Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger

We are told that "Pliny the Younger tried Christians for the crime of Christianity itself as the Roman governor of Bithynia-Pontus (modern-day Turkey) and wrote to Emperor Trajan around 112 AD. Scholars have examined his letters and seem them as uniquely authentic.

What did Pliny think he knew about this new faith?

• Christians met together regularly and did sing hymns to Christ as to a god.
• They also would not take oaths.
• Christians should not steal or commit adultery, and sought to pay back money when they owed it.
• There some who say he speaks of slave women or maid servants that are described by some as deaconesses but the word used in verse 8 is Ancilla.
• Pliny sees there extremist ideas spreading.

Pliny saw this superstition and a potential threat to Roman authority and order. The specific charges stemmed from their refusal to worship the Roman gods and the Genius of the Emperor, which was said to be a betrayal if not a form of treason.

This was because the rise of the power of the Emperators of Rome and the conscripti patri of the legislators of Rome came by way of the appetite of the masses for the benefits and dainties of the rulers of the State who exercised authority one over the other.

The Christian refusal to participate in state-sponsored sacrifices and welfare system of "free bread" was not taken kindly by those who depended upon those government benefits. This was the Christian conflict with Rome. "Their private meetings" and practice of Pure Religion were "also seen as illegal and potentially seditious."

The ancient government of Rome had policies designed to provide aid to the poor like the cura Annonae for grain redistribution which would be eventually provided through the alimenta as a welfare. The alimenta was the table of the Roman welfare system used by Nerva and expanded by Trajan as the pontifex maximus to bolster support at the time of Pliny the Younger.

Paul mentions the Macellum of an ancient Roman which was an enclosed market building that sold mostly provisions (especially fruits and vegetables). 1 Corinthians 10:25 "Whatsoever is sold in the shambles<3111>, [that] eat, asking no question for conscience sake:"

