Epistle of Adrian [1916] in behalf of the Christians.
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Text edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson and
first published by T&T Clark in Edinburgh in 1867. Additional
introductionary material and notes provided for the American
edition by A. Cleveland Coxe, 1886.
I have received the letter addressed to me by your predecessor Serenius
Granianus, a most illustrious man; and this communication I am unwilling to
pass over in silence, lest innocent persons be disturbed, and occasion be
given to the informers for practising villany. Accordingly, if the
inhabitants of your province will so far sustain this petition of theirs as
to accuse the Christians in some court of law, I do not prohibit them from
doing so. But I will not suffer them to make use of mere entreaties and
outcries. For it is far more just, if any one desires to make an accusation,
that you give judgment upon it. If, therefore, any one makes the accusation,
and furnishes proof that the said men do anything contrary to the laws, you
shall adjudge punishments in proportion to the offences. And this, by
Hercules, you shall give special heed to, that if any man shall, through
mere calumny, bring an accusation against any of these persons, you shall
award to him more severe punishments in proportion to his wickedness.
Footnotes
[1916] Addressed to Minucius Fundanus. [Generally credited as genuine.]
Epistle of Antoninus to the common assembly of Asia. [1917]
The Emperor Cæsar Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Supreme
Pontiff, in the fifteenth year of his tribuneship, Consul for the third
time, Father of the fatherland, to the Common Assembly of Asia, greeting: I
should have thought that the gods themselves would see to it that such
offenders should not escape. For if they had the power, they themselves
would much rather punish those who refuse to worship them; but it is you who
bring trouble on these persons, and accuse as the opinion of atheists that
which they hold, and lay to their charge certain other things which we are
unable to prove. But it would be advantageous to them that they should be
thought to die for that of which they are accused, and they conquer you by
being lavish of their lives rather than yield that obedience which you
require of them. And regarding the earthquakes which have already happened
and are now occurring, it is not seemly that you remind us of them, losing
heart whenever they occur, and thus set your conduct in contrast with that
of these men; for they have much greater confidence towards God than you
yourselves have. And you, indeed, seem at such times to ignore the gods, and
you neglect the temples, and make no recognition of the worship of God. And
hence you are jealous of those who do serve Him, and persecute them to the
death. Concerning such persons, some others also of the governors of
provinces wrote to my most divine father; to whom he replied that they
should not at all disturb such persons, unless they were found to be
attempting anything against the Roman government. And to myself many have
sent intimations regarding such persons, to whom I also replied in pursuance
of my father's judgment. But if any one has a matter to bring against any
person of this class, merely as such a person, [1918] let the accused be
acquitted of the charge, even though he should be found to be such an one;
but let the accuser be amenable to justice.
Footnotes
[1917] [Regarded as spurious.]
[1918] That is, if any one accuses a Christian merely on the ground of his
being a Christian.
Epistle of Marcus Aurelius to the senate, in which he testifies that the
Christians were the cause of his victory. [1919]
The Emperor Cæsar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Germanicus, Parthicus,
Sarmaticus, to the People of Rome, and to the sacred Senate greeting: I
explained to you my grand design, and what advantages I gained on the
confines of Germany, with much labour and suffering, in consequence of the
circumstance that I was surrounded by the enemy; I myself being shut up in
Carnuntum by seventy-four cohorts, nine miles off. And the enemy being at
hand, the scouts pointed out to us, and our general Pompeianus showed us
that there was close on us a mass of a mixed multitude of 977,000 men, which
indeed we saw; and I was shut up by this vast host, having with me only a
battalion composed of the first, tenth, double and marine legions. Having
then examined my own position, and my host, with respect to the vast mass of
barbarians and of the enemy, I quickly betook myself to prayer to the gods
of my country. But being disregarded by them, I summoned those who among us
go by the name of Christians. And having made inquiry, I discovered a great
number and vast host of them, and raged against them, which was by no means
becoming; for afterwards I learned their power. Wherefore they began the
battle, not by preparing weapons, nor arms, nor bugles; for such preparation
is hateful to them, on account of the God they bear about in their
conscience. Therefore it is probable that those whom we suppose to be
atheists, have God as their ruling power entrenched in their conscience. For
having cast themselves on the ground, they prayed not only for me, but also
for the whole army as it stood, that they might be delivered from the
present thirst and famine. For during five days we had got no water, because
there was none; for we were in the heart of Germany, and in the enemy s
territory. And simultaneously with their casting themselves on the ground,
and praying to God (a God of whom I am ignorant), water poured from heaven,
upon us most refreshingly cool, but upon the enemies of Rome a withering
[1920] hail. And immediately we recognised the presence of God following on
the prayer a God unconquerable and indestructible. Founding upon this,
then, let us pardon such as are Christians, lest they pray for and obtain
such a weapon against ourselves. And I counsel that no such person be
accused on the ground of his being a Christian. But if any one be found
laying to the charge of a Christian that he is a Christian, I desire that it
be made manifest that he who is accused as a Christian, and acknowledges
that he is one, is accused of nothing else than only this, that he is a
Christian; but that he who arraigns him be burned alive. And I further
desire, that he who is entrusted with the government of the province shall
not compel the Christian, who confesses and certifies such a matter, to
retract; neither shall he commit him. And I desire that these things be
confirmed by a decree of the Senate. And I command this my edict to be
published in the Forum of Trajan, in order that it may be read. The prefect
Vitrasius Pollio will see that it be transmitted to all the provinces round
about, and that no one who wishes to make use of or to possess it be
hindered from obtaining a copy from the document I now publish. [1921]
Footnotes
[1919] [Spurious, no doubt; but the literature of the subject is very rich.
See text and notes, Milman's Gibbon, vol. ii. 46.]
[1920] Literally, "fiery."
[1921] [Note I. (See capp. xxvi. and lvi.) In 1851 I recognised this stone
in the Vatican, and read it with emotion. I copied it, as follows: "Semoni
Sanco
Deo Fidio
Sacrvm
Sex. Pompeius. S. P. F. Col. Mussianvs.
Quinquennalis Decur Bidentalis Donum Dedit." The explanation is possibly
this: Simon Magus was actually recognised as the God Semo, just as Barnabas
and Paul were supposed to be Zeus and Hermes (Acts xiv. 12.), and were
offered divine honours accordingly. Or the Samaritans may so have informed
Justin on their understanding of this inscription, and with pride in the
success of their countryman (Acts viii. 10.), whom they had recognised "as
the great power of God." See Orelli (No. 1860), Insc., vol. i. 337. Note II.
(The Thundering Legion.) The bas-relief on the column of Antonine, in Rome,
is a very striking complement of the story, but an answer to prayer is not a
miracle. I simply transcribe from the American Translation of Alzog s
Universal Church History the references there given to the Legio
Fulminatrix: "Tertull., Apol., cap. 5; Ad Scap., cap. 4; Euseb., v. 5; Greg.
Nyss. Or., II in Martyr.; Oros., vii. 15; Dio. Cass. Epit.: Xiphilin., lib.
lxxi. cap. 8; Jul. Capitol, in Marc. Antonin., cap. 24."]
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