The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity

If the ancient examples of faith, which both testify to God's grace and bring about the building up of man, have been set down in writing for this reason, that by reading them, as though the events were made present again, God may be honored and man strengthened, why should new records, equally suited to both purposes, not also be set down? For these too will one day be ancient and needed by those who come after, even if in their own present time they are held to be of lesser authority because of the veneration presumed for antiquity. But let those look to it who judge the one power of the one Holy Spirit by the ages of time; for the more recent things ought rather to be reckoned the greater, as being the latest, in keeping with the overflowing of grace decreed for the final stretches of the world's time. “For in the last days, says the Lord, I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, and their sons and daughters will prophesy. And on my servants and my handmaids I will pour out of my Spirit; and the young men will see visions, and the old men will dream dreams.” So we too, who acknowledge and honor the new visions, promised equally with the prophecies, and who count the other powers of the Holy Spirit as belonging to the equipment of the church, to which that same Spirit was sent, dispensing all gifts among all, as the Lord distributes to each, must of necessity both set them down in writing and celebrate them by reading to the glory of God; so that no weakness or despair of faith may suppose that divine grace dwelt only among the ancients, whether in the honor of martyrdoms or of revelations; since God always accomplishes what he has promised, as a testimony to unbelievers and a benefit to believers. And so we too declare to you, brothers and little children, what we have heard and handled, so that you who were present may remember the glory of the Lord, and you who now learn of it by hearing may have fellowship with the holy martyrs, and through them with the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.

[Summary added by the edition: The saints are arrested; Saint Perpetua overcomes her father and is baptized with the others; she is thrust into a foul prison; anxious for her infant, she understands from a vision given to her (a ladder set up to heaven, the ascent of Saint Saturus and herself, and a morsel offered to her) that martyrdom will soon come.]

I. Some young catechumens were arrested: Revocatus and Felicity, his fellow slave, Saturninus and Secundulus. Among them also was Vivia Perpetua, of good birth, liberally educated, married as a matron, who had a father and mother and two brothers, one of them likewise a catechumen, and an infant son at the breast. She herself was about twenty-two years old. From here on she will tell the whole course of her martyrdom herself, as she left it written in her own hand and in her own words.

II. “While we were still,” she says, “in the hands of the persecutors, and my father, out of his affection for me, kept trying to turn me away and bring me down: ‘Father,’ I said, ‘do you see, for example, this vessel lying here, a little jug or whatever it is?’ And he said, ‘I see it.’ And I said to him, ‘Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ And he said, ‘No.’ ‘So I too cannot call myself anything other than what I am: a Christian.’ Then my father, provoked by this word, threw himself on me as if to tear out my eyes; but he only harassed me, and went away defeated, together with the devil's arguments. Then for a few days, because I was without my father, I gave thanks to the Lord and was refreshed by his absence. Within that space of a few days we were baptized; and the Spirit told me to ask nothing else from the water but endurance of the flesh. A few days later we were taken into prison, and I was terrified, because I had never known such darkness. What a harsh day! Fierce heat because of the crowding, the extortion of the soldiers; and finally I was tormented with anxiety for my infant. Then Tertius and Pomponius, the blessed deacons who ministered to us, arranged by payment that we might be let out for a few hours to a better part of the prison and refresh ourselves. Then, going out of the prison, everyone attended to their own needs. I nursed my infant, who was already weak with hunger. Anxious for him, I spoke to my mother, strengthened my brother, and entrusted my son to them. I was wasting away because I saw them wasting away on my account. I suffered such anxieties for many days; and I obtained leave for the infant to stay with me in prison; and at once I grew strong and was relieved of the trouble and anxiety over the infant; and the prison suddenly became a palace to me, so that I would rather be there than anywhere else.”

