The Gender Bending
Vision of St. Perpetua
|
Name: St. Perpetua Date: 203 CE Region: Madaura [modern Algeria] Citation: The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and
Felicitas 10 |
Before she was killed, St. Perpetua had a vision in which she became a man
and fought a gladiator. Many people interpret this transformation as her
gaining skills and abilities that she was denied access to because of her
gender.
The
day before our execution, I saw this in a vision. The deacon Pomponius came to
the door of the prison and started knocking on it violently. I went to the door
and opened it. He was clothed in loose, bright clothing, and had special shoes
on. He told me, “Perpetua, we are waiting for you, come on!,” and he held out
his hand for me, and we began to walk through rough and uneven places. We
nearly didn’t make it, but we finally arrived at the amphitheater and he
brought me into the middle of the arena and told me, “Don’t panic. I am here
with you, and I’ve got your back.” And he disappeared.
Then I saw a huge crowd of people, thunderstruck. Since I
knew that I was condemned to die by beasts, I was wondering why there weren’t
any animals around me. Instead, a certain Egyptian fighter—an absolutely huge
warrior—came to fight me along with other gladiators. But young, honorable
youths rose up alongside of me to cheer me on and help me fight. I took off my
robe, and became a man. And my helpers began to anoint me with oil (something
that happens in the arena). And I saw the Egyptian gladiator rolling in the
dust. And there was a certain man who was huge (even taller than the tower of the
amphitheater), who wore a loose purple robe with two stripes across the middle
of his chest, wearing special shoes made of gold and silver. He carried a staff
like a referee would, but it was a leafy branch that had golden apples. He
shushed the crowd and said, “If this Egyptian fighter gladiator wins, he will
kill her with a sword, but if this woman wins, she will get this staff as a
trophy.” And he left.
And
we approached each other and began to fight. He tried to grab my feet, but I
started kicking him. He tossed me
The Gender Bending Vision of St.
Perpetua
Pridie quam pugnaremus, video in horomate hoc: venisse Pomponium diaconum
ad ostium carceris et pulsare vehementer.Et exivi ad eum et aperui ei; qui erat
vestitus discincta candida, habens multiplices galliculas. Et dixit mihi:
“Perpetua, te expectamus; veni.” Et tenuit mihi manum et coepimus ire per
aspera loca et flexuosa.Vix tandem pervenimus anhelantes ad amphitheatrum et
induxit me in media arena et dixit mihi: “Noli pavere. Hic sum tecum et
conlaboro tecum.” Et abiit.
Et aspicio populum ingentem adtonitum; et quia sciebam me ad bestias damnatam esse, mirabar quod non mitterentur mihi bestiae. Et exivit quidam contra me Aegyptius foedus specie cum adiutoribus suis pugnaturus mecum. Veniunt et ad me adolescentes decori, adiutores et fautores mei. Et expoliata sum et facta sum masculus; et coeperunt me favisores mei oleo defricare, quomodo solent in agone. Et illum contra Aegyptium video in afa volutantem. Et exivit vir quidam mirae magnitudinis ut etiam excederet fastigium amphitheatri, discinctatus, purpuram inter duos clavos per medium pectus habens, et galliculas multiformes ex auro et argento factas, et ferens virgam quasi lanista, et ramum viridem in quo erant mala aurea. Et petiit silentium et dixit: “Hic Aegyptius, si hanc vicerit, occidet illam gladio; haec, si hunc vicerit, accipiet ramum istum.” Et recessit.
[1] Sani et vivi, literally,
“the healthy and living” gate.
Saint Perpetua [Vibia Perpetua; 203 CE,
modern Algeria] was a Christian woman who was imprisoned and executed for her
faith in 203 CE. In the Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, she
tells of her arrest, imprisonment, and execution.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.