Perpetua - Early Christian Martyr PDF

Many stories of the lives and deeds of saints, martyrs, and faithful Christians are recorded in the early church. The writing about the lives of saints is also called *hagiography*. Hagiography often served the role of inspiring later Christians and presenting ideal examples to follow. Some hagiogra...

Many stories of the lives and deeds of saints, martyrs, and faithful Christians are recorded in the early church. The writing about the lives of saints is also called *hagiography*. Hagiography often served the role of inspiring later Christians and presenting ideal examples to follow. Some hagiography is based on truth, others are more exaggerated accounts in order to present a particular kind of example. Stories of martyrs are often a form of hagiography. Various apocryphal writings give examples of hagiography.  The story of Thecla is an example of early Christian hagiography.  **[Thecla]**: The story of Thecla comes to us from the **[Apocryphal *Acts of Paul and Thecla*]**, written around 180 CE. In this story, Paul traveled to Iconium and began preaching. Thecla, a wealthy virgin, heard Paul's preaching and was mesmerized at his teaching. She was engaged to be married but **[broke off her engagement]** in a vow of perpetual virginity, preferring the ascetic life to the married life. She violated many cultural norms in rejecting marriage and preferring celibacy. Thecla sacrificed everything to follow the teachings of Paul. She was **[persecuted for her faith]** and **[remained firm in her conviction]**s--even when facing the beasts. Thecla's story may be considered legend or even hagiography--that is, exaggerated stories of saints in order to teach a message or inspire others. Despite doubts about its truthfulness, however, the story of Thecla's faithfulness and devotion encouraged and inspired later Christians.  Thecla inspired Christians not because she was a martyr, but for her faithfulness and devotion in life. Another Christian to inspire others and display her faith was the martyr is **[Perpetua]**, who we will learn about next.. Perpetua is one of the most well-known martyrs among early Christian women. Perpetua was a **[wealthy woman, and also a Christian]**. She was **[imprisoned during the persecution of Septimius Severus]**, around the year 202-203. Her servant, **[Felicitas or Felicity]**, was also imprisoned with her. The story of her arrest, trial, torture, and execution comes to us from a first-hand account, in *The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas*, possibly written by Perpetua herself--it is told from her perspective. This document tells not only of Perpetua's persecution and martyrdom, but also of her view of her society and her role among other Christians facing persecution. In Perpetua's story, we see a woman not only being faithful to her Christian belief, but also a woman who was defying societal expectations for a women at the time.  This story happens at the beginning of the third century. At the time, Perpetua was living with her husband, son, and servant Felicity, in Carthage. North Africa. Carthage in particular, was flourishing in the Christian faith--as evidenced by the many writings of Tertullian of Carthage, who defended Christianity against Pagan attacks. At this time, however, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, began a mighty persecution against Christians. "Christians who refused to worship the gods of the Roman Empire were singled out for punishment" (MacHaffie, 26) Perpetua, Felicity--who was pregnant at the time--and other Christians were arrested. Perpetua was educated and left behind a written account of her experience, and is likely the earliest known piece of Christian literature written by a woman. Her role as a confessing Christian supersedes her role as a daughter and mother. (27) Perpetua's father was a pagan. After her arrest, he began coming to the prison to visit Perpetua. **[He begged Perpetua to deny her faith]** so that she could be saved. Perpetua was a new Christian and displayed great wisdom and heroic action in the face of significant danger. Here is a short excerpt from the text from Perpetua: ### 3\. *When, she said,* we were still under legal surveillance and my father liked to vex me with his words and continually strove to hurt my faith because of his love: Father, said I, Do you see this vessel lying here, a cup or whatsoever it may be? And he said, I see it. And I said to him, Can it be called by any other name than that which it is? And he answered, No. So can I call myself nothing other than that which I am, a Christian. In other words, To Perpetua, **[just as a cup could be called by no other name than "cup," so she as a Christian could be called by no other name]**. She simply could not deny that she was a Christian. Scholar Barbara MacHaffie points out that Perpetua "disregards the pleas of her aged father, who constantly visits her in prison and urges her to compromise her beliefs. She also gives up her newborn son, whom she had been nursing in prison, to her father, thus relinquishing her responsibilities as a mother rather than give into the Roman authorities." (27) Perpetua, Felicity--who had just given birth--and other Christians spent time suffering in prison before being asked one last time to deny their faith and offer sacrifices to the emperor. They all refused and were t**[aken into the arena to be killed by beasts.]** When they were in the arena, the beasts did not kill Perpetua and Felicity. The crowd demanded that the Christians be killed by the sword. A gladiator came and killed them with the sword.  Of the many writings and stories from the early Church, Perpetua and Felicity's story serves as an example of what it means to not just verbally express one's Christianity, but to *live it*, even if it means to die for it. Perpetua is truly **[a heroic woman of faith]**. Parts of Perpetua's story "were read as part of the official liturgy in many places. The anniversary of her death became the occasion for special celebrations; a basilica was dedicated to her in Carthage; and Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, preached several sermons in her honor." (28) We see in both Thecla and Perpetua and Felicity examples of early church women who would inspire later Christians for their faithfulness and devotion.  Much of the documentation we have of the early church is of the Church *Fathers*, that is, of the role *men* played in the early church. Records of martyrdom, however, disrupt the emphasis on the subordination of women in the early church. In martyrdom, men and women were equal. Both women and men were imprisoned, persecuted, and killed for their faith. Women were able to witness their faith and devotion in this way. Women were able to challenge the status quo by their devotion to Christ.