Perpetua: Athlete of God (Women in Antiquity)

Perpetua was an early Christian martyr who died in Roman Carthage in 203 CE, along with several fellow martyrs, including one other woman, Felicitas. She has attracted great interest for two main reasons: she was one of the earliest martyrs, especially female martyrs, about whom we have any knowledge, and she left a narrative written in prison just before she went to her death in the amphitheater. Her narrative is embedded in a tripartite telling of the arrest and deaths of these martyrs, the Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. The other two parts of her tale were written by Saturus, a fellow martyr and probably her teacher, and a nameless editor or confessor, who introduces her circumstances and group and then tells of her death after she stops writing. Her story is steeped in mystery, and every aspect of her life and death has generated much controversy. Some do not believe that she herself could have written the narrative: the circumstances of her imprisonment and the limitations of her ability to write such a rhetorically complex tale are inconceivable. Some believe that her editor was none other then Tertullian, the famous 2nd-3rd century church father and Perpetua's fellow north African. Some, including Augustine, wonder why the feast day was named only for Perpetua and Felicitas and not for her fellow male martyrs. Some believe that these martyr tales were largely fabricated or constructed in order to generate publicity for the early Christians. This book will investigate and try to make sense of all aspects of Perpetua's life, death, and circumstances: her family and life in Carthage, Christians and Romans in Carthage and in the Roman empire in this period, the comparisons of martyrs to athletes, the influence of these martyr tales upon the Acts of the Apostles and the Greek novel, the reactions of later church fathers like Augustine to her story and her popularity, and the gendering of this text. Perpetua fue un mártir cristiano primitivo que murió en la Cartago romana en el 203 CE, junto con varios compañeros mártires, incluyendo otra mujer, Felicitas. Ella ha atraído un gran interés por dos razones principales: fue una de las primeras mártires, especialmente mártires femeninas, de las que tenemos conocimiento, y dejó una narración escrita en la prisión justo antes de ir a su muerte en el anfiteatro. Su narración está incrustada en un relato tripartito sobre el arresto y la muerte de estos mártires, el Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. Las otras dos partes de su relato fueron escritas por Saturus, un compañero mártir y probablemente su maestro, y un editor o confesor sin nombre, que presenta sus circunstancias y grupo y luego cuenta su muerte después de que ella deja de escribir. Su historia está impregnada de misterio, y cada aspecto de su vida y muerte ha generado mucha controversia. Algunos no creen que ella misma pudiera haber escrito la narración: las circunstancias de su encarcelamiento y las limitaciones de su capacidad para escribir un relato tan retóricamente complejo son inconcebibles. Algunos creen que su editor no era otro que Tertuliano, el famoso padre de la iglesia de los siglos II y III y compañero de Perpetua en el norte de África. Algunos, incluyendo a Agustín, se preguntan por qué el día de la fiesta fue nombrado sólo por Perpetua y Felicitas y no por sus compañeros mártires masculinos. Algunos creen que estos cuentos de mártires fueron en gran parte fabricados o construidos para generar publicidad para los primeros cristianos Perpetua was an early Christian martyr who died in Roman Carthage in 203 CE, along with several fellow martyrs, including one other woman, Felicitas. She has attracted great interest for two main reasons: she was one of the earliest martyrs, especially female martyrs, about whom we have any knowledge, and she left a narrative written in prison just before she went to her death in the amphitheater. Her narrative is embedded in a tripartite telling of the arrest and deaths of these martyrs, the Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. The other two parts of her tale were written by Saturus, a fellow martyr and probably her teacher, and a nameless editor or confessor, who introduces her circumstances and group and then tells of her death after she stops writing. Her story is steeped in mystery, and every aspect of her life and death has generated much controversy. Some do not believe that she herself could have written the narrative: the circumstances of her imprisonment and the limitations of her ability to write such a rhetorically complex tale are inconceivable. Some believe that her editor was none other then Tertullian, the famous 2nd-3rd century church father and Perpetua's fellow north African. Some, including Augustine, wonder why0the feast day was named only for Perpetua and Felicitas and not for her fellow male martyrs. Some believe that these martyr tales were largely fabricated or constructed in order to generate publicity for the early Christians Cover 1 Series 2 Perpetua 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Preface 7 Introduction 18 1 Perpetua’s Passio: Text, Authorship, Authenticity 26 2 And I Became Male: Gender and the Athlete 40 3 A Matter of Genre and Influence: the Passio and Greco-​Roman Pagan and Christian Narratives 64 4 Carthage: Pagan Culture, Religion, and Society in the High Roman Empire 84 5 Carthage: The Early Christian Community 100 6 Perpetua’s Life: Family (Natal and Christian), Education, and Social Status 120 7 The Conditions of Martyrdom in the High Roman Empire 138 8 The Nachleben of Perpetua: Her Unwitting Legacy 158 Appendix 182 Notes 192 Bibliography 240 Index Locorum 258 Subject Index 264 Perpetua's Passio: Text, Authorship, Authenticity -- And I Became Male: Gender And The Athlete -- A Matter Of Genre And Influence: The Passio And Greco-roman Pagan And Christian Narratives -- Carthage: Pagan Culture, Religion, And Society In The High Roman Empire -- Carthage: The Early Christian Community -- Perpetua's Life: Family (natal And Christian), Education, And Social Status -- The Conditions Of Martyrdom In The High Roman Empire -- The Nachleben Of Perpetua: Her Unwitting Legacy. Barbara K. Gold. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 223-239) And Indexes.