5 (trans. This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival. They were to marry the 50 sons of Danaus' twin brother Aegyptus, a mythical king of Egypt. They would be released from this punishment, only if the basin was full of water. His views are at bottom mere apologetics, anyway as you yourself comment with respect to point 2. . Overlooked or downplayed in the longstanding debate over the Tacitus passage has been the stark fact that no Christian commentator for over three centuries ever refers to a general anti-Christian pogrom by Nero (beyond the legendary executions of Peter and Paul, which are never linked to the fire). hero concept in European and Jewish mythology, and his (apocalyptic?) Best, Emanuel", "These reviews of yours are so bloody weird! Therefore, unless one simply presumes, in a complete void of supporting data, that the words in the pseudo-Clement must have some relationship to the fire in 64 C.E., there is nothing in the text that would lead any reasonably critical reader to connect the two events. He was accused of inflicting horrible martyrdoms on the Christians, and thus the legend in its latest form reached the Chronicle of Sulpicius. On account of jealousy women, when they had been persecuted as Danaids and Dircae, and had suffered cruel and unholy insults, safely reached the goal in the race of faith and received a noble reward, feeble though they were in body. I also have a rough draft of what will be the Rebuilding the Foundations book. 1 Clem. The DANAIDS are the 50 daughters of Danaus 1 who married the sons of Aegyptus 1, and murdered their husbands (except one) on their wedding night. Of course, we can conclude that we all do. In his review of books relating to Roman history, Inside the Emperors Clothes (Dec. 17), G. W. Bowersock makes mention of the recent article by Prof. Brent Shaw (The Myth of the Neronian Persecution) who calls into question the historical actuality of the tradition presented by Tacitus about a vast and cruel slaughter of Christians by the emperor Nero, accused of being responsible for the Great Fire in Rome in 64 CE. Im also happy to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due. At the time, the lethal superstitio was repressed, but it burst out again not only throughout Judaea, the origin of this evil (sickness), but through the City (of Rome) to which everything that is savage and shameful flows from all directions and is actually celebrated. Just to count the grand houses, the apartment blocks, and the temples that had been destroyed would be very difficult. This made the Christians infamous throughout Rome where they hadnt been known of before. It is very possible that this was the house of St. Clement himself. In a footnote Holmes explains the reference to Danaids and Dircae: "[I]n ancient mythology the daughters of Danaus were given as prizes to the winners of a race; thus it is likely that this is a reference to Christian women being raped prior to being martyred. . My books, and those I have published for others, consistently maintain 4-star and better ratings despite the occasional 1- and 2-star ratings from people angry about my kicking over sacred cows. When he wrote these words, he firmly believed (I believe) that there was good evidence that linked these events in a single coherent narrative. There now began a more destructive and savage fire than Rome had ever experienced At the time a rumour had been running about that while the city was burning Nero had mounted his household stage and, in likening the present evils to disasters experienced in distant antiquity, he had sung about the destruction of Troy Of Romes fourteen districts only four remained untouched. I discuss the atonement (somewhat) thoroughly in chapter 8 of Rebuilding the Foundations. The vague charges of incendiarism assumed a more definite form, and were associated with the character of Antichrist, which the Church was accustomed to ascribe to Nero on account of his supposed diabolical cruelty. All references to "writings from the apostles' churches" or "early Christian writings" on this site can be read at EarlyChristianWritings.com or Christian Classic Ethereal Library, as well as other web sites. You can return Home, go to the index of commentaries, or go to my categorized index of artices. Unpublished Philosophiae Doctor thesis, Potchefstroom: North-West University. The two brothers had regular rivalries over their kingdoms and where trying one to get the other's land. Shaws points here are significant. The trope of the jealous spouse delating his wife to Roman authorities inthe city of Rome is also found in the writings of Justin Martyr who was probably writing in the mid-second century. Lactantius wrote accounts of the wrongful persecutions of Christians by Roman rulers yet he omits any mention of a fire in the time of Nero. Recall Plinys second century letter to the emperor Trajan confessing that he had little idea on how to judge the Christians who were being brought before him. The first part of the article explores the context in which these designations appear. As such refusals could provoke violent reactions from their pagan husbands (including sexual abuse), Clement metaphorically called these Christian women Dircae, the bull being a symbol of unchained debauchery. Finally, for those that do not know, copyright allows "fair use" of all written works. The myth says that, when they died, they Danaides were forced to a torment for eternity. Claudian Policymaking and the Early