FELICITAS: The name of two early Christian martyrs and saints.

1. Roman matron; martyred either during the reign of Marcus Aurelius or during that of Antoninus Pius. Her day was Nov. 23 as early as the sixth century, when Gregory the Great delivered an oration in the basilica above her tomb, this tomb being rediscovered in 1884. According to tradition equally old, she suffered martyrdom together with her seven sorb, who are represented with her in a seventh-century fresco in her tomb; but there is reason to believe that between the seventh and ninth centuries confusion arose between these seven fellow martyrs of FeHcitas and seven other martyrs (Januarius, Felix, Philippus, Silvanus, . Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis), whose day has been kept at least since the time of the Depositio Martyrum (middle of the fourth century) on July 10, and who came to be regarded as the sons of Felicitas.

2. Carthaginian slave; martyred with Perpetua (q.v.) Mar. 7, 202 or 203. Throughout the account of her passion she is a secondary figure to Perpetua, the chief detail recorded being that, in answer to her prayers, she was enabled to give premature birth to her child (who was adopted by a Christian woman) two days before the time set for her martyrdom, since otherwise she would not have been allowed to be thrown to the beasts as were Perpetua, Revocatus, Saturus, and Saturninus.

Bibliography: On 1, the early Vita with Passio, Aeta, and commentary are in ASB, July, iii. fi-28. Consult further on 1: B. Aub_, Hist. des Peraientiona de Nglise juaqu'd la fan des Antonina, pp. 439-440, Paris, 1875; idem, Les Actea de SS. FObiciti . . . et des leura cornPagnona, p. 90, ib. 1881; J. B. Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers, i. 498-499,

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London, 1886; P. Allard, Hist. des Peraicutiona, vol. ii., Paris, 1886; E. Egli. AitchriaEliche Studien, pp. 91-98, Zurich, 1887; J. Ftihrer, Ein Beitrag our LSaung der Folicitas-Frage, Freieing, 1890; idem, Zum FediciEaefrage, Leipsic, 1894; K. J. Neumann, Der römische Stoat und die allgemeine Kirche, i. 294, ib. 1890; K. Kunatle, Hagiographische Studien über die Paasio S. Felieitatia, Paderborn, 1894; Neander, Christian Church, i. 123-124; DCB, ii. 478.

On 2, DCB, ii. 478; Schaff, Christian Church, ii. 68.