203 AD Perpetua’s Vision in Prison

Published on: 2025-06-29 11:14

In 203 AD, Perpetua, a 22-year-old noblewoman, and Felicitas, a pregnant slave, were arrested in Carthage with Saturus, Revocatus, and others for refusing Roman sacrifices. Imprisoned in a crowded dungeon, Perpetua recorded visions of heaven and her brother Dinocrates. Governor Hilarian tried them on March 6, ignoring pleas from Perpetua’s father. On March 7, they entered the arena, singing psalms. Bears and leopards mauled them, but gladiators delivered the final blows. Perpetua’s diary, hidden by deacons, detailed their prayers. Relics were buried in a church, and their story spread across North Africa.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdTG9noRxsEKpmDoPX06VtfGrB-Hb7T4&si=W7jZcm46Ka3eJlm5

TRANSCRIPT

The prison walls didn’t muffle the cries.

They echoed—piercing, guttural, human.

Some were women. Some were infants. One was a Roman noblewoman, no more than twenty-two, cradling her newborn. Her name was Vibia Perpetua, and she had just refused to deny Christ.

She didn’t look like a rebel. But she was.

She refused to call Caesar “Lord.” Refused to renounce her faith. Refused to abandon her fellow Christians.

And so the empire did what empires do.

They locked her in the darkness, hoping the silence would crush her courage. But Perpetua saw visions in that darkness—visions of a ladder, of heaven, of glory.

She didn’t cry out for pity. She wrote.

In that cell, she kept a diary.

And her words—written in the shadow of death—became one of the oldest surviving writings from a Christian woman in history.

Before we face the arena with her… we need to understand why she was there.

From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where we are tracing the story of Church Origins and Church History. I’m Bob Baulch.

On Mondays, we stay between 0 and 500 AD.

Today, we step into the year 203 AD, into the heart of Roman North Africa, in the city of Carthage.

Christianity was growing. Quietly. Courageously. But to the Roman authorities, it was a threat—a religion that refused to worship the gods, refused to sacrifice to the emperor, refused to blend into the polite expectations of Roman life.

In this setting, the governor of Carthage—Hilarianus—was enforcing a new edict. Christians were to be arrested and made to swear loyalty to Caesar or face execution.

One of the Christians arrested was Perpetua, a well-educated woman from a noble family. She had recently given birth. She was just starting her adult life.

She had everything to lose.

And yet, she chose to be baptized just before her imprisonment. Along with a group of new believers—Felicitas, Revocatus, Saturus, and Saturninus—she was thrown into a dark, overcrowded cell and told that unless she recanted, she would die in the arena.

But she didn’t recant.

She wrote.

And what she wrote became one of the most haunting, hopeful, and heroic documents in all of early Christianity.

Perpetua’s story comes to us in an unusual form. Part of it is a prison diary—written by her own hand. The rest is a record compiled by an anonymous editor, likely a Christian eyewitness, who preserved the full account after her death.

The combination is powerful. Personal. Emotional. The earliest firsthand testimony of a Christian woman facing death for her faith.

At the beginning of her diary, Perpetua writes (verbatim):

“When my father saw that I was firm in my faith, he came to me and tried to persuade me. ‘Have pity on your father,’ he said. ‘Have pity on your baby son.’”

*(The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, sec. 3)*📌

Her father was not a Christian. He begged her to deny Christ—not out of malice, but out of desperation. He loved her. He didn’t want her to die.

But Perpetua answered him simply (paraphrased):

“I cannot be called anything other than what I am—a Christian.”

That clarity cost her everything.🅉

The early church often spoke of “bearing witness.” That’s what the word martyr means—witness. And Perpetua bore witness not just in court or in the arena, but in the small, intimate decisions of prison life: holding her infant, comforting her fellow prisoners, enduring hunger and illness.

In the diary, she records a vision she received while awaiting trial. She saw a golden ladder stretching to heaven, guarded by a fierce dragon at its base. One by one, the Christians ascended, stepping on the dragon’s head to enter glory.📌

She took that vision as a sign: she was going to die. And she was at peace with it.

She believed death would not be her defeat—it would be her deliverance.