III. “Then my brother said to me: ‘Lady sister, you are now in great honor, so great that you may ask for a vision, and it will be shown to you whether it is to be suffering or release.’ And I, who knew that I could speak with the Lord, whose great kindnesses I had experienced, confidently promised him, saying, ‘Tomorrow I will tell you.’ And I asked, and this was shown to me. I see a golden ladder of wonderful size reaching up to heaven, and narrow, so that people could go up it only one at a time; and on the sides of the ladder every kind of iron weapon was fixed. There were swords, lances, hooks, and knives, so that if anyone went up carelessly or without looking upward, he would be torn and his flesh would cling to the irons. And under the ladder itself lay a dragon of wonderful size, which laid ambushes for those going up and frightened them from going up. Saturus went up first (he had later given himself up of his own accord for our sake, because he had not been present when we were arrested); and he reached the top of the ladder, turned toward me, and said to me: ‘Perpetua, I am waiting for you; but see that that dragon does not bite you.’ And I said: ‘He will not harm me, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.’ And from under the ladder itself, as if afraid of me, it slowly raised its head; and as I stepped on the first rung, I trod on its head. And I went up and saw an immense garden, and in the middle of the garden a white-haired man sitting in the dress of a shepherd, tall, milking sheep; and standing around were many thousands clothed in white. And he raised his head, looked at me, and said to me: ‘Welcome, child.’ And he called me and gave me, from the cheese he was milking, as it were a mouthful; and I received it with joined hands and ate it; and all who stood around said, ‘Amen.’ And at the sound of the voice I woke, still chewing something sweet, I know not what. And I told my brother at once, and we understood that it would be suffering; and we began to have no hope any longer in this world.”

[Summary added by the edition: Perpetua, assailed by her father, comforts him; led with the others to the tribunal, she confesses that she is a Christian and is condemned with the rest to the beasts; she prays for her dead brother Dinocrates, whom she perceives in a vision to be afflicted by the pains of purgatory and to be set free.]

I. “A few days later a report went round that we were to be given a hearing. My father too arrived from the city, worn out with grief, and came up to me to bring me down, saying: ‘Daughter, have pity on my grey hairs; have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up to this flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not give me over to the reproach of men. Look at your brothers, look at your mother and your aunt, look at your son, who will not be able to live after you are gone. Put aside your pride, lest you destroy us all. For none of us will speak freely again if anything happens to you.’ My father said this out of his love, kissing my hands and throwing himself at my feet; and with tears he called me not daughter but lady. And I grieved for my father's grey hairs, because he alone of all my family would not rejoice at my suffering. And I comforted him, saying: ‘What happens on that platform will be what God wills. For know that we are not placed in our own power but in God's.’ And he went away from me in sorrow.”

II. “Another day, while we were at our midday meal, we were suddenly hurried off to be heard, and we came to the forum. At once a report ran through the neighborhood of the forum, and an immense crowd gathered. We went up onto the platform. The others were questioned and confessed. Then it came to me, and my father appeared at once with my son, pulled me down from the step, and said, pleading: ‘Have pity on the child.’ And Hilarianus the procurator, who had then received the power of the sword in place of the proconsul Minucius Timinianus, who had died, said: ‘Spare your father's grey hairs; spare your boy's infancy. Offer sacrifice for the welfare of the emperors.’ And I answered: ‘I will not.’ Hilarianus said: ‘Are you a Christian?’ And I answered: ‘I am a Christian.’ And when my father stood there to bring me down, Hilarianus ordered him to be thrown down, and he was struck with a rod. My father's misfortune grieved me as if I had been struck myself; so did I grieve for his wretched old age. Then he passes sentence on all of us and condemns us to the beasts; and we went down to the prison cheerful. Then, since the infant had been used to taking the breast from me and staying with me in prison, I at once sent the deacon Pomponius to my father to ask for the infant. But my father would not give him. And, as God willed, the child no longer wanted the breast, and my breasts did not become inflamed, so that I was not tormented by anxiety for the child and by pain in my breasts.”

