Download How the Romans Saw the Christians

How the Romans saw the
Christians
Early Roman Founding
Myths
Aeneas
Romulus and Remus
Themes:
1. Duty to Rome above all else
Rape of the Sabines
2. Rome is destined to be great
Rape of Lucretia
3. The Gods established Rome and
have a destiny for its success
4. Sacrifice for Rome
5. Virtue of the ideal Roman woman
Early Republican Values
Farmer/Soldier
Frugal
Loyal to Rome
Hardworking
Service to Roman
Government
"Porridge Eaters"
Cato the Elder
"He gained, in early life, a good habit of body by
working with his own hands, and living temperately,
and serving in war; and seemed to have an equal
proportion troth of health and strength."
"His manner of life was yet more famous and talked
of. For oratorical skill was, as an accomplishment,
commonly studied and sought after by all young
men; but he was very rare who would cultivate the
old habits of bodily labor, or prefer a light supper,
and a breakfast which never saw the fire; or be in
love with poor clothes and a homely lodging, or
could set his ambition rather on doing without
luxuries than on possessing them."
Roman Religion and the
State
Local Deities
State Deities
Importance of Sacrifice
and the State
Connection to the Success
of Rome
Augustus
Restoration of the
Republic
Moral Legislation
Res Gestae
Pax Romana
Res Gestae
The Romans presented Augustus with the Golden Shield that represented the
four virtues of an ideal Roman man. They were:
1. Virtus = Virtue
2. Clementia = Clemency
3. Institia = Institution, Justice, Equity,
4. Pietas = Piety.
Near the end of his life, Augustus commissioned the Res Gestae, “things done,”
in Latin, or Divine Deeds of Augustus. He had them inscribed on pillars placed
in Rome as a record, and propaganda, of what he had accomplished in life. They
were meant to reinforce his influence and greatness of Rome. The events he
chose to inscribe in the Res Gestae reinforce the four virtues of the ideal Roman
man found on the Golden Shield and provide a look at what was valued in a
leader in Roman society and by Augustus.
Early Christianity and Rome
Connection to the Jewish Tradition
Jesus and Break from Jewish Sect
Early Churches
Death and Transition
Nero
General Life
The Great Fire
Use of Christians as Scapegoat
Nero and Christians
Nero
TACITUS, The Annals of Imperial Rome Book XV, chapter 47 (A.D. 64) [during the Great
Fire of Rome]
"...neither human resources, nor imperial generosity, nor appeasement of the gods,
eliminated the sinister suspicion that the fire had been deliberately started. To stop
the rumor, NERO, made scapegoats--and punished with every refinement the
notoriously depraved CHRISTIANS (as they were popularly called). Their originator,
CHRIST, had been executed in Tiberius' reign by the Procurator of Judaea,
PONTIUS PILATUS (governor from 26 to 36 A.D.). But in spite of this temporary
setback, the deadly superstition had broken out again, not just in Judaea (where the
mischief had started) but even in Rome. All degraded and shameful practices collect
and flourish in the capital. First, NERO had the self-admitted Christians arrested.
Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned--not so much
for starting fires as because of their hatred for the human race. Their deaths were
made amusing. Dressed in wild animals' skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or
crucified, or made into torches to be set on fire after dark as illumination.... Despite
their guilt as Christians, and the ruthless punishment it deserved, the victims were
pitied. For it was felt that they were being sacrificed to one man's brutality rather than
Views of the Early
Christians
SUETONIUS, Life of the Emperor Claudius, chapter 25:
"Since the Jews were constantly causing disturbances at the instigation of
CHRESTUS, he expelled them from the city..."
SUETONIUS, Life of the Emperor Nero, chapter 16:
"[After the Great Fire]...punishments were also inflicted on the CHRISTIANS, a
sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief ...."
Views of the Early
Christians
To the Commissioners of Sacrifice of the Village of Alexander’s Island:
From Aurelius Diogenes, the son of Satabus, of the Village of Alexander’s
Island, aged 72 years: ---scar on his right eyebrow.
I have always sacrificed regularly to the gods, and now, in your presence, in
accordance with the edict, I have done sacrifice, and poured the drink
offering, and tasted of the sacrifices, and I request you to certify the same.
Farewell.
-----Handed in by me, Aurelius Diogenes.
-----I certify that I saw him sacrificing [signature obliterated].
Done in the first year of the Emperor, Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus
Decius Pius Felix Augustus, second of the month Epith. [June 26, 250 A.D.]
Early Christian Images
Early Christian Images
"Alexamenos worships [his]
God"
Fish Symbol
Funerary Inscriptions
Other Symbols
Pliny the Younger to Trajan
"I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to
what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any
distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more
mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a
Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself,
even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be
punished."
"Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have
observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were
Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time,
threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I
had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible
obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same
folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be
Evolving Views of the
Christians
Policies of the Romans
against the Christians
Local Policies
Magistrates' Roles
Accusation and Sacrifice
1. Illegal and Foreign
Associations
2. Superstitious
3. Subversive
Minucius Felix: Octavius
"They have collected from the lowest possible dregs of society the more ignorant fools
together with gullible women (readily persuaded, as is their weak sex); they have
thus formed a rabble of blasphemous conspirators, who with nocturnal assemblies,
periodic fasts, and inhuman feasts seal their pact not with some religious ritual but
with desecrating profanation; they are a crowd that furtively lurks in hiding places,
shunning the light; they are speechless in public but gabble away in corners."
"How amazingly stupid, unbelievably insolent they are. Tortures of the present they
scoff at, but they live in dread of the uncertain tortures of the future; they are afraid
to die after they are dead, but meantime they have no fear of death. So effectively
are they beguiled of alarm by the comforting expectation of a renewal of life
hereafter."
Roman Views of Christians
"They recognize each other by secret marks and signs; hardly have they met when they
love each other, throughout the world uniting in the practice of veritable religion of
lusts. Indiscriminately they call each other brother and sister, thus turning even
ordinary fornication into incest by the intervention of these hallowed names. Such a
pride does this foolish, deranged superstition take in its wickedness."
"They despise our temples as being no more than sepulchers, they spit after our gods,
they sneer at our rites, and, fantastic though it is, our priest they pity – pitiable
themselves; they scorn the purple robes of office, though they go about in rags
themselves."
"Christians alone are permitted to say nothing that would clear their name, vindicate the
truth, and aid the judge to come to a fair decision. One thing only is what they wait
for; this is the only thing necessary to arouse public hatred: the confession of the
name Christian, not an investigation of the charge."
Importance of Sacrifice and
Roman Ideals of Duty
Sacrifice and the
State
Roman Ideals
Christianity's Refusal
to Participate
"The only other group to have worshipped one
god is the wretched tribe of the Jews, but they
did so in the open, with temples and altars,
with sacrifice and ceremonial. "
Transition with Constantine
Changing Images
Constantine and
Christianity
Constantine and
Conversion
Dual Role as Pontifex
Maximus and Head of the
Church
Christian Policies
Changes for the Christian
Church