I really thought there was some Christian burning in History of The World: Part I, but I was wrong.
Nov 3– Pliny’s letter to Emperor Trajan and Trajan’s response
Summary: Some people might be Christians! Hard to tell. They don't really do anything. Better torture some slaves just to be safe. Also, don't trust anonymous informants.
Commentary: I like how Pliny just sounds totally clueless here. "I know I'm supposed to punish Christians, and I wouldn't want to not punish someone... But I don't really know how to find them. Or what they do. Or what to do with them after I find them... I tortured some slaves just in case. Also, anyone obstinate. Please advise."
And then Emperor Trajan writes back (not in the selection, despite the fact that it's only another paragraph added to an already very short reading) and is like, "Don't worry about it too much. You can punish them if you find any, but if they repent don't bother." The best part is: "Anonymous informations ought not to be received in any sort of prosecution. It is introducing a very dangerous precedent, and is quite foreign to the spirit of our age." Unlike, evidently, torturing slaves just to be safe.
This whole thing read like a satire.
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