III. “A few days later, while we were all praying, suddenly in the middle of the prayer a word came from me, and I named Dinocrates; and I was astonished that he had never come into my mind until then, and I grieved, remembering what had happened to him. And I knew at once that I was worthy and ought to ask for him. And I began to pray much for him and to groan to the Lord. At once, that very night, this was shown to me in a vision. I see Dinocrates coming out of a dark place, where there were many others too, burning hot and very thirsty, with a dirty face and a pale color, and on his face the sore he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother in the flesh, seven years old, who died miserably of a disease, his face eaten by a cancer, so that his death was loathsome to everyone. It was for him that I had prayed; and between me and him there was a great gap, so that neither of us could come to the other. Then in the place where Dinocrates was there was a pool full of water, with a rim higher than the boy was tall; and Dinocrates stretched up as if to drink. I grieved that the pool had water and yet, because of the height of the rim, he would not be able to drink. And I woke, and I knew that my brother was suffering. But I trusted that my prayer would help him in his suffering, and I prayed for him every day until we were moved to the military prison; for we were to fight at the military games. It was then the birthday of Geta Caesar. And I prayed for him day and night, groaning and weeping, that he might be granted to me.”

IV. “On the day we remained in the stocks, this was shown to me. I see that place which I had seen before, which had been dark, now bright; and Dinocrates, clean in body, well clothed, refreshing himself. And where the sore had been, I see a scar; and the pool I had seen before had its rim lowered to the boy's navel; and he was drawing water from it without ceasing; and on the rim was a bowl full of water; and Dinocrates came up and began to drink from it, and the bowl did not run dry. And when he had had enough, he went away from the water to play, as children do, rejoicing. And I woke. Then I understood that he had been released from punishment.”

[Summary added by the edition: Perpetua is tempted by her father again; her third vision, in which she is led away to wrestle against an Egyptian, with a prize set before her; she fights, wins, and receives the prize.]

I. “Then, a few days later, Pudens, a soldier, an adjutant in charge of the prison, who began to think highly of us because he understood that there was great power of God in us, let many of the brothers in to us, so that we and they might refresh one another. As the day of the games drew near, my father came in to me, worn out with grief, and began to tear out his beard and throw himself on the ground and fall on his face, and to curse his years, and to say such words as would move the whole creation. I grieved for his unhappy old age.”

II. “The day before we were to fight, I see in a vision that the deacon Pomponius had come here to the door of the prison and was knocking hard. I went out to him and opened to him. He was dressed in a white robe with trimmings, with many ornaments. And he said to me: ‘Perpetua, we are waiting for you; come.’ And he took my hand, and we began to go through rough and winding places. At last, with difficulty and out of breath, we reached the amphitheater, and he led me into the middle of the arena and said to me: ‘Do not be afraid; I am here with you and I labor with you.’ And he went away. And I look and see a huge crowd, astonished. And because I knew I had been given to the beasts, I wondered that beasts were not being let loose on me. And there came out against me an Egyptian, foul in appearance, with his assistants, to fight me. There came to me too handsome young men, my assistants and supporters. And I was stripped, and I became a man. And my supporters began to rub me down with oil, as they do for a contest; and I see the Egyptian opposite rolling in the dust. And there came out a man of wonderful size, so tall that he rose even above the top of the amphitheater, wearing an unbelted tunic with purple between two stripes down the middle of the chest, and with ornaments of many shapes made of gold and silver, and carrying a rod like a trainer of gladiators, and a green branch on which were golden apples. And he called for silence and said: ‘This Egyptian, if he defeats her, will kill her with the sword; and she, if she defeats him, will receive this branch.’ And he withdrew. And we closed with each other and began to throw punches. He kept trying to seize my feet, but I kept kicking him in the face with my heels. And I was lifted up in the air and began to strike him like one treading the ground. But when I saw there was a delay, I joined my hands, lacing my fingers together, and seized his head; and he fell on his face, and I trod on his head. And the people began to shout, and my supporters to sing psalms. And I went up to the trainer and received the branch. And he kissed me and said to me: ‘Daughter, peace be with you.’ And I began to go in glory to the Gate of Life. And I woke; and I understood that I was going to fight not against beasts but against the devil; but I knew that the victory would be mine. This much I have done up to the day before the games; as for what happens at the games themselves, let anyone who wishes write it.”

