In the tenth century, a German abbess named Hrotsvitha wrote plays. She seems to have been the first western European to do so since ancient times and the first German woman ever to pen dramas. Her subjects were saints—virtuous women.
CHRISTIAN HISTORY INSTITUTE
800 CE
In Dulcitius, she retold the story of three sisters martyred under Emperor Diocletian. Agape, Chiona, and Irene were ordered to eat food sacrificed to pagan gods but refused. The story had accrued legends over the years and Hrotsvitha chose details that added comedy to the account. For example, men ordered by the emperor to induce the young women to sacrifice became prey to hallucinations.
Germany
How far back?
Point in Timeline | Post 500 CE
71%
2020 | Present
