medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> > Pelagia of Antioch (c. 283 or perhaps c. 300) Also commemorated on 9.
> > June. Pelagia was a fifteen-year-old girl of Antioch, caught up in
either
> > Numerian's or Diocletian's persecution. The prefect sent soldiers to
> > arrest her, upon which she asked for a few minutes to put on her best
> > clothes. She then when upstairs and threw herself to her death. John
> > Chrysostom praised her courage and faith.
>
> How does *this* square with the usual prohibition on suicide and its
> definition as a mortal sin ?
>
> Brenda M. C.
It was my understanding that by Roman law, no "innocent" could be guilty
of a death-worthy lawbreaking. Any virgin was considered "innocent before
the law", so it was a common practise to make condemned women (I don't know
about young boys) and girls available for the sexual pleasure of guards and
gladiators, in order to insure that the condemned were no longer in a state
of innocence. Given the choice between loss of virginity followed by loss of
life, or simply loss of life, the church (I believe) took the stand that
staying pure was sufficient reason for self-murder if death was a certainty
in any case. Later virgin saints did not face death following rape (usually
they just wished to avoid marriage), and so they were stuck taking such
measures as self-mutilation or starvation, which, when it resulted in death,
usually did not count as suicide.
This is a quickie armchair scholar answer. True scholars will soon read
my words and issue much for authoritative and documentably supported views.
Right, Oh Academians?
Terri Morgan
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