 Section 21 of The Great Events by Famous Historians. Volume 3. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Avahi in September 2019. The Great Events by Famous Historians. Volume 3. Edited by Charles F. Horne, Rosetta Johnson and John Rudd. Section 79. Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, by Pliny. Among the historic calamities of the world, none has gathered about itself more human interest, whether in connection with the study of ancient cities and customs or in the calling forth of sympathy through the magical treatment of imaginative literature, then the destruction of Pompeii and her colonnayum by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which occurred at the beginning of the reign of Titus. The eruption was accompanied by an earthquake, and the combination of natural commotions caused a complete ruin and burial of the two cities. One of the most vivid descriptions of the catastrophe is that given in the account of Dion Cassius. Among those who perished in the disaster was the elder Pliny, the celebrated naturalist. And the most famous narrative of the eruption is that here given of Pliny the Younger, nephew of the other, in the two letters which he wrote to Tacitus in order to supply that historian with accurate details. Litten's well-known last days of Pompeii, although a work of imagination, deals with this subject in a manner which almost simulates the realistic tale of an actual observer. And his account, linking the calamity itself with the revelations of the earlier explorers of the buried city, after so many centuries had passed, well deserves a place in connection with the story of the older and more circumstantial writer. One of the earliest important discoveries at Pompeii, made in 1771, was that of the Villa of Diomedes, named from the tomb of Marcus Aries Diomedes across the street. Since then, every decade has seen some progress in the work of excavation, and among other buildings brought to light are the House of Pansa, the House of the Tragic Poet, the House of Celastius, the Castor and Pollux, a double house, and the House of the Vettii, the last, a recent discovery, being left with all its furnishings as found. Many interesting objects have been discovered lately, and a complete picture can now be presented of a small Italian city and its life in the first century AD. Valuable finds are wall paintings, illustrative of decorative art, floor mosaics, etc., which may be seen in the Royal Museum of Naples. Another of the most recent discoveries is that of the temple of Venus Pompeiana in the southern corner of the city. Others are the remains of persons who, carrying valuables, perished in a wayside inn where they had sought refuge. At the present time about one-half of the city has been excavated, and the circuit of the walls has been found to be about two miles. The uncovering of the whole city will probably require many years. Excavations now being made in the adjacent country promise results as interesting as those already obtained within the city limits. Pliny. Your request that I would send you an account of my uncle's death, in order to transmit a more exact relation of it to posterity, deserves my acknowledgement. For, if this accident shall be celebrated by your pen, the glory of it, I am well assured, will be rendered forever illustrious. And notwithstanding he perished by a misfortune, which, as it involved at the same time a most beautiful country in ruins, and destroyed so many populous cities, seems to promise him an everlasting remembrance. Notwithstanding he has himself composed many and lasting works. Yet I am persuaded the mentioning of him in your immortal writings will greatly contribute to render his name immortal. Happy I esteem those to be, to whom by provision of the gods has been granted the ability either to do such actions as are worthy of being related, or to relate them in a manner worthy of being read. But peculiarly happy are they who are blessed with both these uncommon talents, in the number of which my uncle, as his own writings and your history will evidently prove, may justly be ranked. It is with extreme willingness, therefore, that I execute your commands, and should indeed have claimed the task if you had not enjoined it. He was at that time with the fleet under his command at Misenem. On the twenty-fourth of August, about one in the afternoon, my mother desired him to observe a cloud which appeared of a very unusual size and shape. He had just taken a turn in the sun, and, after bathing himself in cold water and making a light luncheon, gone back to his books. He immediately arose and went out upon a rising ground from whence he might get a better sight of this very uncommon appearance. A cloud, from which mountain was uncertain at this distance, but it was found afterward to come from Mount Vesuvius, was ascending, the appearance of which I cannot give you a more exact description of, than by likening it to that of a pine-tree, for it shot up to a great height in the form of a very tall trunk, which spread itself out at the top into a sort of branches. Occasioned, I imagine, either by a sudden gust of air that impelled it, the force of which decreased as it advanced upward, or the cloud itself, being pressed back again by its own weight, expanded in the manner I have mentioned. It appeared sometimes bright and sometimes dark and spotted, according as it was either more or less impregnated with earth and cinders. This phenomenon seemed to a man of such learning and research as my uncle extraordinary and worth further looking into. He ordered a light vessel to be got ready, and gave me leave if I liked to accompany him. I said I rather go on with my work, and it so happened he had himself given me something to write out. As he was coming out of the house, he received a note from Rectina, the wife of Bassus, who was in the utmost alarm at the imminent danger which threatened her, for her villa lying at the foot of Mount Vesuvius there was no way of escape but by sea. She earnestly entreated him therefore to come to her assistance. He accordingly changed his first intention, and what he had begun from a philosophical, he now carried out in a