Pliny's letter X.xcvi

Pliny is saying that he is writing the letter to Trajan "cunctationem meam regere ignorantiam instruere." Basically he is saying "who is better able of guiding my hesitations or informing my ignorance" than Trajan. Yet, he is writing to more than just Trajan because he knows this will be published.

In order to guide his hesitations toward Christianity he admits to never being present at any of the Christian trials. He also asks alot of questions to Trajan for him to answer. For example, he asks "ideo nescio quid et quatenus aut puniri soleat aut quaeri" This shows the concept of not only Pliny's struggles when it comes to Christians but poses a question that all Romans have on the subject of what the limits are for reprimanding Christian people. He asks if pardon should be given to those who repent and tell him they were once Christians but not anymore. Another example is when he says, "si flagitiis careat, an flagitia cohaerentia nomini puniantur." Therefore he wonders if even the name of Christianity ought to be punished. He hasn't seemed to have gotten a concrete answer from Trajan and he is trying to 'inform his ignorance' by asking these questions. These questions are most likely what most Romans are asking and he wants to make sure that the citizens are aware of Christianity.

He also attempts to 'guide his hesitations' by telling Trajan and the Roman citizens what he has done to the Christians and show them how they are treated. For example he says, "Interrogavi ipsos an essent Christiani." Obviously, this is a first attempt to see who would admit they belonged to this cult. What was happening though was that the Christians were admitting because they only have one god and they could not disobey god by saying that they have other gods besides the one god in Christianity. Pliny made sure to sound like a model citizen by saying that he asked the accused a second and third time whether or not they were Christians. He even mentioned, "supplicium minatus" so this means he wanted the Romans to know that he was serious about this accusation enough to threaten torture!!

He also mentions that this cult of Christianity is on the rise and that "multi enim omnis aetatis, omnis ordinis, utriusque sexus etiam vocantur in periculum et vocabuntur." This means that there are many different people involved and there is no certain type of person that is involved with Christianity. He wanted to make sure the Romans knew what this religion involves more people than they might think and that will result in ALOT of persecutions.

If I were a Roman that didn't have much contact with the Christians, the impression I would get from them is that they were not bad people. Pliny includes that "seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere, sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abnegarent." This shows that the people were not bad that were Christians. Pliny suggests that they can try to get rid of Christianity, but there is a large number of people all ready involved. I would be a little afraid because these people seem to be multiplying in their masses and believing in one god. Before this, polytheism was the religion and it seems like a strange suggestion to have only one god so I would be a bit uncertain about this religion.