Dulcitius

Characters

The Emperor Diocletian

Agape
Chionia
Irena
Dulcitius, Governor of Thessalonica
Soldiers
Sisinnius

Introduction

Narrator
Hrosvitha’s Dulcitius, or The Passion of the Holy Virgins Agape, Chionia
and Irena, as they were known originally, tells the story of the sisters
Agape, Chionia and Irena, who renounced the old gods to follow the
path of Christ. Enraged, Emperor Diocletian orders them to be
punished by Governor Dulcitius, who intends to violate them. But
Blessed are His followers.

Scene 1
[The court of Diocletian. The emperor with his guards, along with
Dulcitius and Sisinnius, face the sisters Agape, Chioni and Irena. The
sisters face him defiantly.]

Diocletian
The rare beauty you hold and the pure race you come from makes you
fit to be wedded to the highest in the court. With decree, with the
condition that you denounce your 'Christ' and sacrifice to the gods.
 Agape
We beg you not to concern yourself about us, and prepare not for our
marriage. Nothing can make us deny the Name Which all should
confess, or let our purity be stained.

Diocletian
This is madness. Madness to give up an ancient religion to run after
silly new superstition.

Agape
You are bold to slander the Almighty God. It is dangerous.

Diocletian
This girl lies. Take her away.

[exit Agape]

Chionia
My sister does not lie. She is right.

Diocletian
This fanatic seems more violent than the other. Remove her from our
presence so we may question the third.

[exit Chionia]

Irena
You will find her as determined to resist and as rebellious.

Diocletian
Irena, you are the youngest, show yourself the oldest in dignity; bow
your head to the gods, and your sisters may follow.

Irena
I will not dishonour this head which has been anointed with heavenly
oil by abasing at the feet of images.
 Diocletian
The worship of the gods brings not dishonour, but the greatest
honour.

Irena
The god you worship is not a god, but a slave that can be bought in a
market. And what could be more shameful baseness- what baser
shame- than the veneration of a slave akin to a lord?

Diocletian
Only a rack can put an end to this nonsense.

Irena
We ask nothing more than to suffer the most cruel tortures for the
love of Christ.

Diocletian
Let these obstinate women be laden with chains and thrown in a
dungeon, for they have dared to defy us. They will be examined by
Governor Dulcitius.

Scene 2, 3

Narrator
Governor Dulcitius knew what he wanted from the sisters the instant
he laid eyes on them. He intended to take them by force, and had the
guards move them closer to the passage where the pots and pans were
kept- where he could visit them more often. And so he does, or so he
thinks.
 Dulcitius
Oh shall they fall in love with me! For my sweet words will work
wonders on their ‘strong’ faith.

Scene 4

[Inner room, the sisters are seen in chains, singing hymns to pass the
time]

Agape
[to the loud clanging of pots and pans]
What noise is that outside the door?

Irena
It is that wretch Dulcitius.

Chionia
Now may god protect us.

Agape
Amen.

Chionia
[peeping through a crack in the door]
There is more noise, like the clashing of pots and pans and fire-irons.
Come peep through the crack of the door.

[Agape and Irena join Chionia]

Irena
Oh! He must have gone mad. Kissing pots and pans and holding them
to his breast- I believe he thinks he is kissing us. Look at his face, his
hands, his clothes, black as soot!
 Agape
Good, I wish his body would turn black as well, to match his soul,
possessed of a devil. He is going now. Let us see what the soldiers do
when he goes out.

Scene 5, 6, 7, 8

Narrator
The guards do not recognise Dulcitius in all his darkened glory, and
they do not take lightly to this apparent stranger that tries to order
them around. Neither do the ushers of the Imperial Palace, who refuse
to let him in to see the Emperor.

Dulcitius
By Gods! Am I not dressed in my best? For they treat me as a foul
monster!

Dulcitius Wife
My lord! Have the Christ worshippers cursed you out of your reason?

Dulcitius
Oh! You have shown me the reason! Those impudent wenches shall be
stripped and exposed in public to taste the outrage subjected to me!