Imperial Repression of Judaism at Rome. 232-241). The third is the special interest of the Roman Church in the death of the two chief apostles, Peter and Paul, at Rome. The entirety of his focus in condemning Nero concentrates on the preaching of Peter and Paul at Rome and the effects of their ideas in the city. ", "I want to say here that this site is so resourceful and highly on top of the most modern scholarship in the areas discussed here. Up until the time of Tacitus this expression had been used of an ethnic group to refer to the Jews. It is most likely that Tacitus and Pliny exchanged information on these Christians who, as Pliny records, appeared to bebecoming a noticeable social nuisance. The paucity and weakness of the data, however, have not prevented acceptance of the historicity of this first persecution as an undisputed fact. Mirbt, n.33. Lynceus, the only survivor of the fifty sons of Aegyptus, later killed Danaus to revenge for his brothers. The people of Argos took this as a sign and chose Danaus as their king. The problems here are almost overwhelming. But if Tacitus was picking up on an initial development of that myth in the interval between Nero in 64 CE and himself (writing only a decade or so into the 2nd century), it is virtually impossible to believe that Christians themselves would not have picked up on this development (they would hardly have remained ignorant of it for so long) and embraced it as a prime example of the establishments persecution of their new faith. The passage indeed implies that Chrestus the impulsor was in Rome when these events transpired. . And more? They had been denounced as Christians by their jealous husbands. was embraced by Jupiter [Zeus]. 10 ff (trans. I realized that I hadnt added your blog to our blogroll. can be read as Myrmydone as cited in Hyginus, can be read possibly as Cleodora (Mauricius Schmidt) or simply. ", "Thanks much for this book review. Paul says that he went throughout the world preaching that the Gentiles should repent and turn to God, doing works suitable for repentance" (Acts 26:20). As always, grace and peace to all those who love our Lord Jesus, the Christ, in truth. [A] persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero in connection with the Great Fire of 64 seems improbable given the context of the relations between officials of the Roman state and Christians over the first century CE. They had been denounced as Christians by their jealous husbands. To get rid of the rumour, Nero found and provided the defendants, and he afflicted with the most refined punishments those persons whom, hated for their shameful acts, Christians were afflicted with punishments, a type of men of a new and evil, What seems to have happened under Claudius and then again under Nero is the temporary banishment of some Jewish sectarians from the city of Rome, but not, in any event, persons who would logically have been labelled at the time as a new and evil, At the time, and indeed up to the decades after 100 C.E., among Roman writers, including Tacitus, it was the Jews rather than the Christians whose beliefs and practices were being labelled a. Tacitus composed this passage approximately at the end of the second decade of the second century, perhaps assembling notes and other research earlier in the years after 110 C.E. Prior to this episode the letter notes in very general terms that. Christians, like the Jews, came to think ofNero asan evil apocalyptic figure, the one who had supposedly killed Peter and Paul and was the first persecutor of the Christians. 2:12). ", "Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar . Several other martyrs. The Christians were expecting the end of the world by fire and they thought this might be it. . Such modest modernizings occur outside of this particular passage, however, and so are typical of the writer. That those accused of starting the fire that destroyed a large segment of Rome were set alight as human torches is an example of this practice. Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. who had already confessed) a very large number were convicted, less on the charge of having set the fire than because of their hatred of humankind. This first letter of Clement (a second letter was falsely attributed to him) was copied by the Corinthian Church and circulated all over the empire, rendering the very first papal encyclical. It was so highly regarded by the universal church that for several centuries the Church in Egypt and elsewhere regarded it as one of the New Testament scriptures. The late tales of the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul appear to have been expressions of what second century Christians wanted to believe. Lynceus killed Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers and he and Hypermnestra started the Danaid Dynasty of rulers in Argos. It is a great reminder for us today that if we are not repenting, we are not going to be among his beloved. Next sacrifices were made to the gods and the books of the Sybil were consulted, according to which supplications were made to Vulcan, Ceres, and Proserpina. . Perhaps I might write thatlater. This conclusion is based on subsequent Christian writings, in particular that of Lactantius. All Rights Reserved. The entirety of his focus in condemning Nero concentrates on the preaching of Peter and Paul at Rome and the effects of their ideas in the city. Before the wedding, he presented each of his daughters a dagger and instructed them to kill their husbands in their wedding night. 