and inflexible obstinacy, at all
events should be punished. There were others guilty of like folly, whom
I set aside to be sent to Rome, because they were Roman citizens. In the
next place, when this crime began, as usual, gradually to spread, it
showed itself in a variety of ways. An indictment was set forth without
any author, containing the names of many who denied that they were
Christians or ever had been; and, when I set the example, they called on
the gods, and made offerings of frankincense and wine to your image,
which I, for this purpose, had ordered to be brought out, together with
the images of the gods. Moreover, they cursed Christ; none of which acts
can be extorted from those who are really Christians. I consequently
gave orders that they should be discharged. Again, others, who have been
informed against, said that they were Christians, and afterwards denied
it; that they had been so once but had ceased to be so, some three years
ago, some longer than that, some even twenty years before; all of these
worshipped your image, and the statues of the gods; they also cursed
Christ. But they asserted that this was the sum total of their crime or
error, whichever it may be called, that they were used to come together
on a stated day before it was light, and to sing in turn, among
themselves, a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and to bind themselves by an
oath--not to anything wicked--but that they would not commit theft,
robbery, or adultery, nor break their word, nor deny that anything had
been entrusted to them when called upon to restore it. After this they
said that it was their custom to separate, and again to meet together to
take their meals, which were in common and of a harmless nature; but
that they had ceased even to do this since the proclamation which I
issued according to your commands, forbidding such meetings to be held.
I therefore deemed it the more necessary to enquire of two servant
maids, who were said to be attendants, what was the real truth, and to
apply the torture. But I found that it was nothing but a bad and
excessive superstition, and I consequently adjourned the inquiry, and
consulted you upon the subject. For it seemed to me to be a matter on
which it was desirable to take advice, in consequence of the number of
those who are in danger. For there are many of every age, of every rank,
and even of both sexes, who are invited to incur the danger, and will
still be invited. For the infectio