What Would You Die For? Perpetua's Passion

by Joseph J. Walsh (Editor), Caitlin Allender (Translator), Mary Costantino (Translator)

"He tried to grab my feet, but I countered by kicking him in the face with my heels. Then I rose up into the air, as if floating, and I began to pound him. Then, when I realized that there was a pause, I interlocked my fingers and with my joined hands I gripped his head. He fell face-forward, and I trampled his head. The crowd began to cheer, and my aids sang psalms. I began to walk in glory towards the Gate of Life, and I awoke. I understood, then, that I was not going to fight against beasts, but against the devil. And I knew that I would defeat him." A young Roman woman living in Africa in 203 CE was confronted with a dilemma. Should she renounce her faith and save her life? Or should she affirm it and endure a gruesome death, mauled by wild animals before a cheering crowd of thousands? This young woman, Perpetua, chose to persevere, and this book tells her story, much of it from her own remarkable prison diary. The account transports readers to another, much earlier age, but it also asks us to consider what we would die for – and indeed, what we are living for today.

164 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2005

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The diary of Perpetua has fascinated me since I learned of it, so I wanted to find a translation that would explain more of the story of the martyrdom of Perpetua to me. This book, written by students of Loyola College, fit the bill perfectly.

The book contains both the actual diary of Perpetua, both in the original Latin as well as an English translation, and the text contains many footnotes which explain the history that Perpetua is talking about in her diary.

For anyone interested in reading Perpetua's diary, and learning the story of her death, this book gives both the actual diary and a detailed historical background of the times.

[clarino910 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting! I love reading about the Saints and I had always heard of Perpetua (paired with Felicity), but I never really knew their stories, so I'm glad I had the opportunity to learn more about them in their own words. The introduction also has a lot of interesting and helpful context and was not only easy to read but engaging.

[Evy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting as a whole. Also, short! 👍🏻

[Iz Cerciello · Rating 2 out of 5]

only liked it because it had martyrs and christianity

[Aili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story with lots of deeper meaning.

[Thomas Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the first to review this! I'm sort of biased towards book, because it was translated by students and professors at my place of undergraduate study. Disregarding the Introduction by Professor Joe Walsh, it's an extremely brief work. The actual diary of a female Christian martyr in the second century days before her execution, this provides a great look at religious faith in a microcosm. Perpetua might be insane, but I couldn't help but find it admirable that she was willing to be gored to death by beasts rather than compromise her beliefs. That's some conviction, that is. Oh, and since I wrote a paper on this question, I might as well pass it on for other readers to ponder: why DOES Perpetua turn into a man in her last vision?

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dear friend loaned me this excellent, short book, which I read bit by bit in the morning. A wonderful way to read this text, as it is a collection of historical background, the actual text of Perpetua's Passion, really wonderful poetry inspired by the text, and even the Latin text. Interestingly, it argues that the original was in Latin, but it does address that there is an extant Greek version that also vies for that designation.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent translation done by a group of Loyola Classics's students.