The Text of the Martyr Acts through the Ages
2009 animated video by Torchlight based on the Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas
The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas was originally written in Latin and describes the deaths of several Christians—Perpetua (a free woman) and Felicitas (a slave) and some of their companions—at the hands of the Romans. Perpetua and Felicitas lived and were imprisoned in Carthage. Their execution in the arena occured around 202 or 203 CE.
The Latin edition contains what may be a prison diary written by Perpetua herself and other text written by a third party.
The two English translations provided here are freely available on the internet. The Ante-Nicene Fathers translation is in the public domain, but it is a bit old-fashioned in its language and style. The Musurillo translation is more modern, more accurate, and easier to read; however it doesn't include the entire text. It is also under copyright.
Finally, we have included an animated video depicting the story of Perpetua and Felicitas. This video is almost like a video edition of the story—a translation of the text into a visual format. It is an interpretation of the martyrdom for a modern, Christian audience.