Narrator
He orders that the sisters be stripped naked in public, so they know
the humiliation to which he had been subjected. But miracles are a
part of faith. Nothing could the soldiers do, for the sisters’ clothes
clung to them like skin. Diocletian had ordered the punishment of
girls to be shifted to Count Sisinnius.
 Scene 10, 11, 12

[The dungeons, a few guards. There is a pyre to one side. Enter

Sisinnius]

Sisinnius
Bring me the impudent hussies to be tortured. Leave Irena. She is
young, and may be more easily influenced still when not intimidated
by her sisters.

[exit soldiers. Enter the soldiers with Agape and Chionia]

Sisinnius
Take my advice, Agape and Chionia, and sacrifice to the gods, for
otherwise, the Emperor will have you executed by my hands.

Chionia
We offer a perpetual sacrifice of praise to the true God, the eternal
Father, to His son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Sisinnius
That is prohibited on pain of the most severe penalties.

Agape
You have no power over us, and can never compel us to sacrifice to
demons.

Sisinnius
Soldiers! Seize the blasphemers at once and throw them in the pyre.

Agape and Chionia

O Lord, we know Thy power! It would not be anything strange or new
if fire forgot its nature and obeyed Thee. But we are weary of this
world, and we implore Thee to break the bonds that chain our souls,
and to let our bodies be consumed that we may rejoice with Thee in
heaven.
 [Agape and Chionia are thrown into flames, and seen motionless as
the flames die]

Soldier
Strange- their spirits have left their bodies, but neither their hair, nor
garments, much less their bodies, have been touched by the flames.

Sisinnius
Bring Irena.

[exit soldier]
[enter soldier with Irena]

Sisinnius
Take warning from your sisters’ fate, Irena, and yield. Sacrifice to the
gods.

Irena
I long to follow their example and die, so I may share their eternal joy.
I will yield to no man who persuades me to sin.

Sisinnius
Your death could have been swift, Irena, but now I must torment you,
eke it out and increase and renew them everyday.

Irena
The greater the pain, the greater my glory!

Sisinnius
Then to a brothel, I shall send you, where your body will be defiled.

Irena
Better my body defiled, than my soul.

Sisinnius
When you have been dishonoured, Irena, you will no longer be
counted among virgins.
 Irena
The wage of sin is death; the wage of suffering a crown. If the soul
does not consent, there is no guilt.

Sisinnius
Fine. No more mercy for you, Soldiers, have no pity, Be rough with
her, and drag her to the lowest brothel you can find.

Irena
They will never take me [Link] power that rules the world will
prevent them.

[exit soldiers with Irena]

Scene 13
[outdoors, enter soldiers, running towards Sisinnius]

Sisinnius
Why have you returned so suddenly? Why are you panting for breath?
Where is the girl?

Soldier
She is on the crest of the mountain over there, nearest this place.

Sisinnius
May the gods crush you with thunder- [shouting] why is she there?
Did I not tell you to take her to a brothel?

Soldier
Yes. But we were approached by two young strangers, dressed as one
of rank, and told us you sent them to take Irena to the summit of the
 mountain. They told us to make haste, come tell you what we had
seen.

Sisinnius
I must see them, for I did not send them to you. Take me there.

Scene 14
[mountain summit. Irena stands alone. Enter Sisinnius with guards,
looking lost]

Sisinnius
What has happened to me? These Christians have bewitched me. I
wander blindly round this hill, and when I stumble on a path I can
neither follow it nor turn upon my steps.

Soldier
We are all the sport of some enchantment. We are exhausted. If we let
this mad woman live another hour, it will be the death of all of us.

Sisinnius
Take a bow, one of you, lose a shaft that will pierce this devilish witch.

Irena
Wretched Sisinnius, do you not blush for your wretched defeat? Are
you not ashamed that you could not overcome the resolution of a little
child without resorting to force of arms?

Sisinnius
I will accept the shame gladly once you are dead.

Irena
To me my death means joy, but to you calamity. For your cruelty you
will be damned in Tartarus. But I shall receive the martyr’s palm, and
adorned with the crown of virginity, I shall enter the azure palace of
the Eternal KIng, to Whom be glory and honour forever and ever!

[curtain]