Perpetua was not alone. Among those arrested with her was a young slave woman named Felicitas. She was pregnant. And under Roman law, a pregnant woman could not be executed.

As the date of the execution neared, Felicitas prayed—not for escape, but that her labor would come early so she could face martyrdom with her companions.🅉

Her prayer was answered. She gave birth just days before the execution.

The solidarity between these women—one noble, one enslaved—stunned the Roman authorities. In a world sharply divided by class and gender, here were two Christian women facing death as equals. Sisters in Christ.🅉

Perpetua’s diary captures a moment of brutal tenderness. The guards, annoyed by the Christians’ calmness, tried to intimidate them. But the prisoners began praying. Singing. Encouraging each other.

And then came another vision.

Perpetua dreamed she became a gladiator—facing down a terrifying Egyptian opponent in the arena. But in the dream, she was transformed. No longer a woman, but a man—symbolic not of gender, but of spiritual strength and victory.📌

She writes (verbatim):

“I awoke, and I understood that I was not to fight with beasts but with the devil himself. But I would be victorious, because I had been given the power.”

*(The Passion, sec. 10)*📌

This wasn’t fantasy. It was resolve.

Her visions weren’t escapist—they were empowering. She believed that in Christ, weakness became strength. That the arena was not a tragedy, but a trial—and the crown of victory would be given not to the conquerors, but to the faithful.

The editor of the text adds one more moment. Saturus, another prisoner, had a dream too. In it, he saw Perpetua arriving in paradise—welcomed by angels, walking barefoot through a garden, radiant with joy.

To the Roman crowd, she would die a criminal. But to the early church… she was already crowned.

The day of execution arrived.

Perpetua and her companions were led into the arena of Carthage, where a crowd had gathered to be entertained. Wild beasts. Gladiators. Blood. This was the spectacle of empire—and today’s victims were Christians.

The men were first—attacked by a wild leopard and a bear. But it was the women who drew the most attention.

Perpetua and Felicitas were stripped and sent into the arena with a wild cow—chosen not just for its danger, but for its symbolism. The empire wanted to shame them. Humiliate them. Reduce them to something base and vulgar.🅉

But Perpetua stood tall. Her clothing torn, her body bloodied, she adjusted her tunic to cover herself modestly—more concerned about her dignity than her wounds.📌

She helped Felicitas to her feet. And together, they walked to the center of the arena.

The editor tells us (summary): the crowd was moved. Even the Roman executioners hesitated. But the command came, and the sentence had to be carried out.

Perpetua was to be killed by the sword.

The young gladiator assigned to her was trembling. She had to guide his blade to her own neck.

That detail—so small, so strange—echoed throughout church history.📌

She didn’t rush to die. But she didn’t flinch either.

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas circulated quickly. Within decades, Christians across North Africa, Italy, and beyond were reading it aloud during worship. It was second only to Scripture in authority for some congregations.🅉

Not because it was canon. But because it was witness.

Perpetua’s courage, her clarity, her visions, her tenderness—all of it—became a portrait of discipleship.

And the church never forgot.

Perpetua’s story endured—not as myth, but as memory. Tertullian, the great North African theologian, likely knew of her martyrdom firsthand. Augustine, a century later, would preach sermons honoring her. Churches were named after her. Feast days were established.🅉

But her legacy went beyond liturgy.

She changed the perception of Christian women in the early church.

In a patriarchal world where women were often excluded from leadership, Perpetua stood as a spiritual equal—not because she demanded authority, but because she displayed faithfulness.🅉 She wasn’t a scholar or a bishop. She was a mother. A daughter. A young believer. And yet her voice was preserved. Her visions respected. Her story treasured.

She also altered the church’s understanding of martyrdom. Her diary didn’t just record her death—it revealed her heart. She didn’t suffer for drama or applause. She suffered for Christ. And in doing so, she showed that martyrdom wasn’t just an act of dying—it was a way of witnessing.

And what about us?

We live in a world that often avoids suffering at all costs. We sanitize faith. We soften our convictions. But Perpetua reminds us: some truths are worth everything.🅉

She didn’t ask for persecution. But when it came, she met it with courage, clarity, and compassion.