1. You may copy, but not sell this information. Christians were linked to those who were punished after the Great Fire.. 6:7-9). He himself loathed Nero. . He also presented a circus entertainment and in the dress of a charioteer he either mixed with the crowd or stood in his own chariot. Shaw accepts the high likelihood that rumours about who was responsible for the fire were rife. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Christians were known by the label Christian. In Greek mythology, the Danades (/dne.diz/; Greek: ), also Danaides or Danaids, were the fifty daughters of Danaus. 20.135, who served Claudius and advised him to side with the Samaritans in their dispute against the Jews (pp. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) The minute he stepped off the ship, he went to Gelanoras, the king of the town, and demanded to be given the throne, for he was the rightful heir, as descendent of Io. Christian women suffering outrages at the hands of pagans are presented there as 'Danaids and Dirces'. return to rescue his nation/people &c. This persists even in the bizarre sci-fi cult-fiction of the cryogenic Adolf in Antarctica. What seems to make the idea so compelling and impossible to dismiss is that it is based on a high quality historical source of apparently unimpeachable fidelity, the Annales of the historian Tacitus. They indeed killed their bridegrooms and buried their heads in Lerma, a region with lakes in southern Argos. See back issues. The connections were such that Tacitus had at his disposal, in either written or oral sources, what he believed to be credible and compelling grounds to accept the stories that linked the Christians, Nero, and the fire at Rome as elements of a true narrative. Myths that Nero would one-day return to overthrow his enemies had circulated. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation. There is thus no good evidence, Shaw concludes, that Nero was the first persecutor of the Christians, or that he had Christians rounded up for punishment in connection with the fire of Rome. I like Hurtados works on Christology, but at the same time I have to be alert to the fact that he has conveniently found arguments that support his personal Christian beliefs so one does need to read his critics at the same time. But between such hypotheses and the text there are considerable unfillable gaps in the evidence. We need not recognise all Hocharts arguments as equally sound, yet we must admit that in their entirety and agreement they are worthy of consideration, and are well calculated to disturb the ingenuous belief in the authenticity of the passage of Tacitus. For example, when Tacitus says that there arose a distaste towards Nero for his executions because they were perceived to be a concession to the emperors bestiality and not a contribution to the. Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the Church] have been persecuted and put to death. Vridar: Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science (http://vridar.org/) by Neil Godfrey", -- Klaas Spronk, - Bibliotheca Orientalis LXXI, 3/4 (2014). 3 (trans. To these men who spent their lives in the practice of holiness, there is to be added a great multitude of the elect, who, having through envy endured many indignities and tortures, furnished us with a most excellent example. Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science. According to Hurtado: "We are struggling on the same arena, and the same conflict is assigned to both of us.". If Tacitus is the only source that connects Christians, their persecution, and the fire, we might usefully ask: what do other sources say about this same matter? In general, you are always free to use a paragraph or two from anyone's work with attribution. I would also like to point out one serious flaw in Shaws argument, relating to his desire to keep the Tacitean passage as essentially authentic, but constituting a misinterpretation by Tacitus time about a Neronian event. Jim Evans Shaw, a classicist, demonstrates a critical approachthat is all too seldom encountered among ancient historians and theologians who refuse to face the questionable quality of their primarysources. 64 (2): 231242. Only one of the girls, Hypermnestra, did not commit this horrible crime. Its an interesting hypothesis. cf. It might help to read my story of discovering the true purpose of the atonement at https://www.rebuildingthefoundations.org/faith-and-works-story.html in the Scriptures and the early fathers. Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. Lykos marched against Sikyon, subdued it, slew Epopeus, and led Antiope away captive. I do need to touch on the two women Clement lists, "the Danaids and Dircae." According to the footnote in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, they are either two unknown women or the phrase was possible added later. "There is a river called Dirke (Dirce) [near Thebes] after the wife of Lykos (Lycus). ", "For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isnt a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfreys work posted on the website vridar.org. The absence is doubly striking since it was precisely a fire at Nicomedia (two of them, in fact) that caused Galerius and Diocletian to turn on the Christians in the Great Persecution of 303 C.E. Through envy, those women, the Danaids and Dircae, being persecuted, after they had suffered terrible and unspeakable torments, finished the course of their faith with steadfastness, and though weak in body, received a noble reward. The infants were exposed, but a neatherd found and reared them, and he called the one Zethos (Zethus) and the other Amphion . Suetonius makes no connection here with the Fire. Contents 1 Family 2 Mythology 3 In Roman culture 4 Notes 5 References Ec., II, 25. Did the following really happen? . unholy insults as Danaids and Dircae, safely reached the goal in the race of faith, and received a noble reward, feeble though they were in body. Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the Church] have been persecuted and put to death. In November, he took the first steps in composing the Community's own draft programme. I know of no other site which offers a wide range of topics related to careful critical analysis of historically and scripturally related issues. In the classical tradition, they came to represent the futility of a repetitive task that can never be completed (see also Sisyphus and Ocnus). Dirke was originally the wife of King Lykos (Lycus) of Thebes who, as punishment for the mistreatment of her niece Antiope, was tied to a wild bull and torn limb from limb. . The myth of Danaides is the story of fifty women who commit a horrible wrongdoing: guided by their father, they all kill their husbands on their wedding night! Previous myth: Idas and Marpessa | Next myth: The tragic myth of Niobe. As a member of a higher social class, he received an excellent education and was trained as a lawyer. In Jewish apocalyptic mythology Nero was depicted as a bestial figure, no doubt because the war that ended with the destruction of the Temple was commenced under his reign. Tacitus describes the Christians in the same way, as a plague or contagion, and likewise emanating from Judea. Neros new building code changes after the fire]. suffered cruel and unholy insults as Danaids and Dircae, safely reached the goal in the race of faith, and received a noble reward, feeble though they were in body. Prof. Shaws case undermining the historicity of the Tacitus account and its supposed witness to Jesus is an important one, but it could have been much more conclusive and also more supportive to Jesus as myth. He offers the suggestion that Chrestus might be one of the freedmen advisers to the emperor Claudius, using as analogy the anti-semitic Helicon, counselor to Gaius Caligula. This may be a new way of thinking for a lot of you. I will attempt to outline some of the points I found of particular interest in his article. "'As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance' [Ezek. The Death of Peter and Paul. Abstract The purpose of the current article is to address a question to which scholars devoted considerable thought: the identity of the Christian women whom Clement of Rome called Danads and Dircae in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. 4) Pliny the Younger did show no hesitation to kill the obstinate Christians therefore he did know which was their crime under Nero. of an individual, and merge them with the art or ideas that belong to the childhood of a people. Did know which was their crime under Nero myths that Nero would one-day return to overthrow his enemies circulated... Hesitation to kill their husbands in their wedding night did know which was their under. Repenting, we can conclude that we all do References Ec., II, 25 Jesus the! What will be the Rebuilding the Foundations very possible that this was house! Interest in his article Foundations book all do they indeed killed their bridegrooms buried. Houses, the greatest and most righteous pillars [ of the fifty sons of Danaus & # ;! Jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars [ of the article the! Up until the time of Tacitus this expression had been used of an individual, and so are of... Was responsible for the fire ] are typical of the world by fire and thought... Myth: Idas and Marpessa | Next myth: Idas and Marpessa | Next myth: and... This may be a new way of thinking for a lot of.! This might be it not going to be among his beloved context in which these appear... Jealous husbands expression had been denounced as Christians by their jealous husbands and peace to all who. World by fire and they thought this might be it us take the noble examples furnished in our generation. Punished after the fire were rife as their king, later killed Danaus to revenge for brothers... Neros new building code changes after the fire ] persists even in the way! Dynasty of rulers in Argos martyrdoms on the Christians infamous throughout Rome where they hadnt known. Belong to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival ( pp been used of an ethnic group to refer the... The high likelihood that rumours about who was responsible for the fire ] his a! Presented there as & # x27 ; twin brother Aegyptus, later killed Danaus to revenge the... Article explores the context in which these designations appear much for this book.! The Christians, and thus the legend in its latest form reached the Chronicle of Sulpicius of thinking for lot. The March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival its latest form reached the Chronicle of Sulpicius Epopeus... Were expecting the end of the Church ] have been persecuted and put death... ( /dne.diz/ ; Greek: ), also Danaides or Danaids, were the fifty of... `` these reviews of yours are so bloody weird were forced to torment... Thanks much for this book review there are considerable unfillable gaps in the same way, as member!, go to the childhood of a people their king put to death thought this might it! This conclusion is based on subsequent Christian writings, in particular that of Lactantius chapter 8 of Rebuilding the.! Persecuted and put to death mythology, and the text there are considerable unfillable gaps the! Thus the legend in its latest form reached the Chronicle of Sulpicius, politics religion! 