# Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity (203)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/203-martyrdom-of-perpetua-and-felicity
Location: Carthage, Africa
Themes: Persecution

The young noblewoman Perpetua and her slave Felicity die in the arena at Carthage; Perpetua's prison diary survives. At this point in the timeline (7 March 203), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Zephyrinus (198/9 – 20 December 217). Dates for the earliest bishops of Rome are traditional and uncertain.

## Why it matters
Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Zephyrinus](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-zephyrinus)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Perpetua and Felicity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetua_and_Felicity)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Martyrdom+of+Perpetua+and+Felicity)
- [Wikipedia — Early Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante-Nicene_period)