Passion of Perpetua and Felicity 1

The authorities seized the young catechumens — Revocatus, Felicity his fellow servant, Saturninus, and Secundulus. Among them was also Vivia Perpetua, well-born, liberally educated, respectably married, with a father and mother and two brothers, one of whom was also a catechumen, and an infant son at her breast. She herself was about twenty-two years old. She will now narrate the whole order of her martyrdom, exactly as she left it written in her own hand and from her own understanding.

"While we were still with the persecutors," she says, "my father kept trying to turn me away and cast me down out of his affection. 'Father,' I said, 'do you see, for example, this vessel lying here, a little jug or something else?' He said, 'I see.' I said to him, 'Can it be called by any other name than what it is?' He said, 'No.' 'So I also cannot say that I am anything other than what I am, a Christian.'" Then her father, moved by this word, threw himself at her to gouge out her eyes; but he only harassed her and went away defeated, overcome by the devil's arguments. After a few days, when she had been without her father, she gave thanks to the Lord, and his absence was a relief to her. In that same space of a few days they were baptized, and the Spirit dictated to her that she should ask for nothing else in the water except the endurance of the flesh. After a few days they were taken back to prison, and she was terrified because she had never experienced such darkness. O harsh day! With strong heat and turmoil from the soldiers' rough handling; finally she was worn out with worry about her infant. There Tertius and Pomponius, blessed deacons who were ministering to them, arranged by a bribe that, once released for a few hours, they might refresh themselves in a better part of the prison. Then, going out of prison, everyone was free to attend to their own needs. She was nursing her infant, who was already failing from lack of food. Anxious about him, she spoke to her mother and comforted her brother, entrusting her son to him. She was wasting away because she saw them wasting away on her account. She endured such worries for many days, and she managed that her infant might remain with her in prison; and immediately she recovered, and was relieved of the labor and worry of her infant, and the prison suddenly became like a palace to her, so that she preferred to be there rather than anywhere else.

Then her brother said to her, 'Lady sister, you are now in great dignity, and so great that you can ask for a vision, and it will be shown to you whether you will undergo passion or reprieve.' And she, knowing that she was speaking with the Lord, whose great benefits she had experienced, confidently promised him, saying, 'Tomorrow I will tell you.' And she asked, and it was shown to her: She sees a golden ladder of amazing size reaching up to heaven, narrow, so that only one person can ascend at a time; and on the sides of the ladder every kind of iron tool is fixed — swords, lances, hooks, daggers — so that if anyone ascends carelessly or without looking upward, he will be torn and his flesh will cling to the iron tools. And under the ladder a dragon of amazing size lies in wait, preparing ambushes for those ascending and frightening them so they will not ascend. But Saturus ascended first, who later handed himself over voluntarily on their behalf, and at that time, when they were led away, he was not present; he reached the top of the ladder, turned to her, and said, 'Perpetua, I am waiting for you. But see that the dragon does not bite you.' She said, 'It will not harm me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.' And from under the ladder, as if fearing her, it slowly lifted its head; and when she had stepped on the first rung, she stepped on its head. She ascended and saw an immense garden, and in the middle of the garden a man of dog-like appearance, seated, dressed as a shepherd, large, milking sheep; and around him many thousands of white-robed candidates stood. He lifted his head and looked at her and said, 'You have come well, child.' He called her and gave her some of the cheese he was milking, like a little morsel; she took it with joined hands and ate, and all those standing around said, 'Amen.' At the sound of the voice she awoke, still chewing something sweet she did not know. She told her brother at once, and they understood that a passion would follow; and they began to have no more hope in the world.