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E02494: The Martyrdom of *Felicitas and her seven sons (martyrs of Rome, S00525), is written in Latin, before the late 6th c. It briefly narrates the arrest, trial and death of Felicitas and her seven sons.
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posted on 2017-03-08, 00:00 authored by BryanMartyrdom of Felicitas and her seven sons (BHL 2853)
§ 1: Under the emperor Antoninus, there is a revolt of pagan priests and the Christians Felicitas and her seven sons are arrested. Felicitas is a widow who has chosen to dedicate the rest of her life to God, praying night and day. The pagan priests see that she promotes Christianity and ask the emperor to bring her to venerate the gods in order to avoid their wrath. The emperor asks the prefect of the city Publius to compel Felicitas and her sons to sacrifice. Publius tries first to discuss privately with her, but he fails to convince her.
§ 2: Publius summons Felicitas and her sons to the forum of Mars. Felicitas exhorts her sons to persevere, then she is beaten.
§§ 3-4: Publius tries to convince her first son Ianuarius, without success, and orders him to be beaten and sent to prison. He then successively attempts to convince the other sons of Felicitas, Felix, Philippus, Silanus, Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis, but they all profess their faith and refuse to sacrifice. Publius then sends a written report of what has happened to Antoninus.
§ 5: Antoninus sends them to various judges to be tortured. The first son is killed with scourges with leaden balls (plumbatae), the second and the third with sticks, the fourth is thrown down a precipice, the fifth, sixth and seventh receive capital punishment and the mother is beheaded. They all become martyrs of Christ, hastening to eternal rewards in heaven.
Text: Künstle 1894, 60-63 (paragraph numbers from the Acta Sanctorum edition). Summary: M. Pignot.
§ 1: Under the emperor Antoninus, there is a revolt of pagan priests and the Christians Felicitas and her seven sons are arrested. Felicitas is a widow who has chosen to dedicate the rest of her life to God, praying night and day. The pagan priests see that she promotes Christianity and ask the emperor to bring her to venerate the gods in order to avoid their wrath. The emperor asks the prefect of the city Publius to compel Felicitas and her sons to sacrifice. Publius tries first to discuss privately with her, but he fails to convince her.
§ 2: Publius summons Felicitas and her sons to the forum of Mars. Felicitas exhorts her sons to persevere, then she is beaten.
§§ 3-4: Publius tries to convince her first son Ianuarius, without success, and orders him to be beaten and sent to prison. He then successively attempts to convince the other sons of Felicitas, Felix, Philippus, Silanus, Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis, but they all profess their faith and refuse to sacrifice. Publius then sends a written report of what has happened to Antoninus.
§ 5: Antoninus sends them to various judges to be tortured. The first son is killed with scourges with leaden balls (plumbatae), the second and the third with sticks, the fourth is thrown down a precipice, the fifth, sixth and seventh receive capital punishment and the mother is beheaded. They all become martyrs of Christ, hastening to eternal rewards in heaven.
Text: Künstle 1894, 60-63 (paragraph numbers from the Acta Sanctorum edition). Summary: M. Pignot.
History
Evidence ID
E02494Saint Name
Felicitas, martyr in Rome and her seven sons (Ianuarius, Felix, Philippus, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalis, Martialis) : S00525 Ianuarius, eldest son of Felicitas and martyr of Rome, buried on the via Appia : S02863Saint Name in Source
Felicitas, Ianuarius, Felix, Philippus, Silanus, Alexander, Vitalis, Martialis IanuariusRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdomLanguage
- Latin