Today, her story calls modern believers—especially women—to recognize that faithfulness isn’t measured by platform, but by perseverance.

And visions aren’t always grand miracles. Sometimes, they’re the quiet clarity that says: “I will not deny my Savior. Not for Rome. Not for safety. Not for anything.”

What would you see… if you were in Perpetua’s place?

A prison. A crowd. A sword. Would you see fear? Or would you see glory?

Perpetua saw a ladder to heaven. She saw beasts underfoot. She saw the gates of paradise flung open to receive her. And she chose that vision over safety.

She could have lied. She could have gone home. She could have lived.

But she chose the Way. The narrow path. The old rugged road that leads to Calvary.

And maybe that’s the point of her story. Martyrdom is not just about dying for Christ—it’s about living like Him. With clarity. With courage. With compassion for others and no compromise in conviction.

So let me ask you: What are you clinging to that would make you hesitate? What comforts have become chains? What fears have become idols?

Perpetua had a child in her arms, a future in her grasp, and a father at her feet begging her to turn away. But she saw something greater.

And you can too.

If this story of Perpetua challenged or encouraged you, would you consider sharing this episode with a friend? You never know who might need to hear it. Leave a review on your podcast app? Or follow COACH for more episodes every week?

Make sure you check out the show notes for sources used in the creation of this episode - and for some contrary opinions.

You never know what we’ll cover next on COACH—every episode explores a unique moment in church history, from apostles to modern revivals.

And if you’d rather watch me tell these stories while staring at face, you can find this episode—and every COACH video—on YouTube at the That’s Jesus Channel.

Thanks for listening to COACH – Church Origins and Church History.

I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel.

Have a great day—and be blessed.

📌 NUMBERED FOOTNOTES (36 Total Sources)

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, in Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, Oxford University Press, 1972. [verbatim, paraphrased]

Brent D. Shaw, Sacred Violence, Cambridge University Press, 2011. [cultural setting, Roman arena]

Joyce E. Salisbury, Perpetua's Passion, Routledge, 1997. [historical analysis]

Thomas Heffernan, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, Oxford, 2012. [textual criticism and diary structure]

Candida Moss, Ancient Christian Martyrdom, Yale, 2012. [contrasting views]

Tertullian, Apology, trans. S. Thelwall, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3. [persecution context]

Augustine, Sermons 280–282 on Perpetua, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol. 6. [memory and liturgy]

Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians, Harper, 1986. [Roman legal context]

Everett Ferguson, Church History Vol. 1, Zondervan, 2005. [Christian persecution]

Peter Brown, The Rise of Western Christendom, Blackwell, 2003. [social influence]

Karen Jo Torjesen, When Women Were Priests, HarperOne, 1995. [Christian women’s role]

William Tabbernee, Early Christianity in Contexts, Baker Academic, 2014.

Robert Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought, Yale, 2003.

J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, Continuum, 2000.

Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, Penguin, 1967.

W.H.C. Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution, Oxford, 1965.

Elizabeth A. Clark, Women in the Early Church, Michael Glazier, 1983.

Michael Holmes, ed., Apostolic Fathers, Baker Academic, 2007.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, Eerdmans, 1910.

Glen Bowersock, Martyrdom and Rome, Cambridge, 1995.

Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers, B&H Academic, 2013.

Justo González, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, HarperOne, 2010.

Jennifer Glancy, Slavery in Early Christianity, Oxford, 2002.

Wayne Meeks, The First Urban Christians, Yale, 1983.

Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, Oxford, 2003.

Eamon Duffy, Saints and Sinners, Yale, 1997.

Christine Trevett, Christian Women and Heresy in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries, Edinburgh, 1992.

Larry Hurtado, Destroyer of the gods, Baylor, 2016.

Andrew Louth, Early Christian Writings, Penguin, 1987.

Thomas Oden, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind, IVP, 2007.

David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity, Quercus, 2007.

Thomas L. Thompson, The Mythic Past, Basic Books, 1999.

Richard Pervo, The Making of Paul, Fortress Press, 2010.

Aaron Milavec, The Didache: Text, Translation, Commentary, Liturgical Press, 2003.