[Summary added by the edition: Saint Saturus, in a vision given to him, and Saint Perpetua are carried by angels into a great light and see martyrs; led to the throne of God, they are received with a kiss; they reconcile Optatus the bishop and Aspasius the presbyter.]

I. But the blessed Saturus too made known this vision of his, which he wrote down himself. “We had suffered,” he says, “and we had left the flesh, and we began to be carried toward the east by four angels, whose hands did not touch us. We went, not lying on our backs facing upward, but as if climbing a gentle slope. And once set free we first saw an immense light; and I said: ‘Perpetua’ (for she was at my side), ‘this is what the Lord was promising us; we have received the promise.’ And while we were being carried by those four angels, a great open space appeared before us, which was like a garden, with rose trees and every kind of flower. The height of the trees was like that of the cypress, and their leaves were falling without ceasing. There in the garden were four other angels, brighter than the rest, who, when they saw us, did us honor and said to the other angels with wonder: ‘Here they are! Here they are!’ And those four angels who were carrying us, filled with awe, set us down; and on our own feet we crossed a stadium by a broad way. There we found Jocundus and Saturninus and Artaxius, who had suffered in the same persecution and had been burned alive, and Quintus, who had also died a martyr in prison; and we asked them where the others were. But the angels said to us: ‘Come first, go in, and greet the Lord.’”

II. “And we came near a place whose walls were as if built of light; and before the door of that place stood four angels, who clothed those going in with white robes. And we went in clothed, and we saw an immense light, and we heard the united voice of those who were saying ‘Holy, holy, holy’ without ceasing. And we saw sitting in the middle of that place as it were a white-haired man, with hair white as snow and a youthful face, whose feet we did not see. And on the right and on the left were twenty-four elders, and behind them stood many others. We went in with great wonder and stood before the throne; and the four angels lifted us up, and we kissed him, and he passed his hand over our faces. And the other elders said to us: ‘Let us stand.’ And we stood and exchanged the peace. And the elders said to us: ‘Go and play.’ And I said: ‘Perpetua, you have what you wish.’ And she said to me: ‘Thanks be to God, that as I was cheerful in the flesh, I am more cheerful here now.’”

III. “And we went out and saw before the doors Optatus the bishop on the right and Aspasius the presbyter and teacher on the left, apart from each other and sad. And they threw themselves at our feet and said to us: ‘Make peace between us, for you have gone out and left us like this.’ And we said to them: ‘Are you not our father, and you a presbyter, that you should throw yourselves at our feet?’ And we threw ourselves down and embraced them. And Perpetua began to speak with them, and we drew them aside in the garden under a rose tree. And while we were talking with them, the angels said to them: ‘Let them refresh themselves; and if you have any quarrels among yourselves, forgive one another.’ And they put them to confusion. And they said to Optatus: ‘Correct your people, for they come together to you as if returning from the circus and quarreling over the racing factions.’ And it seemed to us as if they wanted to shut the gates. And there we began to recognize many brothers, and martyrs too. We were all nourished by an indescribable fragrance, which satisfied us. Then I woke, rejoicing.”

[Summary added by the edition: Saint Secundulus dies in prison. Saint Felicity, pregnant, after prayers are poured out, gives birth in the eighth month without pain. The unconquered spirit of Saint Perpetua and Saint Saturus.]

I. These are the more notable visions of the most blessed martyrs Saturus and Perpetua themselves, which they wrote down themselves. Secundulus, however, God called out of this world by an earlier death while he was still in prison, not without grace, so that he escaped the beasts. Yet even if his soul did not, his flesh at least knew joy.

