生ける死者との交わり

『ペルペトゥアとフェリキタスの殉教』への一考察

抄録

In this paper I would like to pursue two questions regarding the Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. The first is why Perpetua, a noble and educated young woman in Carthago, in 203 CE chose martyrdom, being fully aware of her death. The second question concerns the relation between the historical figure of Perpetua and the Passio as a literary product. It is often said that recounts of martyrdom intend to instrumentalize saintly people for the church. In this paper an alternative view with regard to the role of such books is considered.

For Perpetua to be a Christian meant freedom (libertas) from Roman society and its gods (Passio, 18, 5). In the Roman Empire and cities many places were filled with statues of gods assigned to those places. Perpetua wanted to be free from these traditional places of symbolic “divine” presence.

To her father she said (3, 1f) that, just as a vase could not be called by another name than ‘vase’, she could not be called by another name than ‘Christian’ (Christiana). To be called a Christian indicated her true identity and essence as a person which could not be given up without loosing herself. This is why she could not accept her father’s attempt at persuasion although she had been moved many times by his words.

Recounts of martyrdom are commemorated in Christian churches for the purpose of community building and spiritual advancement. The saints of such recounts often become models for the believers, but sometimes seem to be mere products of the church. As to the Passio, the author indicates in 1, 6 the reason for writing his account, namely to enable believers to communicate with Perpetua. Perhaps the Passio was recited in the liturgy of her Memorial Day on May 7th. When it was read, believers could communicate with her through the Holy Spirit, because the church was to be the church of the dead and the living. I propose this to be the purpose of the Passio.