3.33.1
XXXIII. τοσοῦτός γε μὴν ἐν πλείοσι τόποις ὁ καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐπετάθη τότε διωγμός, ὡς Πλίνιον Σεκοῦνδον, ἐπισημότατον ἡγεμόνων, ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν μαρτύρων κινηθέντα, βασιλεῖ κοινώσασθαι περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως ἀναιρουμένων, δ’ ἐν ταὐτῷ μηνῦσαι μηδὲν ἀνόσιον μηδὲ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους πράττειν κατειληφέναι, πλὴν τό γε ἅμα τῆ ἕῳ διεγειρομένους τὸν Χριστὸν θεοῦ δίκην ὑμνεῖν, τὸ δὲ μοιχεύειν καὶ φονεύειν καὶ τὰ συγγενῆ τούτοις ἀθέμιτα πλημμελήματα καὶ αὐτοὺς ἀπαγορεύειν πάντα τε πράττειν ἀκολούθως τοῖς νόμοις· πρὸς ἃ τὸν Τραϊανὸν δόγμα τοιόνδε τεθεικέναι, τὸ χριστιανῶν φῦλον μὴ ἐκζητεῖσθαι μέν, ἐμπεσὸν δὲ χριστιανῶν δι’ οὗ ποσῶς μὲν τοῦ διωγμοῦ σβεσθῆναι τὴν ἀπειλὴν σφοδρότατα ἐγκειμένην, οὐ χεῖρόν γε μὴν τοῖς κακουργεῖν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐθέλουσιν λείπεσθαι προφάσεις, ἔσθ’ ὅπη μὲν τῶν δήμων, ἔσθ’ ὅπῃ δὲ καὶ τῶν κατὰ χώρας ἀρχόντων τὰς καθ’ ἡμῶν συσκευαζομένων ἐπιβουλάς, ὡς καὶ ἄνευ προθανῶν διωγμῶν μερικοὺς κατ’ ἐπαρχίαν ἐξάπτεσθαι πλείους τε τῶν πιστῶν διαφόροις ἐναγωνίζεσθαι μαρτυρίοις. εἴληπται δ’ ἡ ἱστορία ἐξ ἧς ἀνώτερον δεδηλώκαμεν τοῦ Τερτυλλιανοῦ Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἀπολογίας, ἧς ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον “ καίτοι εὑρήκαμεν καὶ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐπιζήτησιν κεκωλυμένην. Πλίνιος γὰρ Σεκοῦνδος ἡγούμενος ἐπαρχίου κατακρίνας Χριστιανούς τινας καὶ τῆς ἀξίας ἐκβαλών, ταραχθεὶς τῷ πλήθει, διὸ ἠγνόει τί αὐτῷ λοιπὸν εἴη πρακτέον, Τραϊανῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀνεκοινώσατο λέγων ἔξω τοῦ μὴ βούλεαθαι αὐτοὺς ἀνεκοινώσατο οὐδὲν ἀνόσιον ἐν αὐτοῖς εὑρηκέναι· ἐμήνυεν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ἀνίστασθαι ἕωθεν τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς καὶ τὸν χριστὸν θεοῦ δίκην ὑμνεῖν καὶ πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐπιστήμην αὐτῶν διαφυλάσσειν κωλύεσθαι φονεύειν, μοιχεύειν, πλεονεκτεῖν, ἀποστερεῖν καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὅμοια. πρὸς ταῦτα ἀντέγραφεν Τραϊανὸς τὸ τῶν χριστιανῶν φῦλον μὴ ἐκζητεῖσθαι μέν, ἐμπεσὸν δὲ κολάζεσθαι.” καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἢν.
XXXIII. The persecution which at that time was extended against us in many places was so great that Plinius Secundus, one of the most distinguished governors, was disturbed at the number of the martyrs, and reported to the emperor the number of those being put to death for the faith, and in the same document mentioned that he understood them to do nothing wicked or illegal except that they rose at dawn to sing to Christ as though to a God, and that they themselves forbade adultery, murder, and similar terrible crimes, and that they did everything in obedience to the law. In answer to this Trajan issued a decree to the effect that the tribe of Christians should not be sought for, but punished when it was met with. By this means the imminent threat of persecution was extinguished to some extent, but none the less opportunities remained to those who wished to harm us. Sometimes the populace, sometimes even the local authorities contrived plots against us, so that, with no less persecution, partial attacks broke out in various provinces and many of the faithful endured martyrdom in various ways. The narrative has been taken from the Latin apology of Tertullian mentioned above, of which the translation is as follows: “Yet we found that this attempt against us was also prevented, for the governor of the province, Pliny Secundus, after condemning certain Christians and depriving them of their rank, was troubled at their number and, not knowing what to do in the future, communicated with the Emperor Trajan, saying that beyond their unwillingness to offer sacrifice to idols, he had found nothing wicked in them. He also mentioned that the Christians arose at dawn and sang a hymn to Christ as a God, and in order to preserve their teaching forbade murder, adultery, covetousness, robbery, and suchlike. To this Trajan sent a rescript that the tribe of Christians should not be sought out but punished if met.” Such were the events at that time.