier Pudens, “Good-bye, keep your faith as I have done; these things should not frighten you; they should strengthen you.” At the same time, he asked for the little ring from Pudens’s finger. After dipping it into his wound, he handed it back to Pudens as a legacy, leaving him a pledge and a remembrance of his bloodshed.
Half dead, Saturus was thrown along with the others in the usual secluded place to have his throat cut. The people, however, demanded that the martyrs be led to the middle of the amphitheater. They wanted to see the sword thrust into the victims’ bodies, to share in the slaughter. Without being asked, they went where the people wanted them to go, but first they kissed one another, to complete their testimony with the customary kiss of peace.
The others stood motionless and received the deathblow in silence, especially Saturus, who had gone up first and was the first to die. Once more, he was waiting for Perpetua. But Perpetua had to experience the pain more deeply; she screamed as the gladiator struck on the bone. She then took the shaking hand of the young gladiator and guided it to her throat. It was as though such a great woman –one before whom the unclean spirit trembled– could not be killed unless she herself were willing.
Bravest and happiest martyrs! You were called and chosen for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.