II. As for Felicity, the grace of the Lord came to her too in the same way. She was already eight months pregnant (for she had been pregnant when arrested), and as the day of the show approached she was in great grief lest she be put off because of her pregnancy, since it is not lawful for pregnant women to be brought out for punishment, and lest she should shed her holy and innocent blood later among some criminals. Her fellow martyrs too were deeply saddened that they should leave so good a companion alone, as it were, on the road of the same hope. So, joining together in one united groan, they poured out prayer to the Lord two days before the games. Immediately after the prayer her pains came upon her. And since, with the natural difficulty of a birth in the eighth month, she was in pain as she labored, one of the assistants of the prison warders said to her: ‘You who are in such pain now, what will you do when you are thrown to the beasts, which you despised when you refused to sacrifice?’ And she answered: ‘Now I suffer what I suffer; but there another will be in me who will suffer for me, because I too am going to suffer for him.’ So she gave birth to a girl, whom one of the sisters brought up as her own daughter.

III. Since, then, the Holy Spirit has permitted, and by permitting has willed, that the course of the games itself be written down, although we are unworthy to complete the description of so great a glory, we nevertheless carry out, as it were, a command of the most holy Perpetua, or rather her trust, adding one more proof of her steadfastness and loftiness of spirit. When they were being treated rather harshly by the tribune, because, prompted by the warnings of utterly foolish people, he feared that they might be spirited out of the prison by some magic spells, Perpetua answered him to his face and said: ‘Why do you not at least allow us some refreshment, the condemned of the most noble Caesar, who are to fight on his birthday? Or is it not to your credit if we are brought out fatter on that day?’ The tribune shuddered and blushed; and so he ordered them to be treated more humanely, so that her brothers and others had the chance to come in and refresh themselves with them; the adjutant of the prison himself was by now a believer.

IV. On the day before, too, at that last meal which they call the free meal, they, as far as lay with them, held not a free meal but an agape; and with the same steadfastness they flung these words at the people, threatening the judgment of the Lord, bearing witness to the happiness of their suffering, mocking the curiosity of those who crowded around, Saturus saying: ‘Is tomorrow not enough for you, that you gladly look at what you hate? Friends today, enemies tomorrow. But mark our faces carefully, so that you may recognize us on that day of judgment.’ So they all went away from there astonished, and of them many believed.

[Summary added by the edition: They are led out of the prison into the amphitheater cheerfully, especially Perpetua and Felicity; all refuse to put on profane costumes; they are scourged; they long for the beasts and are thrown to them; Saturus twice unharmed; Saints Perpetua and Felicity are thrown down and recalled to the Gate of Life. Saint Saturus, wounded by a leopard, exhorts the soldier; they kiss one another; they are killed with the sword.]

I. The day of their victory dawned, and they went out from the prison into the amphitheater as if into heaven, cheerful, with lovely faces, trembling, if at all, with joy, not with fear. Perpetua followed with calm face and step, as a matron of Christ, the beloved of God, lowering the brightness of her eyes from the gaze of all. Felicity likewise, rejoicing that she had given birth safely so that she could fight the beasts, from blood, from the midwife to the net-fighter, to wash after childbirth in a second baptism. And when they had been brought to the gate and were being forced to put on costumes, the men those of the priests of Saturn, the women those of the priestesses consecrated to Ceres, that noble woman resisted with steadfastness to the end. For she said: ‘We came to this of our own accord for this reason, that our freedom should not be taken from us; we pledged our lives for this reason, that we should do no such thing; this is what we agreed with you.’ Injustice recognized justice: the tribune granted that they be brought in simply as they were. Perpetua was singing psalms, already treading on the Egyptian's head. Revocatus and Saturninus and Saturus were threatening the watching people. When they came within sight of Hilarianus, they began by gesture and nod to say to Hilarianus: ‘You judge us,’ they said, ‘but God will judge you.’ At this the people, enraged, demanded that they be harassed with scourges along the line of the beast-hunters. And they indeed rejoiced that they had obtained some share in the Lord's sufferings as well.