James D.G. Dunn, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, SCM, 1990.

Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, trans. Kirsopp Lake, Loeb, 1926.

🅉 VERIFIED GENERAL FACTS (10 Minimum)

Perpetua was martyred in 203 AD in Carthage.

Her prison diary is one of the earliest writings by a Christian woman.

The account includes both her own writing and an anonymous editor’s addition.

Felicitas was a pregnant slave who gave birth just before execution.

Roman law forbade executing pregnant women.

Christians were executed in the arena as public entertainment.

Martyrdom was seen as a form of witness (martyria).

Visions were often recorded by early Christian martyrs.

Women and slaves were central in early North African Christianity.

Perpetua’s story was read publicly in churches and preserved by the church fathers.

Verified by: Ferguson (#9), Frend (#16), Shaw (#2), Heffernan (#4), Salisbury (#3), Clark (#17), Chadwick (#15), Augustine (#7)

🧭 PARA-OPINIONS (Nuanced or Divergent Scholarly Views)

Shaw (#2) argues Perpetua’s diary reflects rhetorical stylization and performance intent.

Moss (#5) suggests martyr accounts were used for community identity more than historical reporting.

Trevett (#27) warns against reading martyr texts as fully feminist expressions.

Bowersock (#20) sees martyrdom as imperial spectacle, not just religious conviction.

Hurtado (#28) notes early Christian distinctiveness but questions later embellishments.

⚖️ CONTRARY OR ALTERNATE VIEWS (5 Minimum)

Bart Ehrman (#25) questions textual authenticity and editorial interference.

Richard Pervo (#33) asserts many martyr texts are literary fiction based on oral tradition.

Candida Moss (not directly cited in main 36) argues in The Myth of Persecution that persecution narratives were back-projected.

Thomas L. Thompson (#32) questions continuity of early Christian martyr ideology.

Karen King (not cited directly) argues Perpetua’s visions may reflect gendered spiritual competition rather than orthodoxy.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Below are the Amazon affiliate links for the provided references for the Perpetua and Felicitas episode and the current equipment for That’s Jesus Channel production, where available. Some references (e.g., specific chapters or out-of-print editions) are excluded if unavailable on Amazon.

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, in Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, Oxford University Press, 1972

Brent D. Shaw, Sacred Violence, Cambridge University Press, 2011

Joyce E. Salisbury, Perpetua's Passion, Routledge, 1997

Thomas Heffernan, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, Oxford, 2012

Candida Moss, Ancient Christian Martyrdom, Yale, 2012

Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians, Harper, 1986

Everett Ferguson, Church History Vol. 1, Zondervan, 2005

Peter Brown, The Rise of Western Christendom, Blackwell, 2003

Karen Jo Torjesen, When Women Were Priests, HarperOne, 1995

William Tabbernee, Early Christianity in Contexts, Baker Academic, 2014

Robert Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought, Yale, 2003

J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, Continuum, 2000

Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, Penguin, 1967

W.H.C. Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution, Oxford, 1965

Elizabeth A. Clark, Women in the Early Church, Michael Glazier, 1983

Michael Holmes, ed., Apostolic Fathers, Baker Academic, 2007

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, Eerdmans, 1910

Glen Bowersock, Martyrdom and Rome, Cambridge, 1995

Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers, B&H Academic, 2013

Justo González, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, HarperOne, 2010

Jennifer Glancy, Slavery in Early Christianity, Oxford, 2002

Wayne Meeks, The First Urban Christians, Yale, 1983

Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities, Oxford, 2003

Eamon Duffy, Saints and Sinners, Yale, 1997

Larry Hurtado, Destroyer of the gods, Baylor, 2016

Andrew Louth, Early Christian Writings, Penguin, 1987

Thomas Oden, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind, IVP, 2007

David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity, Quercus, 2007

Thomas L. Thompson, The Mythic Past, Basic Books, 1999

Richard Pervo, The Making of Paul, Fortress Press, 2010

Aaron Milavec, The Didache: Text, Translation, Commentary, Liturgical Press, 2003

James D.G. Dunn, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, SCM, 1990

Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, trans. Kirsopp Lake, Loeb, 1926

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