History Daily Saturday Matinee: Past Lives
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Mar 14, 2026 A narrator recounts the surprising childhood and abduction of the future Apostle of Ireland. Listeners hear about his years in captivity as a shepherd and a dream that prompted escape. The show explores Roman identity in late Britain, the collapse after Rome, and what Patrick's own writings can and cannot tell us.
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Patricius The Enslaved Roman Who Became Saint Patrick
- St. Patrick was a real late Roman figure whose enslavement shaped his life and later fame.
- Patrick grew up in western Britain, was captured by Irish raiders, enslaved for six years, escaped, became a bishop, and returned to convert Ireland.
Patrick's Own Writings Give Rare Firsthand Slavery Testimony
- Patrick's firsthand writings are rare windows into enslavement in Late Antiquity.
- His Confession and Letter to the Soldiers of Caroticus provide autobiographical details and a unique voice from the period.
Patrick Positioned Himself As Roman Not Barbarian
- Patrick identified as Roman culturally and linguistically despite living at the empire's edge.
- He wrote in Latin, cited his father as a decurian, and contrasted Romans with 'barbarians' in his Letter to the Soldiers of Caroticus.
