The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Latin hagiography

Also known as: “Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis”

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June 23, 2026

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The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity is a Latin hagiography detailing the trial and martyrdom of a young Christian woman named Perpetua and her companions in Carthage around 203 CE. Perpetua, a prosperous young mother, was arrested for her conversion to Christianity during a period when Emperor Septimius Severus had forbidden new conversions.12

Her own journal, one of the few surviving ancient texts written by a woman, recounts her imprisonment and trial. It includes her prophetic dreams and her father's pleas for her to renounce her faith. The narrative was continued by a contemporary who described the martyrdom of Perpetua, her enslaved pregnant companion Felicity (who gave birth in prison), and their other companions in the Roman arena. This account was highly revered and read in churches for centuries, influencing both orthodox Christians and Montanists.1

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Perpetua
…a Christian martyr who wrote The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, a journal recounting her trial and imprisonment that was continued by a contemporary who described Perpetua’s death in the Roman arena. Both her martyrdom and its account have been highly revered by ancient and modern Christians. Her text…
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…a Christian martyr who wrote The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, a journal recounting her trial and imprisonment that was continued by a contemporary who described Perpetua’s death in the Roman arena. Both her martyrdom and its account have been highly revered by ancient and modern Christians. Her text…
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Latin literature
The 3rd to the 5th century: the rise of Christian Latin literature
…Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis (The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity), written in a style that owes little to classical precedent, is a distinctive early example of the genre.
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…Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis (The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity), written in a style that owes little to classical precedent, is a distinctive early example of the genre.
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purgatory
Development of the tradition
…literature, such as the 3rd-century Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (the account of the martyrdom of St. Perpetua), and return-from-the-dead stories recounted by Gregory I, Bede (672/673–735), and subsequent Christian authors, reinforced the idea that the dead can undergo purgation and can benefit from acts of intercession by the…
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…literature, such as the 3rd-century Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (the account of the martyrdom of St. Perpetua), and return-from-the-dead stories recounted by Gregory I, Bede (672/673–735), and subsequent Christian authors, reinforced the idea that the dead can undergo purgation and can benefit from acts of intercession by the…
Read More