Page:Correspondence of Marcus Cornelius Fronto volume 2 Haines 1920.djvu/317

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MARCUS AURELIUS

man of such sanctity among the Christians as both to cure those who are possessed by demons^[1] and easily heal all other diseases. Having imperative need of him we have sent Valerius and Bassianus representatives of our officials for sacred things, to bring the man to us with all reverence and honour. Accordingly we bid you with your usual firmness to persuade him to come to us with all speed, and you know that this, too, will gain for you no little praise from us. Farewell.

The Letter^[2] of the Emperor Marcus to the Senate in which he testifies that the Christians were the Cause of the Victory of the Romans

? 174 A.D.

1. The Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Germanicus Parthicus Sarmaticus^[3] to the People of the Romans and the Sacred Senate, greeting:

I made known^[4] to you the greatness of my enterprize, and what things I did in Germany after the critical occasion of my being hemmed in on the frontier, in dire distress and suffering, when I was

↑ Marcus in his Thoughts professes disbelief in exorcism (i. 6). This is only one proof out of many that this letter is a Christian forgery. Christian tradition was strongly in favour of Marcus. Baronius early in the seventeenth century had in his possession a letter purporting to be from Abercius to M. Aurelius, which he intended to publish, but lost.
↑ Found at the end of Justin's second Apology.
↑ This title does not seem to have been assumed till 175. The "miraculous victory" took place, as generally held, in 174.
↑ Though this letter is certainly spurious, yet there must have been a report to the senate by Marcus on the remarkable victory gained over the Quadi, of which both Christian and heathen writers make mention. The latter attributed the victory to the prayers or merits of the emperor, the Christians to the intercessions of the soldiers of their religion in the Legio fulminata, called from their success fulminatrix. It is curious, however, that this legion (twelfth) is not mentioned here. The commander was probably Pertinax (see Chronicon Paschale), not Pompeianus, the son-in-law of Marcus. The word δράκοντες (serpents, i.e. standards of cohorts) is also used by Lucian, Quom. Hist. 29. It here stands for the name of the barbarian regiments or divisions (Drungi).

301

[1] Marcus in his Thoughts professes disbelief in exorcism (i. 6). This is only one proof out of many that this letter is a Christian forgery. Christian tradition was strongly in favour of Marcus. Baronius early in the seventeenth century had in his possession a letter purporting to be from Abercius to M. Aurelius, which he intended to publish, but lost.

[2] Found at the end of Justin's second Apology.

[3] This title does not seem to have been assumed till 175. The "miraculous victory" took place, as generally held, in 174.

[4] Though this letter is certainly spurious, yet there must have been a report to the senate by Marcus on the remarkable victory gained over the Quadi, of which both Christian and heathen writers make mention. The latter attributed the victory to the prayers or merits of the emperor, the Christians to the intercessions of the soldiers of their religion in the Legio fulminata, called from their success fulminatrix. It is curious, however, that this legion (twelfth) is not mentioned here. The commander was probably Pertinax (see Chronicon Paschale), not Pompeianus, the son-in-law of Marcus. The word δράκοντες (serpents, i.e. standards of cohorts) is also used by Lucian, Quom. Hist. 29. It here stands for the name of the barbarian regiments or divisions (Drungi).

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