Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/51

 FELICITAS

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FELIX

Felicitas and Perpetua, Saints, martyrs, suf- fered at Carthage, 7 March, 203, together with three companions, Revocatus, Saturus, and Saturninus. The details of the martyrdom of these five confessors in the Nortli African Churcli have reached us through a genuine, contemporary tlcscription, one of the most affecting accounts of the glorious warfare of Ciiristian martyrdom in ancient times. By a rescript of Septi- mius Severus (103-211) all imperial subjects were for- bidden under severe penalties to become Christians. In consequence of this decree, five catecliumens at Carthage were seized and cast into prison, viz. Vibia Perpetua, a young marrieil lady of noble birth; the slave Felicitas, and her fellow-slave Revocatus, also Saturninus and Secuudulus. Soon one Saturus, who deliberately declared himself a Christian before the judge, was also incarcerated. Perpetua's father was a pagan; her mother, however, and two brothers were Christians, one being still a catechumen; a third brother, the chiki Dinocrates, had died a pagan.

After their arrest, and before they were led away to prison, the five catechumens were baptized. The suf- ferings of the prison life, the attempts of Perpetua's father to induce her to apostatize, the vicissitudes of the martyrs before their execution, the visions of Satu- rus and Perpetua in their dungeons, were all faitlifully committed to writing by the last two. Shortly after the death of the martyrs a zealous Christian added to this document an account of their execution. The dark- ness of their prison and the oppressive atmosphere seemed frightful to Perpetua, whose terror was in- creased by anxiety for her young child. Two deacons succeeded, by sufficiently bribing the jailer, in gaining admittance to the imprisoned Christians and allevi- ated somewhat their sufferings. Perpetua's mother also, and her brother, yet a catechumen, visited them. Her mother brought in her arms to Perpetua her little son, whom she was permitted to nurse and retain in prison with her. A vision, in which she saw herself ascending a ladder leading to green meadows, where a flock of sheep was browsing, assured her of her ap- proaching martyrdom.

A few days later Perpetua's father, hearing a rumour that the trial of the imprisoned Christians would soon take place, again visited their dungeon and besought her by everything dear to her not to put this disgrace on his name; but Perpetua remained steadfast to her Faith. The next day the trial of the six confessors took place, before the Procurator Ililarianus. All six resolutely confessed their ( 'hrist ian Faith. Perpetua's father, carrying her child in his arms, approached her again and attempted, for the last time, to induce her to apostatize; the procurator also remonstrated with tier but in vain. She refused to sacrifice to the gods for the safety of the emperor. The procurator there- upon had the father removed by force, on which occa- sion he was struck with a whip. The Christians were then condemned to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, for which they gave thanks to God. In a vision Per- petua saw her brother Dinocrates, who had died at the early age of seven, at first seeming to be sorrowful and in pain, but shortly thereafter happy and healthy. .\nother apparition, in which she saw herself fighting with a savage Ethiopian, whom she conquered, made it clear to her that she would not have to do battle with wild beasts but with the Devil. Saturus, who also wrote down his visions, saw himself and Perpetua transported by four angels, towards the East to a beautiful garden, where they met four other North African Christians who had suffered martyrdom dur- ing the same persecution, viz. Jocundus, Saturninus, Artaxius, and Quintus. He also saw in this vision Bishop Optatus of C^arthage and the priest Aspasius, who prayed the martyrs to arrange a reconciliation be- tween tiiem. In the meanwhile the birthday festival of the Emperor Geta approached, on which occasion the condemned Christians were to fight with wild

beasts in the military games; they were therefore transferred to the prison in the camp. The jailer Pudens had learnt to respect the confe.ssors, and he permitted other Christians to visit them. Perpetua's father was also admitted and made another fruitless attempt to pervert her.

Secundulus, one of the confessors, died in prison. Felicitas, who at the time of her incarceration was with child (in the eighth month), was apprehensive that she would not be permitted to suffer martyrdom at the same time as the others, since the law forbade the exe- cution of pregnant women. She prayed God to per- mit her to die with her companions. Happily, two days before the games she gave birtli to a daughter, who was adopted by a Christian woman. On 7 March, the five confessors were led into the amphitheatre. At the demand of the pagan mob they were fii-st scourged; then a boar, a bear, and a leopard, were set at the men, and a wild cow at the women. Wounded by the wild animals, they gave each other the kiss of peace and were then put to the sword. Their bodies were interred at Carthage. Their feast day was sol- emnly commemorated even outside Africa. Thus under 7 March the names of Felicitas and Perpetua are entered in the Philocalian calentlar, i. e. the calendar of martyi-s venerated publicly in the fourth century at Rome. A magnificent basilica was afterwards erected over their tomb, the Basilica Majorum; that the tomb was indeed in this basilica has lately been proved by Pere Delattre, who discovered there an ancient in- scription bearing the names of the martyrs.

The feast of these saints is still celebrated on 7 March. The Latin description of their martyrdom was discovered by Holstenius and published byPoussines. Chapters iii-x contain the narrative and the visions of Perpetua; chapters xi-.\iii the vision of Saturus; chapters i, ii and xiv-xxi were written by an eyewit- ness soon after the death of the martyrs. In ISOO Rendel Harris discovered a similar narrative written in Greek, which he published in collaboration with Seth K. Gifford (London, 1S90). Several historians maintain that this Greek text is the original, others that both the Greek and Latin texts are original and contemporary; but there is no doubt that the Latin text is the original and that the Greek is merely a translation. That Tertullian is the author of these Acts is an unpio\cd asstition The st itement that these martyrs weie all or m p 111 Mont itii N il o 1 icks proof, at least there IS no intiiii it loti c)l it m thi Vets.

HoLbTENius, Pas^w ,SS MM J I 111 I II ed. PosslNus (Rome, 1663), Kim\\i i 1 // i rrli/mm

(Ratisbon, 1859), 137 sludle3. I (Cvu\:i \ II li i (v\AL-

lERI La Poisto.S.S Perp'l / rAr ,

supplement V (Rome, 1^ H / tima,

ed BoLLANDlSTi 11,964 i / l^i 10(1-02,

369-72, Orsi, D«sorfa(!.inp /; li n pn ss I'lriil i, 1 dtcila- tis et sociorum niarfyrum orthijiloxia (Florence, 1728), PiLLET, Lcs marlyrs d' ^inque, Htstoire de Ste Ptrpttue cl de ses com- pnanoni (V-\r\^ Iss.i \i m / ,u I AsSS J- h it Prrpitue el de lein i i / ' / / mam

(Pans ls'> 1 o 1, / die

alloemrin / I I I ^ i I VRD,

llt^l in ' III I I 1 I M F luA.,

Hill I // „„i L (fms I'lIU I 70-96,

I )i I lombeau des iS.S Perpetue et

h icadcmie des Inscriptions et

B n I I "1 H 1

J. P. IviUbCH.

Felinus. See Sandeo, Felina-Makia.

Felix I, Saint, Pope, date of birth unknown; d. 274. Early in 269 he succeeded Saint Dionysius as head of the Roman Church. About this time there arrived at Rome, directed to Pope Dionysius, the re- port of the Synod of Antioch which in that very year had deposed the local bishop, Paul of Samosata, for his heretical teachings concerning the doctrine of the Trinity (see Antioch). A letter, probably sent by Felix to the East in response to the synodal report,