Pliny the Younger, Epistle 10.96

C. PLINIUS TRAIANO IMPERATORI 96

Latin	English
[1] Sollemne est mihi, domine, omnia de quibus dubito ad te referre. Quis enim potest melius vel cunctationem meam regere vel ignorantiam instruere? Cognitionibus de Christianis interfui numquam: ideo nescio quid et quatenus aut puniri soleat aut quaeri.	It is my custom, Sir, to refer to you in all cases where I do not feel sure, for who can better direct my doubts or inform my ignorance? In the meantime, this is the plan which I have adopted in the case of those Christians who have been brought before me.	Is it customary for me, sir, to refer to you all things about which I have doubts? For who can better either control my hesitation or instruct my ignorance? I have never participated in the knowledge of Christians: therefore I do not know what and to what extent it is customary to punish or to seek.
[2] Nec mediocriter haesitavi, sitne aliquod discrimen aetatum, an quamlibet teneri nihil a robustioribus differant; detur paenitentiae venia, an ei, qui omnino Christianus fuit, desisse non prosit;	I have hesitated a great deal in considering whether any distinctions should be drawn according to the ages of the accused; whether the weak should be punished as severely as the more robust; whether if they renounce their faith they should be pardoned,	Nor did I hesitate in the least whether there is any difference of age, whether they differ in any way from those who are more robust, whether forgiveness of repentance is granted, or whether it would not be beneficial for him who was entirely a Christian to desist;
nomen ipsum, si flagitiis careat, an flagitia cohaerentia nomini puniantur. Interim, <in> iis qui ad me tamquam Christiani deferebantur, hunc sum secutus modum.	or whether the man who has once been a Christian should gain nothing by recanting; whether the name itself, even though otherwise innocent of crime, should be punished, or only the crimes that gather round it.	the name itself, if it is devoid of crimes, or whether crimes consistent with the name are punished. Meanwhile, <in> those who were brought to me as Christians, I followed this method.
[3] Interrogavi ipsos an essent Christiani. Confitentes iterum ac tertio interrogavi supplicium minatus; perseverantes duci iussi. Neque enim dubitabam, qualecumque esset quod faterentur, pertinaciam certe et inflexibilem obstinationem debere puniri.	I have never been present at any legal examination of the Christians, and I do not know, therefore, what are the usual penalties passed upon them, or the limits of those penalties, or how searching an inquiry should be made.	I asked them if they were Christians. They confessed, and I questioned them a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; if they persisted, I ordered them to be led away. For I had no doubt that, whatever they confessed, their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy should certainly be punished.
[4] Fuerunt alii similis amentiae, quos, quia cives Romani erant, adnotavi in urbem remittendos. Mox ipso tractatu, ut fieri solet, diffundente se crimine plures species inciderunt.	There were others who showed similar mad folly whom I reserved to be sent to Rome, as they were Roman citizens. Subsequently, as is usually the way, the very fact of my taking up this question led to a great increase of accusations, and a variety of cases were brought before me.	There were others of similar madness, whom, because they were Roman citizens, I noted to be sent back to the city. Soon after the treaty itself, as is usual, the crime spread and more species occurred.
[5] Propositus est libellus sine auctore multorum nomina continens. Qui negabant esse se Christianos aut fuisse, cum praeeunte me deos appellarent et imagini tuae, quam propter hoc iusseram cum simulacris numinum afferri, ture ac vino supplicarent, praeterea male dicerent Christo, quorum nihil cogi posse dicuntur qui sunt re vera Christiani, dimittendos putavi.	I have hesitated a great deal in considering whether any distinctions should be drawn according to the ages of the accused; whether the weak should be punished as severely as the more robust; whether if they renounce their faith they should be pardoned, or whether the man who has once been a Christian should gain nothing by recanting; whether the name itself, even though otherwise innocent of crime, should be punished, or only the crimes that gather round it.	A pamphlet was proposed without an author, containing the names of many. I thought that those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they called me gods and offered incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose with the images of the deities, and who also spoke ill of Christ, of whom it is said that nothing can be forced, who are truly Christians, should be dismissed.
[6] Alii ab indice nominati esse se Christianos dixerunt et mox negaverunt; fuisse quidem sed desisse, quidam ante triennium, quidam ante plures annos, non nemo etiam ante viginti. <Hi> quoque omnes et imaginem tuam deorumque simulacra venerati sunt et Christo male dixerunt.	Those who denied that they were or had been Christians and called upon the gods in the usual formula, reciting the words after me, those who offered incense and wine before your image, which I had given orders to be brought forward for this purpose, together with the statues of the deities - all such I considered should be discharged, especially as they cursed the name of Christ, which, it is said, those who are really Christians cannot be induced to do.	Others, named in the list, said they were Christians and then denied it; indeed, they had been, but had ceased to be, some three years ago, some several years ago, no one even twenty years ago. <These> also all venerated your image and the images of the gods and spoke ill of Christ.
