apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

IGNATIUS THE MARTYR
On the other hand recent criticism dehghts to view Trajan's conduct
towards the Christians in a directly opposite light. So regarded,
he is the first systematic persecutor of Christianity'. Nero and Domitian,
it is maintained, assailed individuals in fewer or larger numbers,
from caprice or in passion; but the first imperial edict issued against
Kaisergeschichte Band i. Friedlander also
Eccles. sub ann. 604, in which he refutes
dinger's Untersuchungen zur Rcmischen
at great length the truth of the story. It (1871) regards Trajan as the first to
is related also in Ussher's Answer to a legalise the persecution of the Christians
yesiiit (Works ill. p. 249 sq), and in {Sittcngeschichte Roms III. p. 518). Overbeck's
Bacon's Advancement of Learning
i. 7. 5
view has also been accepted by
[Works in. p. 304, ed. Ellis and Gorres in his Beitrdge zur dlteren Kirchengeschichte
Spedding). It appears in Purs Ploughman's
in Hilgenfeld's Zeitschr.
Vision 6857—6907 (ed. Wright), f. Wissensch. Theol. xxi. p. 35 sq
and in Hans Sachs (Overbeck Ueber (1877), and again in his Christenthum
die Gesetze etc. p. 154). In Henry of u. der Rdmische Staat zur Zeit des Kaisers
Huntingdon, Hist. Angl. i [Mon. Hist. Vespasianus in this same periodical xxil.
I. p. 699), the offender is Trajan's own p. 492 sq (1878). This also seems to be
son, and he is
punished accordingly, Hie
'
the view of Uhlhorn Conflict of Christianity
ivith Heathenism p. 257 sq
est ille qui causa justitiae oculum sibi
et oculum filio emit ; quern Gregorius (Engl. Transl.). On the other hand it
ab inferis revocavit' etc.; an embellishment
is
opposed by Wieseler Christenverfol-
of the story which he may have gungen der Cdsaren p. i sq (1878), by
got from the Aurea Lcgenda.
V,o\%%\Qr Revue Archeologique Fevr. 1876,
^
This view is enunciated by Gieseler,
by C. de la Berge Essai sur le Rcgne de
Eccles. Hist. i. p. 62 sq (Engl. Trajan p. 208 sq (1877), and (to a
Transl.), who speaks of Trajan's as 'the certain extent) also by Keim Aus dem
first edict' issued with respect to the Urchristenthum p. 171 sq (1878), in
Christians ;
but he does not develope
it. so far as he strongly maintains the early
Its currency in very recent times is distinction of 'Jews' and 'Christians.'
largely due to a paper by Overbeck Wieseler's refutation is the fullest ; but
Ueber die Gesetze der Rdmischen Kaiser Keim has treated the particular point
von Trajan, etc., in his Stiidien zur to which he addresses himself very satisfactorily.
Geschichte der Alien Kirche i. p. 93 sq
In his posthumous work Rom
(1875), who discusses the question at u. das Chrisfettthtwt
p. 512 sq (1881),
length. About the same time Aube in Keim takes a view substantially the same
his Persecutions deVE.glise etc. p. 186 sq as my own. Renan [Les Evangiles p.
(1875) advocated the same view. Some 470) says, 'Trajan fut le premier persecuteur
years before (1866) he had written a
systematique du christianisme,'
paper De la legalite dti Christianisme and again he writes (p. 480) 'A partir de
dans r Empire Ro^nain pendant le premier Trajan, le christianisme est un crime
siecle, in the Acad, des Inscr. Comptes d'Etat;' but these statements are materially
Rendus Nouv. Ser. il.
p. 184 sq (reprinted
qualified by his language else-
in his later work, '
p. 409 sq), where (p. 483), La reponse de Trajan a
which tended in the same direction, and Pline n'etait pas une loi ;
mais elle supposait
he was followed by Dierauer (1868)
des lois et en fixait I'interpreta-
Geschichte Trajans p. 118 sq in Biition.'