Golden Ladder
Perpetua’s first vision has become justifiably famous for its imagery. In the vision is found a golden ladder too narrow for more than one person at a time to climb that is adorned with sharp implements fastened to the sides to further make ascension more difficult. Obviously, this is a symbol for the treacherous path to heaven for early Christians.
Dragon
Further endangering those who attempt to clime the golden ladder is the dragon which sits at the bottom, ready to eat any who dare lose grip. Its positioning within the ladder vision is also a rather clear symbol: the dragon is Satan.
White-Haired Shepherd
So, if the dragon at the foot of the ladder is Satan and the ladder itself is the path to everlasting life through acceptance of Christ, then what to make of the shepherd with white hair sitting in an immense garden that Perpetua sees at the top? Anyone who has ever seen any visual representation of God can figure this symbol out.
Last Meal
The martyrs-to-be are offered a last meal or “free supper.” It is not a lonely lunch on death row, but an exuberant meal attended to by many people. Some expressed pity and others a lack of understanding of the reaction of those about to die who were joyous in the face of the gruesome deaths rapidly on their way. This meal seems quite strongly to be situated as symbol re-enactment of Christ’s last supper before the crucifixion.
Perpetua and the Cow
The manner of execution for the martyrs-to-be is quite unusual from a modern perspective: attack by wild animal. For Perpetua, the animal is a wild cow whose initial attack lifts her up into the air before landing with a thud on her back. The attack has also had the effect of ripping her already meagre clothing to shreds, exposing her body. It is this which she reacts to rather than the murderous intent of the cow: she is more concerned with adjusting her clothing to maintain decency than tending to her suffering. This action will transform into symbolic significance later serving as the foundation for the sisterhood of nuns who will place a higher premium upon maintaining modesty than upon avoiding physical discomfort in pursuit of their missions.
