From: Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Pliny_the_Youn?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?ger_and_Trajan?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?_on_the_Christ?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?ians?= Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 09:30:11 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00DB_01C3F3A6.4F533640"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.3314.1001 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00DB_01C3F3A6.4F533640 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: =?iso-8859-1?B?ZmlsZTovLy9leHBvcnQ=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?L2hvbWUvY2hldW5nL0I=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?aWJsZS8wMDcvQ2FzZUY=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?b3JDaHJpc3QvMDMvUGw=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?aW55LXRoZS1Zb3VuZ2U=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?ci5odG0=?= Pliny the Younger and Trajan on the = Christians

Pliny the Younger and Trajan on the Christians

Pliny the Younger was governor of Pontus and Bithynia from 111-113 = CE. We=20 have a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor Trajan on = a=20 variety of administrative political matters. These two letters are the = most=20 famous, in which Pliny the Younger encounters Christianity for the first = time.=20

Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96-97

Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan

It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning = which I am=20 in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my = ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I = therefore do not=20 know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to = what=20 extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should = be any=20 distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young = and the=20 more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a = man has=20 once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; = whether the=20 name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with = the=20 name are to be punished.=20

Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as = Christians, I=20 have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to = whether they=20 were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third = time,=20 threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered = executed. For I=20 had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and=20 inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others = possessed=20 of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an = order for=20 them to be transferred to Rome.=20

Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the = proceedings going=20 on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published=20 containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or = had=20 been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, = offered=20 prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be = brought=20 for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed=20 Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can = be forced=20 to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the = informer=20 declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that = they had=20 been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, = some as=20 much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the = statues of the=20 gods, and cursed Christ.=20

They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or = error=20 had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn = and sing=20 responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by = oath, not=20 to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify = their=20 trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When = this was=20 over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of=20 food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had = ceased=20 to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I = had=20 forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more=20 necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves = who were=20 called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, = excessive=20 superstition.=20

I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. = For the=20 matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the = number=20 involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both = sexes are=20 and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has = spread not=20 only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems = possible to=20 check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which = had been=20 almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established = religious=20 rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere = sacrificial=20 animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be = found.=20 Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed = if an=20 opportunity for repentance is afforded.=20

Trajan to Pliny the Younger

You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of = those=20 who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to = lay down=20 any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to = be sought=20 out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, = with this=20 reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really = proves=20 it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion = in the=20 past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted = accusations=20 ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous = kind of=20 precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.

Go to the Pliny=20 the Younger page.
Go to the Early Christian = Writings table=20 of contents.
This web page is copyright =A9 2001 Peter Kirby = <kirby@earthlink.net>.