II. But he who had said, ‘Ask and you will receive,’ gave to those who asked the death that each had desired. For whenever they talked among themselves about their wishes for martyrdom, Saturninus declared that he wanted to be thrown to every kind of beast, so as to wear a more glorious crown. So at the beginning of the show he and Revocatus, after facing a leopard, were also mauled by a bear on the platform. Saturus, however, loathed nothing more than a bear, but was confident that he would be finished off by one bite of a leopard. So when he was set against a boar, it was instead the hunter who had set the boar on him who was gored by that same beast, and he died after the days of the games; Saturus was only dragged. And when he was tied up on the bridge to face a bear, the bear would not come out of its cage. So Saturus was called back unharmed a second time.

III. For the young women the devil prepared a most savage cow, procured for this purpose contrary to custom, matching even the beast to their sex. So they were stripped, clothed in nets, and brought out. The people shuddered, seeing that one was a delicate girl and the other fresh from childbirth, with dripping breasts. So they were called back and their garments loosened. Perpetua was brought in first. She was tossed and fell on her back; and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it over to cover her thighs, more mindful of modesty than of pain. Then she was called for again, and she pinned up her scattered hair; for it was not fitting for a martyr to suffer with her hair loose, lest she seem to be mourning in her glory. So she got up; and when she saw Felicity crushed, she went to her, gave her her hand, and lifted her up. And both stood side by side; and, the hardness of the people being overcome, they were called back to the Gate of Life. There Perpetua was received by a man who was then a catechumen, named Rusticus, who stayed close to her; and as if waking from sleep, so deeply had she been in the Spirit and in ecstasy, she began to look around, and to the amazement of all she said: ‘When are we to be brought out to that cow, I do not know.’ And when she heard that it had already happened, she did not believe it until she recognized certain marks of the injury on her body and her clothing, and the catechumen. Then she summoned her brother and that catechumen and spoke to them, saying: ‘Stand firm in the faith, and all of you love one another, and do not be made to stumble by our sufferings.’

IV. Saturus too, at another gate, was exhorting the soldier Pudens, saying: ‘Here I am, just as I promised and foretold: so far I have felt no beast at all. And now believe with all your heart. See, I am going out there, and I will be finished off by one bite of a leopard.’ And at once, at the end of the show, he was thrown to a leopard, and from one bite of it he was drenched with so much blood that the people, as he came back, shouted out in witness to his second baptism: ‘Well washed! Well washed!’ Clearly he was saved who had been made glorious in this show. Then he said to the soldier Pudens: ‘Farewell, and remember my faith; and let these things not trouble you but strengthen you.’ And at the same time he asked him for the ring from his finger, dipped it in his wound, and gave it back to him, leaving him an heirloom as a pledge and a memorial of his blood. Then, already senseless, he was laid down with the others in the usual place to have his throat cut. And when the people demanded that they be brought into the middle, so that as the sword entered their bodies they might make their own eyes partners in the killing, they rose of their own accord and moved to where the people wanted, first kissing one another, so as to complete their martyrdom with the solemn rite of peace. The others received the sword without moving and in silence; much more so Saturus, who, as he had been first to go up the ladder, was first to give up his spirit; for he was waiting for Perpetua. But Perpetua, so that she might taste some pain, was struck between the ribs and cried out, and she herself guided the wavering right hand of the novice gladiator to her throat. Perhaps so great a woman, feared as she was by the unclean spirit, could not have been killed otherwise, unless she herself had willed it. O bravest and most blessed martyrs! O truly called and chosen for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! Whoever magnifies, honors, and worships that glory ought surely to read these examples too, no less than the ancient ones, for the building up of the church, so that new deeds of power also may bear witness that one and the same Holy Spirit is always at work even now, and God the Father almighty, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and boundless power forever and ever. Amen.