In the Passion, Christian faith motivates the martyrs to reject family loyalties and acknowledge a higher authority.[14] In the text, Perpetua's relationship with her father is the most prominently featured of all her familial ties, and she directly interacts with him four times (iii, v, vi, and ix).[15] Perpetua herself may have deemed this relationship to be her most important, given what is known about its importance within Roman society.[16] Fathers expected that their daughters would care for them, honor them, and enhance their family reputation through marriage. In becoming a martyr, Perpetua failed to conform to society's expectations.[17] Perpetua and Felicity also defer their roles as mothers to remain loyal to Christ, leaving behind young children at the time of their death.[11]
Although the narrator does describe Perpetua as "honorably married", no husband appears in the text.[18] Possible explanations include that her husband was attempting to distance himself from the proceedings as a non-Christian, that he was away on business, or that her mention of him was edited out; because Perpetua was called the bride of Christ, omission of her husband may have been intended to reduce any sexual implications (xviii).[19] Regardless, the absence of a husband in the text leads Perpetua to assume new family loyalties and a new identity in relation to Christ.[16]
Perpetua belonged to an aristocratic family with Roman citizenship, as indicated by her name Vibia Perpetua.[20] Perpetua's execution alongside slaves demonstrated Christianity's ability to transcend social distinctions, in contrast to the inequality that pervaded Roman religion and society.[21] As Perpetua and Felicity were equal in martyrdom despite differences in class, they made the dramatic statement that Christianity transcended social structure.[22]
