PLINY / TRAJAN

Pliny the Younger (Roman orator, letter writer, and public official, c. 61-113 AD), in his letter to Trajan (Roman Emperor 98-117 AD), Epistles (Epistulae) / Letters, Book 10, Chapter 96, c. 111 AD
http://www.christianchronicler.com/history1/potentates_and_pressures.html, POTENTATES AND PRESSURES, I. Trajan (A.D. 98-117):

Letters written from Pliny the Younger to Trajan best illustrate Roman attitudes towards Christians during this period. Pliny, a Roman official, was stationed in Pontus. We date his most famous letter at ca. A.D. 112. Evidently friction existed between Christians and non-Christians in his region. Peter indicates such friction existed as early as A.D. 67 (see 1 Peter 2:12). Pliny, knowing Rome found it essential to deal with troublesome religious groups, heard that Christians "were accused of clandestine rites involving promiscuous intercourse and ritual meals in which human flesh was eaten." Some libertine and Gnostic groups during the period possibly engaged in exactly such bizarre acts. Upon investigation all Pliny found was superstition.
http://books.google.com/books?id=3ei_UTereO0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22first+Two+Thousand%22+edwards&sig=VBHs7FE29UyhhvU05CeBRz0SZkg#PPA48,M1, Christianity: first Two Thousand Years Google Books Result, by David L. Edwards, 2001, pp. 48-49, Early Christians (Pliny):

(Pliny defending the Christians):

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext01/ltpln10.txt, The Project Gutenberg Etext Letters of Pliny the Younger, CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EMPEROR TRAJAN | XCVI-I66: To THE EMPEROR TRAJAN: They all worshipped your statue and the images of the gods (I wonder why), uttering imprecations at the same time against the name of Christ. They affirmed the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they met on a stated day before it was light, and addressed a form of prayer to Christ, as to a divinity, binding themselves by a solemn oath, not for the purposes of any wicked design, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble, to eat in common a harmless meal. From this custom, however, they desisted after the publication of my edict, by which, according to your commands, I forbade the meeting of any assemblies. FOOTNOTES TO THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EMPEROR TRAJAN: 66 This letter is esteemed as almost the only genuine monument of ecclesiastical antiquity relating to the times immediately succeeding the Apostles, it being written at most not above forty years after the death of St. Paul. It was preserved by the Christians themselves as a clear and unsuspicious evidence of the purity of their doctrines, and is frequently appealed to by the early writers of the Church against the calumnies of their adversaries. M. 67 It was one of the privileges of a Roman citizen, secured by the Sempro. riian law, that he could not be capitally convicted but by the suffrage of the people; which seems to have been still so far in force as to make it necesaary to send the persons here mentioned to Rome. M. 68 These women, it is supposed, exercised the same office as Phoebe mentioned by St. Paul, whom he styles deaconess of the church of Cenchrea. Their business was to tend the poor and sick, and other charitable offices; as also to assist at the ceremony of female baptism, for the more decent performance of that rite: as Vossius observes upon this passage. M.

Also for another text:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/pliny1.html

For Latin:
http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/pliny.ep10.html http://books.google.com/books?id=6WKOAM1g5-sC&pg=PP1&dq=%22Christianity:+A+Global+History&sig=O3KqbW6f867SLZGU1pdAYEQ7LHw#PPA44,M1, Christianity: A Global History Google Books Result, by David Chidester, 2000, p. 44, Ancient Origins | Christians:

http://books.google.com/books? hl=en&id=m4ue2zYLJqoC&dq=%22do+this+in+remembrance+of+me%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=_HRvY9bCFz&sig=yCGfTZwIvhC7eozSRlXSaigQ7nU#PPA151,M1, Do This in Remembrance of Me: The Disputed Works in the Lukan INstitution Narrative (Luke 22.19b20): An Historico-Exegetical, Theological and Sociological Analysis Google Book Result, by Bradly S. Billings, pp. 151-152, Thyestean Banquets and Oedipodean Intercourse | Accusations against the Christian Community:

P. 153:

P. 154:

http://books.google.com/books? id=HtVjZpFF_c4C&pg=PA216&lpg=PA216&dq=intitle:%22Ignatius+of+antioch%22+incest+OR+orgy+OR+orgies+OR+orgiastic+OR+licentious+OR+licentiousness+OR+promiscuous&source= Ignatius of Antioch and the Second Sophistic Google Books Result, 2006, pp. 215-216, Sacred Images and Mystery Processions | Cult Foundation and the Apotropaic Functions of :

Translated from Latin: (flagitia shameful/dissolute cohaerentia touching nomini family name) Saint Ignatius of Antioch was martyred c. 107 AD.
http://frterry.org/History/Chapter_2/Chap.2%20Handout_30.htm (Father Terry's Verbal Conscience), Handout #30: Letter from Pliny to the Emperor Trajan (c.111-112 A.D.): Pliny the Younger (61-114 A.D.), nephew and adopted son of the encyclopaedist, Pliny the Elder, was an advocate, orator, and politician. Trajan appointed him legate for Bithynia. An honest and educated man, Pliny published his correspondence; this includes his letter to Trajan on the subject of Christians and the emperor's reply.

Meantime, this is the course I have taken with those who were accused before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians, and if they confessed, I asked them a second and third time with threats of punishment. If they kept to it, I ordered them for execution; for I held no question that whatever it was that they admitted, in any case obstinacy and unbending perversity deserve to be punished. There were others of like insanity: but as these were Roman citizens, I noted them down to be sent to Rome... Several distinct cases arose. CONTINUE TO NEXT PHASE
Home (Index)