Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs of Carthage, AD 202
Two testimonies of the life of the early Church; a wealthy Roman matron and her servant, who had converted and worshipped together ("in Christ there is neither slave nor master," Galatians 3), sent to die together in a Roman amphitheater; legend has it that before their deaths by mauling, these two types of the secular social order publicly exchanged Christ's sign of peace as sisters.
"Perpetua was the first to be thrown down, and she fell prostrate. She got up and, seeing that Felicity was prostrate, went over and reached out her hand to her and lifted her up. Both stood up together...that they might accomplish their martyrdom with the rites of peace..."
More from S. Perpetua's own account of her trial and the events leading to her martyrdom here-
posted by MM at 11:12 AM
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