Pliny: The Crime Of The Century

The Crime of the Century

A crime punishable by death, to believe in a God or gods. By the second century AD, Christianity had migrated from the land of its origin to different regions. However, Christianity attracted the attention of the Roman authorities. In Pliny, Letters Pliny the Younger who was the governor of Pontus/Bithynia writes to his Emperor Trajada asking for advice. With the expansion of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire proved a threat for Pliny the Younger’s ideals. The traditional temples were empty and sales of animals for sacrifice were plummeting. Thus, Pliny is faced with a dilemma on whether to make a point that being Christian is to be considered a crime in the Roman Empire. Neither Pliny nor Trajan mentions

The governor states that he does “not know what offenses it is practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent.” Highlighting the fact that this is his first encounter with Christianity. He examines the nature by which he has punished Christians and determines that he has more questions than answers. Which is what is the crime being committed by Christians. For one thing though Pliny says he has “no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished.” It seems that Pliny the Younger has a fear of God because of what Christianity is doing to the Roman Empire. Pliny the Younger believes the only way to be “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.” Truthfully, to deny being Christian is to deny the God you serve. The belief of one God is a crime and is worthy to be punished in the eyes of Pliny the

The problem should be addressed on a case-by-case basis and guilt determined by the review of reliable information. Not “by anonymously posted accusations” , and these accusation “ought to have no place in any prosecution.” If the accused agrees to sacrifice to the Roman gods, then no punishment should be incurred. It almost appears to be a case of innocent until proven guilty; stating that denouncing others is a sort of thing that is a “dangerous type of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of the age.” His response does not fully answer all of the questions that Pliny asks, and only assures Pliny that his actions are correct. The emperor appeases the governor by telling him he did the right thing in executing them, but advises him not to seek out Christians for