apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

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THE CHURCH AND THE EMPIRE
UNDER
HADRIAN, PIUS, AND MARCUS.
In an earlier part of this volume I have collected some notices
relating to the martyrdoms under Trajan (p. 50 sq). I
purpose now
gathering together passages from Heathen and Christian writers which
throw light on the history of the persecutions, and more generally on the
relations of the Church and the Empire, during the reigns of the three
succeeding sovereigns, Hadrian and the two Antonines. These four
of the Roman
reigns together comprise a complete epoch in the history
Empire and its relations to the Church were
; substantially the same
throughout this period. The accession of Commodus, though a disaster
for the Empire, was a boon to the Church.
This collection of illustrative passages may be ranged under four
heads: (i) Imperial letters and ordinances relating to or affecting
Christianity; (2) Acts and notices of martyrdoms; (3) Passages from
Heathen writers, containing notices of the Christians; (4) Passages
from Christian writers illustrating the points at issue.
I. IMPERIAL LETTERS AND ORDINANCES.
(i)
Hadrian [a.d. 117— 138].
(a) Rescript
to Minucius Fundamis.
Exemplum Epistolae hnperatoris Adriani
ad Minntium Ftindanufit Proconstt-
. .
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le»i Asiae.
MiNOYKia) QoynAanoj.
Accepi litteras ad me scriptas ^ETncnoXrjv id€$dfX7]i> ypa(j>el(rdv
a decessore tuo Sereno Graniano, /xoi oltto SetpTyvtov rpaj'tavov, \a/x-