From: Eric Weiss (eweiss@acf.dhhs.gov)
Date: Tue Jul 09 1996 - 17:27:23 EDT
I found the letter to Trajan on the Internet with the reference deaconesses:
Pliny the Younger was governor of Pontus/Bithynia from 111-113 AD. We have
a whole set of exchanges of his letters with the emperor Trajan on a
variety of administrative political matters. These two letters are the most
famous, in which P. encounters Christianity for the first time.
Pliny, Letters 10.96-97
Pliny to the Emperor Trajan
It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I
am 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 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 transferred to Rome.
Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings
going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was
published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they
were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated
by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had
ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods,
and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians,
it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged.
Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then
denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three
years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They
all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error
had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and
sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by
oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not
falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do
so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again
to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they
affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with
your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I
judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by
torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered
nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For
the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of
the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of
both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this
superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and
farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite
clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be
frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being
resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which
until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine
what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance
is afforded.
Trajan to Pliny
You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those
who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay
down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to
be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be
punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian
and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was
under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But
anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution.
For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the
spirit of our age.
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