(Remedies. second bunch: the parable)

The Martyrdom of Perpetua and her companions.

And here is the story of Perpetua and her companions, martyred under the
severe Septimus in a Rome still tolerant and respectful of rituals, worship
and prayers, or else indifferent, as long as some lambs were sacrificed to
the Emperor .

But remarkably obstinate and inassimilable the Christians were frightening
the system
with their juvenile passion militantly evangelic as a secret society, a
fraternity, refusing
even under life threat to pay their tribute to the State, making victims.

And here comes Septimus Severus
with a variety of schemes made on measure
to tame the pre-baptismal sufferers:
conversion was the crime, not devotion.
It decided of their lives in the Circus.

Martyrs on the high road to heaven,
bystanders of Christ,
rescued before dying, like Perpetua,

a young lady of Carthage aged twenty-two, mother to a child, who she was
still breast-feeding, put to death with Felicity, her slave.

Faith kept, a testimony of God’s grace,
edification of mankind, may those
who resist be glorified
and vouchsafed,
whether in revelation or sacrifice.

Father, said Perpetua, seest thou this vessel lying,
A pitcher or whatever it may be?
And he replied, I see it.
So she said: Can it be called by any other name
Than that which it is?
No. He answered.
So, here you are! She said. Can I call myself nought other than
That which I am, a Christian?

So it happened that her father, moved with this phrase, came upon her to
tore out her eyes. But he vexed her only, and went away, overwhelmed, he
with his devilish arguments.

Then, because he had departed for a few days, comforted by his absence, she
gave thanks to the Lord. In the same space of time, Perpetua and her
slaves were baptized, and the Spirit declared that she had to pray for
nothing else after that water but exercise endurance.

A few days later, the young lady and her companions were taken to prison
and they were afraid since they had never known such gloom. The temperature
was high because of the press, there was brutal handling of the soldiers,
while Perpetua was tormented by care of her child.

So she suckled him that was almost faint with hunger, and while doing so,
she had the vision of a ladder of bronze, reaching up to Heaven, a narrow
ladder so that not more than one might go up at one time. And in the sides
of the ladder were planted all manner of things of iron, swords, spears,
hooks and knives, so that if any that went up took not good heed or looked
not upwards, he would be torn and his flesh cling to the iron.

And right at the ladder foot, there was this serpent lying,
spectacularly enormous, which indeed lay in wait for those
that would go up and frightened them that they might not be strong enough
as to proceed.

Now, Saturus, the youngest slave, first came to the ladder’s head and he
turned and said: Perpetua, I await thee. But mind that the serpent bites
thee not.

And from beneath the ladder, as to scare her, the snake tenderly put forth
its skull
and as though she trod on the first step she trod on his head and went up
holding her child in her arms, leaving all her hopes in this world.

And many other visions came to Perpetua’s mind, especially the one in which
she was stripped to be like a man, and her helpers began to rub her with
oil while a Roman of very great stature, wearing a purple mantel and shoes
curiously wrought in gold and silver, bearing a rod as a master of
gladiators in one hand and in the other a branch of green apples, coming
in the middle of the amphitheatre, besought silence and said: If I shall
conquer this woman, shall slay her with the sword, and if she shall conquer
me,
she shall receive this branch. Then Perpetua and the tall men came near to
each other, and began to beat one another. He was fain to trip up my feet,
but she with her heels, smote upon his face. So she rose up into the air ,
and began so to smite him as though she trod not the earth and joined her
hands setting finger against finger. And she caught his head and he fell
upon his face, and she trod upon his head. And the people began to shout,
and her helpers began to sing.



On the day of the games, after dawn, Perpetua and her companions went
forth from the prison to the amphitheatre as it were into Heaven, merry and
dazzling of courage. If they trembled at all, was for joy. Perpetua
followed behind, glorious of presence, as a true Wife of Christ, at whose
piercing look everybody cast down their eyes. Felicity likewise, rejoining
that she had been borne a child in safety, that she might fight with the
beats, came now from blood to blood, from the midwife to the gladiators, to
wash after her travail in a second baptism. And when they had been brought
to the gate and were being compelled to put on, the men the dress of the
priest of Saturn, the women the dress of the priestesses of Ceres, the
noble Perpetua remained of like firmness to the end, and would not. So she
declared:

For this reason came we willingly unto this, that our LIBERTY might not be
obscured.

Perpetua began to sing, as already treading of the gladiator’s head.
Revocatus, Saturninus and Saturus threatened the people as they gazed. Then
they came into the Pretor’s sight, and began to say nodding their heads
and stretching forth their hands : Thou judgest us, said they, and God
will judge thee.

At these menacing words, the infuriated crowd besought that they should be
vexed with scourges before the line of gladiators. Then truly Perpetua and
her friends gave thanks because they had received somewhat of the suffering
of the Lord.

The women were stripped and asked to put on nests in mocking of their sex.
The people shuddered, seeing one a tender girl, the other, with her breast
yet dropping from her late childbearing, kneeling in front of the leopard.