Pliny, Letters 10.96-97
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 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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