------=_NextPart_000_00DB_01C3F3A6.4F533640 Content-Type: image/gif Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: file:///export/home/cheung/Bible/007/CaseForChrist/03/Pliny-the-Younger_files/earlychristianwritings.gif R0lGODlh6wAnAIUAAAAAAP///wD/CQD/EAD/FgD/HQCAAAD/JAD/KgD/MQD/NwD/PgD/RAD/SwD/ UgD/WAD/XwD/ZQD/bAD/cgD/eQD/fwD/hgD/jQD/kwD/mgD/oAD/pwD/rQD/tAD/uwD/wQD/yAD/ zgD/1QD/2wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAADrACcAAAb/QIBw SCwaj8ikcslsOp/QqHRKrQauAYBgy+16v+CweEwum8/otHrNbrMB2OxgTq/b7/i8fs/v+/+AgYKD hIWEcFgABIuMjY6PkJGSk5SVlpeYmZqbnJ2ciFcABaOkpaanqKmqq6ytrq+wsbKztLW0AAa5WQe8 vb6/wMHCw8TFxsfIycrLzM3Ozbi6AAjU1dbX2Nna29zd3t/g4eLj5OXm5dEGWQns7e7v8PHy8/T1 9vf4+fr7/P3+/emyKBhIsKDBgwgTKlzIsKHDhxAjSpxIsSLFgAAWaNzIsaPGIx5DiswosiRHIx1J mky5UuUClytjspx5cmTNjTBl6tz5Mpc6/wAMggodSjQo0KJIkxI9qrQpU6FCoDZF+pTq0KpTs14t GnWrValgtYode9VnlgZo06pdixYA27dw2bqNS3fu27l26epdm3evX7hC1LrN2zdu4b+IE7c1C8CB 48eQIztuLLmy5ciUL1vOrJmz5s+QPYMevTm0A86iS5NezboyxgewY8ueDRsA7dlFaut+IIS379u2 aQe/jbv2kOK8bQcnEjv37+bMfy8/Tny37uHPp0uPvtx4b+DcvWOvLhsjhPPo06s/D2B9+vbvIcBv D18++/X11ed3j55+/P723ZffgP/dF998ARrIX30MAiiggwoG6B+EFNo3YYT8vcdYBBx26P/hhxwe 0SEAIEYgRIgkjhgiiCmyWGKJJ37YYowrtuiiiiuymCKNOMLY44wj2iikhzvamOORRJJo5IsvYiTB k1BGKeWTAExJpZVXSlBllFtqySWWXoL5pZVbdpmlmWOeCWaZWKIJpRBZhmkmmnOO6aaabcYpJpmM TeDnn4AG6icAgg5aqKETEAqoookuemijjzpaqKKMIjqEoJVS+qimk24K6aCEZhqoqH9yiiminSYq RKSHYkTBq7DGKuurAMxKq623UlBrrLvm2qutv+Ka66y7BvurELIeOyyxy/IqbK3G6urstMsWi6u1 1/IarLCwYlTBt+CGK+63AIxLrrnnVlD/brjrptsuuu+iqy686YIb77z2slvvuOveu6+45cYbsL4E 79svvfiae6+/8mJkwcMQRyzxwwBMDHHFEwtBscQYX9yxxReDbAHGH0dMMscZm6zyxhmfbHHJKpdc 8ccyr8wyzCyP/DLMOIuM0QVABy300EADQLTQRiN9QdJJB9100U8f7TTRQkx9NNNDG/301kpbPTXW V0u9dNRFZ22210uXHTbaaWvdtdhZM4bB3HTXbffcR9hdBN581w2A3ncHTrcRgAf+NwaHD473EIX3 PTgRfSfeuOGU+z255IdLbrnfkCO+uBCCh45RBqSXbvrpqKeu+uqoA8D667DHLvvstNdu//vtqruO O+kYaeD778AHL/zwxBcfPADGJ6/88sw37/zz0EOP/PDTR/87Rhtkr/323Hfv/ffgcw9A+OSXb/75 6Kev/vrsCyE++91jxMH89Ndv//34569//QDs7///AAygAAdIwAIakH5FOOD9MNKBBjrwgRCMoAQn SMEKWvCCGMygBjfIwQ568IMexIgHRkjCEprwhChMoQpXyMIWuvCFMIyhDGdIwxrSECMfyKEOd8jD Hvrwh0AMohCHSMQiGvGISEyiEpeoRIyA4IlQjKIUp0jFKlrxiljMoha3yMUuevGLYAwjGDESgjKa 8YxoTKMa18jGNrrxjXCMoxznSMc62qPxjnbEiAj2yMc++vGPgAykIAdJyEIa8pCITKQiF8nIRjIS IyOIpCQnSclKWvKSmMykJjfJyU568pOgDKUoRylKjFThlKhMpSpXycpWurIIZomDT2ZJy1ra8pa4 zKUud8nLXvryl8AMpjCHSUxdyLKYyEymMpfJzGY6U5lxCMAzp0nNalrzmteMpja3yc1uevOb4Ayn OMdJznKa85zoTOc4ARAEACH+I0NyZWF0ZWQgYnkgQk1QVG9HSUYgUHJvIHZlcnNpb24gMi4wADs= ------=_NextPart_000_00DB_01C3F3A6.4F533640--