Writing by Daniel and FCM Student
Daniel The Bravery of Perpetua, Saturas, and Felicitas 3/20/18
During the Great Persecutions of Christians in the second century, lived three courageous martyrs whose audacity, bravery, and courage in facing death were nothing short of inspiring. Their names were Perpetua, Saturas, and Felicitas.
Perpetua was born around 182 and was martyred on March 7, 203. Though we don’t know how Perpetua came to know Christ or how she lived post-conversion, we do know about her last few days on this earth, thanks to her diary. Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman who lived with her husband, son, and her slave, Felicitas, in Carthage or modern day Tunis (capital of Tunisia). At that time, North Africa was a very vibrant place for the Christian community. When Roman Emperor Septimus Severus wanted to attack Christianity, it wasn’t surprising that he focused on North Africa. Perpetua was one of the first five to be arrested. They were all catechumens, meaning they were studying the Christian faith but hadn’t yet been baptized. One of the first people to visit Perpetua in prison was her father. He tried to convince her to renounce her Christian faith, but she responded by pointing to a pot and asking her father if it could be called any other name than a pot. He responded by saying no, and she said, “Neither can I be called by any other name. I am a Christian.” The day before she was to be martyred, she received a vision, which she recorded by hand. In her vision she saw a deacon named Pomponius calling her to come because a crowd was waiting for her execution. She followed him and was led to a huge arena where mean-looking Egyptians came out to fight against her. However, handsome young men supported her and were her attendants. A man proceeded, asked for silence, and then said, “If this Egyptian prevails over this woman, he shall kill her with a sword; and if she prevails over him, she shall receive this bough.” She saw herself being attacked, but suddenly she was lifted up in the air and kicked like someone who wasn’t walking on earth. However, she saw that the fight wasn’t over in any way, shape, or form, and she grabbed the head of the man who was attacking her. He then fell on his face, and she walked on his head. In her vision, people cheered, and her supporters began to sing psalms. At that moment, she woke up and realized that she wouldn’t be fighting with beasts but with the devil. However, she knew the victory was hers. When the actual day came for her to be martyred, her face shone, and she sang a hymn of triumph. Perpetua was put in the arena with a bull. She was tossed in the air, and her robe tore. When she got up, the bull wouldn’t attack her again, and she left the arena. Perpetua was then brought back to be martyred by the gladiators. She was assigned a young, inexperienced gladiator who wasn’t used to the violence. He stabbed her several times between the ribs, but this did not result in her death. She then guided his wavering hand to her throat. Before she died, she had written these final words in her diary, “Do not be ashamed by my death. I think it is the greatest honor of my life and thank God for calling me to give my life for His sake and in His cause. He gave the same honor to the holy prophets, His dearly beloved apostles, and His blessed, chosen martyrs. I have no doubt that I am dying for God’s cause — the cause of truth.”
One of the people who was martyred along with Perpetua was Saturas, Perpetua’s brother. He was the one who had originally told her about Jesus. He had not been there when Perpetua was arrested, but when he found out about it, he turned himself in and joined her and a few others in prison. On the day before Saturas was supposed to be martyred, he, too, received a vision from God, which he wrote with his own hand. He wrote how he and Perpetua were carried by four angels, but the angels’ hands didn’t touch them. They saw the world under them and saw a great light. They then entered an open space, which looked like a garden. The angels in the garden kept saying, “Here they are! Here they are!” The angels who had been carrying them were trembling. They then entered into a palace and heard the voices of angels proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy” without stopping. He and Perpetua stood in wonder before the throne, and when they left the throne room, they saw many martyrs whom they recognized. Saturas then awoke. As he and Perpetua went into the amphitheater, their faces shone. At the beginning of the show, Saturas was attacked by a leopard and then mauled by a bear. A wild boar also was released, but the boar turned and gored the one who let him go. He also was tied up in front of a bear, but the bear wouldn’t even come out of his den. This was the second time Saturas was left unharmed. Saturas was placed in the arena for the last time, and the leopard, with one bite, killed him.
Felicitas was a pregnant slave who was put in prison with Perpetua. While in prison, Felicitas gave birth to a daughter. Unfortunately, not much is known about Felicitas because she didn’t have a diary, and it is not recorded that she had a vision. She and Perpetua were put in the arena with a bull. Felicitas fell and was seriously wounded. After Perpetua got up, she ran over to Felicitas and helped her up off the ground. The bull would not attack them again, and just like Perpetua, Felicitas had her throat cut by a soldier.
We can learn a lot from these brave martyrs, not just because of the way they lived their lives for Jesus, but also because of their courage and bravery in holding on to their faith when persecuted. Their faces shone, and they faced death with resolve. As Christians become more persecuted, I pray that all who call themselves followers of Jesus will be as courageous and brave as these three martyrs when faced with death.
Sources: Jesus Freaks by DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/martyrs/perpetua.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_of_Saint_Perpetua,_Saint_Felicitas,_and_their_Companions
