Intermediate Latin: Reading Perpetua

The Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis ("The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity") is a remarkable text. Purportedly written by Perpetua herself, a Christian woman in the Roman city of Carthage in North Africa in the early 3rd century CE, the text tells the story of her arrest, imprisonment, and ultimately her death as a martyr in the Carthaginian amphitheater. In addition to the religious aspects of the text, it also prompts us to consider the lives of women and enslaved people in later antiquity as well as the vast extent of the Roman empire. 

This textbook will help you hone your Latin skills as we work our way through the original text. If you're interested in learning more about Perpetua's cultural context, the bibliography lists sources on a variety of topics related to early Christianity, women in late antiquity, Roman Carthage, and more.