[7] Affirmabant autem hanc fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris, quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire, carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum invicem seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere, sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abnegarent. Quibus peractis morem sibi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capiendum cibum, promiscuum tamen et innoxium; quod ipsum facere desisse post edictum meum, quo secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse vetueram.	Others, whose names were given me by an informer, first said that they were Christians and afterwards denied it, declaring that they had been but were so no longer, some of them having recanted many years before, and more than one so long as twenty years back. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the deities, and cursed the name of Christ.	They affirmed that this was the sum of their fault or error, that they were accustomed to meet before dawn on a fixed day, and to recite a hymn to Christ as to God among themselves, and not to bind themselves by oath to any crime, but to avoid committing theft, robbery, or adultery, to betray their faith, or to deny the deposit they had been called upon to make. After these things were done, it was their custom to depart and meet again to take food, though promiscuous and harmless; which they had ceased to do after my edict, by which, according to your commandments, I forbade the existence of hetaerae.
[8] Quo magis necessarium credidi ex duabus ancillis, quae ministrae dicebantur, quid esset veri, et per tormenta quaerere. Nihil aliud inveni quam superstitionem pravam et immodicam.	Many persons of all ages, and of both sexes alike, are being brought into peril of their lives by their accusers, and the process will go on.	Which made me believe it all the more necessary to seek out the truth from two maidservants, who were called ministers, and to seek it out through torture. I found nothing else than a wicked and immoderate superstition.
[9] Ideo dilata cognitione ad consulendum te decucurri. Visa est enim mihi res digna consultatione, maxime propter periclitantium numerum. Multi enim omnis aetatis, omnis ordinis, utriusque sexus etiam vocantur in periculum et vocabuntur. Neque civitates tantum, sed vicos etiam atque agros superstitionis istius contagio pervagata est; quae videtur sisti et corrigi posse.	So I postponed my examination, and immediately consulted you. The matter seems to me worthy of your consideration, especially as there are so many people involved in the danger. Many persons of all ages, and of both sexes alike, are being brought into peril of their lives by their accusers, and the process will go on. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only through the free cities, but into the villages and the rural districts, and yet it seems to me that it can be checked and set right.	(What was the Christian conflict?) Therefore, with a wide knowledge, I have run to consult you. For the matter seemed to me worthy of consultation, especially because of the number of those in danger. For many of every age, every class, and both sexes are also called into danger and will be called. And not only cities, but also villages and fields have been infected by this superstition; which seems to be able to be stopped and corrected.
(A macellum was an ancient Roman market building, primarily for provisions like meat and fish.) [10] Certe satis constat prope iam desolata templa coepisse celebrari, et sacra sollemnia diu intermissa repeti passimque venire <carnem> victimarum, cuius adhuc rarissimus emptor inveniebatur. Ex quo facile est opinari, quae turba hominum emendari possit, si sit paenitentiae locus.	It is beyond doubt that the temples, which have been almost deserted, are beginning again to be thronged with worshippers, that the sacred rites which have for a long time been allowed to lapse are now being renewed, and that the food for the sacrificial victims is once more finding a sale, whereas, up to recently, a buyer was hardly to be found. From this it is easy to infer what vast numbers of people might be reclaimed, if only they were given an opportunity of repentance.	It is certainly quite certain that temples, now almost deserted, began to be celebrated, and sacred ceremonies, long interrupted, were resumed, and everywhere the flesh of victims, for which a very rare buyer was still to be found, was brought. From which it is easy to imagine what a multitude of men could be reformed if there were a place for repentance.
TRAIANUS PLINIO	97	Letter Trajan to Pliny
[1] Actum quem debuisti, mi Secunde, in excutiendis causis eorum, qui Christiani ad te delati fuerant, secutus es. Neque enim in universum aliquid, quod quasi certam formam habeat, constitui potest.	You have adopted the proper course, my dear Pliny, in examining into the cases of those who have been denounced to you as Christians, for no hard and fast rule can be laid down to meet a question of such wide extent.	You followed the course you should have taken, my Secundus(secondly), in examining the cases of those who had been brought before you as Christians. For nothing can be established in the universe that has a certain form.
[2] Conquirendi non sunt; si deferantur et arguantur, puniendi sunt, ita tamen ut, qui negaverit se Christianum esse idque re ipsa manifestum fecerit, id est supplicando dis nostris, quamvis suspectus in praeteritum, veniam ex paenitentia impetret.	The Christians are not to be hunted out ; if they are brought before you and the offence is proved, they are to be punished, but with this reservation - that if any one denies that he is a Christian and makes it clear that he is not, by offering prayers to our deities, then he is to be pardoned because of his recantation, however suspicious his past conduct may have been.	They are not to be questioned; if they are brought forward and argued, they are to be punished, but in such a way that whoever denies that he is a Christian and makes this manifest in fact, that is, by supplicating to our gods, even though he has been suspected in the past, may obtain pardon through repentance.
Sine auctore vero propositi libelli <in> nullo crimine locum habere debent. Nam et pessimi exempli nec nostri saeculi est.	But pamphlets published anonymously must not carry any weight whatever, no matter what the charge may be, for they are not only a precedent of the very worst type, but they are not in consonance with the spirit of our age.	But without an author, the proposed libels should have no place in any crime. For even the worst example is not even in our age.
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