pliny 5 Flashcards
Sollemne est mihi, domine, omnia de quibus dubito ad te referre
It is customary for me, master, to refer all things to you that I doubt
Quis enim potest melius uel cunctationem meam regere uel ignorantiam instruere?
Who is better able to guide my hesitation or instruct my ignorance?
Cognitionibus de Chri-stianis interfui numquam: ideo nescio quid et quatenus aut puniri soleat aut quaeri.
I have never attended an investigation of christians; for that reason i dont know to what and to what extent that is customary to be punished or to be investigated
Nec mediocriter haesitaui, sitne aliquod discrimen aetatum, an quamlibet teneri nihil a robu-stioribus differant; detur paenitentiae uenia, an ei, qui omnino Christianus fuit, desisse non prosit; nomen ipsum, si flagitiis careat, an flagitia cohaerentia nomini puniantur.
Nor did I hesitate to a moderate degree whether there should be a distinction of ages or to what extent the young should differ from the old. whether forgiveness should be given for his repentance or whether it should benefit him who was entirely christian to cease. whether the name itself, if it should lack of shameful act or whether adhering to crimes of the name.
Interim, <in> iis qui ad me tamquam Christiani deferebantur, hunc sum secutus modum.</in>
meanwhile in the case of those which were being accused to me as Christians, i followed this measure.
Interrogaui ipsos an essent Christiani. Con-fitentes iterum ac tertio interrogaui supplicium minatus: perseuerantes duci iussi.
I had interrogated them if they were christians. Those confessing, i interrogated a second and third time threatening punishment, and those persisting, I threatened again.
Neque enim dubitabam, qualecum-que esset quod faterentur, pertinaciam certe et inflexibilem obstinationem debere puniri.
For I was not doubting, whatever it was which they confessed to that their certain pertinence and inflexible obstinance ought to be punished
fuerunt alii similis amentiae, quos, quia ciues romani erant, adnotaui in urbem remittendos.
There were others of similar madness whom since they were citizen of Rome I noticed, sending them back to the city
Mox ipso tractatu, ut fieri solet, diffundente se crimine plures species inciderunt.
Soon by the handling itself , as it is customary to happen, with the crime itself spreading, several instances occurred.
Propositus est libellus sine auctore mul-torum nomina continens.
A tiny book without an author was presented containing many names.
Qui negabant esse se Christianos aut fuisse, cum praeeunte me deos adpellarent et imagini tuae, quam propter hoc iusseram cum simulacris numinum adferri, ture ac uino supplicarent, praeterea male dicerent Christo, quorum nihil cogi posse dicuntur qui sunt re uera Christiani, dimittendos putaui.
I thought that those men must be discharged who were denying that those men had been christians, since with me leading the right, they were invoking the gods and making offerings to your image with incense and wine, which I had ordered to be brought forth for this purpose with images of the gods, afterwards they were speaking badly about christ , nothing of which those who are christian in reality are said to be able to be compelled to do.
Alii ab indice nominati esse se Christianos dixerunt et mox negauerunt; fuisse quidem sed desisse, quidam ante triennium, quidam ante plures annos, non nemo etiam ante uiginti.
Some named by another claimed to be christians, but soon denied it; they said they were indeed but had stopped three years ago, stopped several years ago and some over 20 years ago.
<Hi> quoque omnes et imaginem tuam deorumque simulacra uenerati sunt et Christo male dixerunt.
</Hi>
These also all worshiped your image and the image of the gods and spoke badly of christ.
Adfirmabant autem hanc fuisse summam uel culpae suae uel erroris, quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem conuenire, carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum inuicem seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere, sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fal-lerent, ne depositum adpellati abnegarent.
However, they were affirming this had been the extent of either their offense of their error, because they had been accustomed to meet on a designated day before daybreak, they had been accustomed to sing a hymn to Christ as if to a god and to bound themselves by an oath not directed to a crime or evil,
but not to commit theft, or adultery, they bind themselves not to betray faith, and to bind themselves not to deny a deposit having been called.
Quibus peractis morem sibi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capiendum cibum, promiscuum tamen et innoxium; quod ipsum facere desisse post edictum meum, quo secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse uetueram.
With these things having been done, they were affirming that it had been their custom of leaving and of coming together back again for the purpose of eating food, common however harmless; a thing which they had put a stop to according to my edict, the edict by which I had prohibited that there be Greek eating houses according to your (Trajan’s) orders.
