The day before the martyrs suffered, the Carthaginians gave them, according to custom, their last meal, which they ate in public. But the martyrs did their utmost to change it into an Agape, or Love-feast.

During the meal, the martyr’s chamber was full of people whom the martyrs talked to with their usual resolution, threatening them with the judgments of God and extolling the happiness of their own sufferings. Saturus smiling at the curiosity of those that came to watch, said to them, "Will not tomorrow suffice to satisfy your inhuman curiosity? You may seem now to pity us but tomorrow you will clap your hands at our death, and applaud our murderers. But observe well our faces, that you may know them again on that terrible day when all men shall be judged." The martyrs spoke with such courage and conviction that their captors were amazed resulting in several among them being converted to the faith.

On the day of their triumph, they went out of the prison to go to the amphitheatre. Joy sparkled in their eyes, and appeared in all their gestures and words. Perpetua walked with a composed countenance and easy pace, as a woman cherished by Jesus Christ, with her eyes modestly cast down: Felicitas went with her, following the men, not able to contain her joy.

Perpetua sung, as being already victorious; Revocatus, Saturninus, and Saturus threatened the crowed with the judgments of God. As they passed by the balcony of Hilarian, the Procurator, they said to him; "You judge us in this world, but God will judge you In the next." The people were enraged at their boldness and demanded that they be scourged, which was granted. They rejoiced exceedingly in being thought worthy to resemble our Saviour in his sufferings.

God granted to each of the martyrs the death they desired. When they were talking together in prison about what kind of martyrdom would be agreeable to each, Saturninus declared that he would choose to be exposed to beasts of several sorts in order to increase his sufferings. Accordingly he and Revocatus, after having been attacked by a leopard, were also assaulted by a bear.

Saturus dreaded nothing so much as a bear, and therefore hoped a leopard would dispatch him at once with his teeth. It appeared that he would not get his wish as he was first tied to a wild boar. But, the animal turned upon its keeper, who received a mortal wound from the beast. Saturus was only dragged along by the boar. Saturus, being sound and not hurt, was called upon for a second encounter. This time they tied the martyr to a bridge in front of a bear, but that beast would not come out of his lodge. Returning to the holding place, Saturus spoke to Pudens, the jailer that had been converted. The martyr encouraged him to remain firm in the faith, and said to him: "You see I have not yet been hurt by any beast, as I desired and foretold; believe then steadfastly in Christ. In a moment you will see a leopard with one bite take away my life."

It so happened that when Saturus was lead out the third time, a leopard was set upon him and covered him all over with so much blood in a single bite that the people jeering, cried out, "He is well baptized." The martyr making his way back to Pudens the jailer said, "Go, remember my faith, and let our sufferings strengthen rather than trouble you." Then Saturus said, "Give me the ring you have on your finger." He then dipped the ring in his wound and gave it back to Pudens to keep as a sign to encourage him to perseverance in his faith. Saturus fell down dead soon after. Thus he went first to glory to wait for Perpetua, according to her vision.

In the meantime, Perpetua and Felicitas had been exposed to a wild cow. Perpetua was first attacked and being ripped and tossed in the air by the raging cow, landed on her back. After a few moments she sat up and became aware that her clothes were torn. She covered herself as best she could thinking more of decency than her sufferings. Getting up, she tied up her hair, which was fallen loose. She went to Felicitas who was on the ground badly hurt by the cow. Perpetua helped her up and they stood together, expecting another assault from the beasts, but the people cried out that the fury of the cow’s assault was enough. They were then led to the gate Sanevivaria, where those that were not killed by the beasts were dispatched at the end of the shows.

Perpetua was received by Rusticus, a catechumen, who attended her. Perpetua seemed as if she were just returning to herself out of an ecstasy and asked when she was going to fight the wild cow. Being told what had passed, she could not believe it till she saw on her own body and clothes the marks of what she had suffered. She then called for her brother, and said to him and Rusticus, "Continue firm in the faith, love one another, and don’t be scandalized at our sufferings."

At the end of the games, the martyrs were all brought to the place of their butchery. But the people, not yet satisfied with the blood of the games, cried out to have the martyrs brought into the middle of the amphitheatre, so that they might have the pleasure of seeing them receive the death blow. Upon hearing this request, some of the martyrs rose up, and having given one another the kiss of peace, went of their own accord into the middle of the arena.

All were dispatched without speaking, or stirring out of the place they were in. Perpetua fell into the hands of a very timorous and unskillful apprentice of the gladiators, who, with a trembling hand, gave her many slight wounds and pierced her between the ribs causing her to cry out. Finally, she herself guided the sword of the youthful gladiator to her throat. So great was her faith that quite possibly such a woman could never have been slain unless she herself had willed it.