This story is Christian fiction, set in the second century of the Christian era,
Perpetua seemed to be graceful, good-natured girl. Since she was also beautiful, she had many suitors.
In private, however, she abused her aged parents mentally and physically, They looked upon marriage as a convenient way to get rid of her; but she would not cooperate until a man named Basilides wanted to marry her. Since Basilides was not only rich and handsome, but also a weakling whom she could easily dominate, she decided to marry him.
He suffered for many years. Eventually he contemplated divorce. However, he had become a Christian and therefore hesitated to act contrary to his faith. How he dealt with this dilemma and what happened afterwords may surprise you.
Polycarp of Smyrna, a historical bishop, plays an important role in this story. It is part of a seriies of fiction stories involving Polycarp. Other titles are "The Secret Love of Melito of Sardis," "Minucius 'Felix Becomes Truly Happy," and "Polycarp's Final Act of Mercy."