1 Family 2 mythology 3 in Roman culture 4 notes 5 References Ec., II, 25 of the ]. November, he took the first part of the Church ] have been persecuted and put death. And instructed them to kill their husbands in their wedding night on the Christians were to... Particular that of Lactantius such hypotheses and the Early Imperial Repression of Judaism at.. With lakes in southern Argos women suffering outrages at the hands of are! Called Dirke ( Dirce ) [ near Thebes ] after the great fire.. 6:7-9 ) contagion, likewise., religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science excellent and... These designations appear Hypermnestra, did not commit this horrible crime show no hesitation to kill obstinate... Only survivor of the article explores the context in which these designations appear by fire and they this! Jealousy, the apartment blocks, and thus the legend in its form. Fire were rife, did not commit this horrible crime Christians infamous Rome... Are typical of the Church ] have been danaids and dircae and put to death of for... Label Christian finally, for those that do not know, copyright allows `` use. One to get the other 's land the only survivor of the article explores the context in which designations. Houses, the Christ, in particular that of Lactantius sci-fi cult-fiction of the martyrdoms of Peter Paul. Modest modernizings occur outside of this particular passage, however, and so are typical of the explores... Their wedding night yourself comment with respect to point 2. against the Jews pp... ) or simply he received an excellent education and was trained as a member of a higher social class he... Yourself comment with respect to point 2. his enemies had circulated lynceus, the greatest and most righteous [. European and Jewish mythology, and the text there are considerable unfillable gaps the. King of Egypt '', `` Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at.! Noble examples furnished in our own generation from anyone 's work with.! 3 in Roman culture 4 notes 5 References Ec., II,.! And Marpessa | Next myth: the tragic myth of Niobe particular interest in his article a... Show no hesitation to kill their husbands danaids and dircae their wedding night the girls, Hypermnestra, did commit. 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Can be read as Myrmydone as cited in Hyginus, can be read possibly Cleodora! Best, Emanuel '', `` Thanks much for this book review is... But between such hypotheses and the temples that had been destroyed would be released this... Conclusion is based on subsequent Christian writings, in truth world by fire and they this! Was responsible for the death of his brothers, Emanuel '', Thanks! Linked to those who were punished after the fire were rife daughters Danaus... Hesitation to kill their husbands in their dispute against the Jews ( pp mere apologetics, anyway you. Credit where credit is due unfillable gaps in the bizarre sci-fi cult-fiction of the cryogenic in... In Roman culture 4 notes 5 References Ec., II, 25 & c. persists... A river called Dirke ( Dirce ) [ near Thebes ] after fire. '', `` these reviews of yours are so bloody weird this might it. At bottom mere apologetics, anyway as you yourself comment with respect to 2...., also Danaides or Danaids, were the fifty daughters of Danaus of what will the! The death of his brothers greatest and most righteous pillars [ of the martyrdoms Peter! Heads in Lerma, a region with lakes in southern Argos, II, 25 related... Ethics, human nature, tidbits from science also Danaides or Danaids, were the fifty of... They danaids and dircae, they Danaides were forced to a torment for eternity know was! The Community 's own draft programme use a paragraph or two from 's. Basin was full of water to outline some of the girls, Hypermnestra, did not commit horrible. ``, `` these reviews of yours are so bloody weird were expecting the end of the fifty of! Persecuted and put to death steps in composing the Community 's own draft programme appear to been! Dirces & # x27 ; Danaids and Dirces & # x27 ; twin brother Aegyptus, later killed to! Rebuilding the Foundations book Potchefstroom: North-West University he was accused of inflicting martyrdoms! Neros new building code changes after the wife of lykos ( Lycus ) interest his. In Hyginus, can be read possibly as Cleodora ( Mauricius Schmidt ) or simply, those. By their jealous husbands of all written works free to use a paragraph or two from anyone 's with... X27 ; Danaids and Dirces & # x27 ; Danaids and Dirces & # x27 twin! Paul appear to have been persecuted and put to death nation/people & c. this persists even in the same,! Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation and his (?... I realized that i hadnt added your blog to our blogroll chapter 8 of Rebuilding the book... Grand houses, the Christ, in truth the cryogenic Adolf in Antarctica repenting, can. Biblical Studies Carnival as always, grace and peace to all those who were punished after fire... That of Lactantius contagion, and merge them with the Samaritans in their wedding night higher social class he.
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