THE MARTYRS Perpetua and Felicitas

3rd century / Africa / Ancient / Black history / Religion / Tunisia
A painting shows two dark-skinned women dressed in robes (red and pink for Perpetua, blues for Felicitas) with their arms around one another and both holding a gold cross. Their haloes are intertwined behind them.
Icon by Élisabeth Lamour
no other use allowed without written permission from the artist
© www.icones-lamour.com

When your heart tells you to do one thing, and your parents tell you to do another, what do you do? 22-year-old Perpetua faced this dilemma 1,800 years ago in ancient Carthage. She faced a grisly death in an ancient Roman arena with her slave, Felicitas, at her side. Their tale is full of bizarre twists, gladiators, preemie babies, religious visions, and even a “most ferocious cow.”

Our guest is Eliza Rosenberg, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Religious Studies at Utah State University, where she teaches courses in world religions, biblical studies, Judaism, Christianity, and Greek.

Browse a truly comprehensive collection of all resources related to the story of Perpetua and Felicitas, and explore the mysterious world of Ancient Roman music with guest musician Michael Levy. We are fascinated by his explorations into what the ancient world might have sounded like.

Many thanks to Élisabeth Lamour for allowing us to use her beautiful icon of Perpetua and Felicitas.

Eliza Rosenberg is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Religious Studies at Utah State University, where she teaches courses in world religions, biblical studies, Judaism, Christianity, and Greek. She holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from McGill University. Her recent publications include “Weddings and the Return to Life in the Book of Revelation” in the volume Coming Back to Life: The Permeability of Past and Present, Mortality and Immortality, Death and Life in the Ancient Mediterranean, edited by F.S. Tappenden and C. Daniel-Hughes (McGill University, 2016) and “‘As She Herself Has Rendered’: Resituating Gender Perspectives on Revelation’s ‘Babylon,'” in the volume New Perspectives on the Book of Revelation, edited by Adela Yarbro Collins (Peeters, 2017). She is currently completing a book manuscript on the book of Revelation and violent theodicy.

Music featured in this episode included

“Nero’s Lyre” composed and performed by Michael Levy
“Gloria Belli” composed and performed by Michael Levy
“Contemplationis” composed and performed by Michael Levy
“Sorrow” composed and performed by Michael Levy

“March of the Lizards” composed and performed by Unstoppable Farmer (free download)

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