Public Executions In The Arena

[MICHELE PATRI]

MARTINA OF ROME


“Martina belonged to a Roman noble family; her father was a consul. Little is known about her life, except that her parents died while she was still very young. When she came of age, she used her wealth to help the poor.

During the persecution of Alexander Severus she had to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo. She refused and made the sign of the cross instead — whereupon the sculpture of Apollo fell down. Martina was arrested and sentenced to death. She was tortured by iron hooks, then cruelly scourged while attached by her hands and feet to posts. Finally she was beheaded. It was 226 a.D.”

 

[Barbaria1]

OMG ... Noooooooooooooo .... not the dreaded three prong hook ... please, no ... arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!

 

[phlebas]

View attachment 316836 I hope I can take it. I want to be brave ... tough it out. But can I do it? Oh, the waiting is so awful. Let's get on with it.

That's it. You want to be brave, your dignity is the only thing left to you, small that it is now as you hang here naked in front of the crowd. You have control over just one thing, your reaction to the ordeal ahead.
Be brave, endure, present a strong front. Maintain your dignity.
If you can . . . . . . . .

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

19th Century illustration used in the book “Costumari Catalá” (Catalonian traditions, Barcelona, c. 1950): the life of Eulalia, the “pearl of Barcelona”

 

[Eulalia]

Thankyou Michele, I've not seen those before!
You can see why Eulalia's been my favourite saint
since I first discovered her @ 13 - wow, I thought,
a girl my age getting martyred in such a thrilling way!

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

MAURA OF ANTINOPOLIS

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

MAURA OF ANTINOPOLIS

“Maura Was a Christian from Antinopolis, in the Upper Egypt, married to a deacon called Timotheus. When Diocletianus came to power and wanted to erase any trace of Christianity, the governor Urban invited Timothy and his wife to embrace paganism. They refused with courage, so they were tortured and crucified and died from slow death around 283. According to the legend they lived for nine days, hanging naked from their crosses, exposed to the weather and the mockings of the pagan townsfolk.”

 

[stepnash]

I originally set out to interpret and enhance this series, I hope they complement this site

 

[stepnash]

And here is the remainder, it would be good if somebody could create a realistic film or photo series modelled on this.

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

POTAMIAENA OF ALEXANDRIA

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

POTAMIAENA OF ALEXANDRIA


“Potamiaena was a Christian slave girl of exceptional beauty. When her pagan master tried to avail himself of her, she refused him sternly. The enraged man dragged her to the magistrate and ask him to change the girl's mind or to destroy her.

Potamiaena was imprisoned, threatened with gang rape, and tortured in many ways, but did not give in. In the end she was slowly lowered into a cauldron filled with boiling pitch. It is said that she did not die before the pitch had reached her neck. She Died in 205 a.D.”

 

[AlexArts]

OMG...

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

EULALIA OF BARCELONA/MERIDA

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

EULALIA OF BARCELONA/MERIDA

"Eulalia, a girl living in Merída or Barcelona (Spain), went to see the trial of a Christian during the persecution of Emperor Diocletianus around 290–305 and there voluntarily proclaimed herself a Christian. Although she was only 13–15 years old, she was tortured in public and killed in a extremely atrocious way. The version of her hagiography from Barcelona states that she was tied to a column and whipped, then crucified naked on an X cross, and thus diplayed in public. Then the executioners played torches over her body and then lacerated her sides and breasts with hooks. Finally they lit a fire under her that burned her from below; she died from inhaling the smoke. It is said that her soul took on the shape of a white dove when it ascended to heaven."

 

[Pia]

POTAMIAENA OF ALEXANDRIA


“Potamiaena was a Christian slave girl of exceptional beauty. When her pagan master tried to avail himself of her, she refused him sternly. The enraged man dragged her to the magistrate and ask him to change the girl's mind or to destroy her.

Potamiaena was imprisoned, threatened with gang rape, and tortured in many ways, but did not give in. In the end she was slowly lowered into a cauldron filled with boiling pitch. It is said that she did not die before the pitch had reached her neck. She Died in 205 a.D.”
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To confess, this is possibly the only form of execution that has never, ever appealed to me. Crosses and wheels and ropes and knives.... yes yes yes.... a boiling pot is a definite no-no. I think St Eul has a lovely time of it.... lucky girl!

 

[Eulalia]

she still does!

yes, boiling pitch doesn't score very high on the erotic ways-to-go scale, does it?
but I like hot candle-wax, the idea of being coated with pitch and burnt as a human torch
makes me quite juicy, and when I'm waiting in traffic to get past the road-surfacing works,
the sight and smell of hot tar does arouse exciting thoughts that help pass the time

 

[Pia]

she still does!

yes, boiling pitch doesn't score very high on the erotic ways-to-go scale, does it?
but I like hot candle-wax, the idea of being coated with pitch and burnt as a human torch
makes me quite juicy, and when I'm waiting in traffic to get past the road-surfacing works,
the sight and smell of hot tar does arouse exciting thoughts that help pass the time

yes, I can vote also for those.... just not being placed in a cooking pot!

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

EULALIA OF BARCELONA/MERIDA

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

EULALIA OF BARCELONA/MERIDA

 

[MICHELE PATRI]

EULALIA OF BARCELONA/MERIDA