noble and generous spirit. He ordered the galleys to put to sea, and went himself on board with an intention of assisting not only Rectina, but the several other towns which lay thickly strewn along that beautiful coast. Hastening then to the place from whence others fled with the utmost terror, he steered his course direct to the point of danger, and with so much calmness and presence of mind as to be able to make and dictate his observations upon the motion and all the phenomena of that dreadful scene. He was now so close to the mountain that the cinders, which grew thicker and hotter the nearer he approached, fell into the ships, together with pumice stones and black pieces of burning rock. They were in danger too not only of being aground by the sudden retreat of the sea, but also from the vast fragments which rolled down from the mountain and obstructed all the shore. Here he stopped to consider whether he should turn back again, to which the pilot advising him, Fortune, said he, favours the brave, steer to where Pomponianus is. Pomponianus was then at Stabier, separated by a bay which the sea, after several insensible windings, forms with the shore. He had already sent his baggage on board, for though he was not at that time in actual danger, yet being within sight of it, and indeed extremely near, if it should in the least increase he was determined to put to sea as soon as the wind, which was blowing dead in shore, should go down. It was favourable, however, for carrying my uncle to Pomponianus, whom he found in the greatest consternation. He embraced him tenderly, encouraging and urging him to keep up his spirits, and the more effectually to soothe his fears by seeming unconcerned himself, ordered a bath to be got ready, and then, after having bathed, set down to supper with great cheerfulness, or at least, what is just as heroic, with every appearance of it. Meanwhile broad flames shone out in several places from Mount Vesuvius, which the darkness of the night contributed to render still brighter and clearer. But my uncle, in order to soothe the apprehensions of his friend, assured him it was only the burning of the villages, which the country people had abandoned to the flames. After this he retired to rest, and it is most certain he was so little disquieted as to fall into a sound sleep, for his breathing, which, on account of his corpulence, was rather heavy and sonorous, was heard by the attendants outside. The court which led to his apartment being now almost filled with stones and ashes, if he had continued there any time longer, it would have been impossible for him to have made his way out. So he was awoke and got up, and went to Pomponianus and the rest of his company, who were feeling too anxious to think of going to bed. They consulted together whether it would be most prudent to trust to the houses, which now rocked from side to side with frequent and violent concussions, as though shaken from their very foundations, or fly to the open fields, where the calcined stones and cinders, though light indeed, yet fell in large showers and threatened destruction. In distress of dangers they resolved for the fields, a resolution which, while the rest of the company were hurried into by their fears, my uncle embraced upon cool and deliberate consideration. They went out then, having pillows tied upon their heads with napkins, and this was their whole defence against the storm of stones that fell around them. It was now day everywhere else, but there a deeper darkness prevailed than in the thickest night, which, however, was in some degree alleviated by torches and other lights of various kinds. They thought proper to go farther down upon the shore to see if they might safely put out to sea, but found the waves still running extremely high and boisterous. They are my uncle, laying himself down upon a sail-cloth, which was spread for him, called twice for some cold water, which he drank, when immediately the flames, preceded by a strong whiff of sulphur, dispersed the rest of the party and obliged him to rise. He raised himself up with the assistance of two of his servants and instantly fell down dead, suffocated, as I conjecture, by some gross and noxious vapour, having always had a weak throat, which was often inflamed. As soon as it was light again, which was not till the third day after this melancholy accident, his body was found entire and without any marks of violence upon it, in the dress in which he fell and looking more like a man asleep than dead. During all this time, my mother and I, who were at Mycenum, but this has no connection with your history, and you did not desire any particulars besides those of my uncle's death, so I will end here, only adding that I have faithfully related to you what I was either an eyewitness of myself or received immediately after the accident happened and before there was time to vary the truth. You will pick out of this narrative whatever is most important, for a letter is one thing, a history another, it is one thing writing to a friend, another thing writing to the public. Farewell. The letter which, in compliance with your request, I wrote to you concerning the death of my uncle has raised, it seems, your curiosity to know what terrors and dangers attended me while I continued at Mycenum, for there I think my account broke off, though my shocked soul recoils, my tongue shall tell. My uncle, having left us, I spent such time as was left on my studies, it was on their account indeed that I had stopped behind till it was time for my bath. After which I went to supper and then fell into a shortened, uneasy sleep. There had been noticed for many days before a trembling of the earth which did not alarm us much, at this is quite an ordinary occurrence in Campania, but it was so particularly violent that night that it not only shook but actually overturned as it would seem everything about us. My mother rushed into my chamber where she found me rising in order to awaken her. We sat down in the open court of the house which occupied a small space between the buildings and the sea. As I was at the time but eighteen years of age I know not whether I should call my behaviour in this dangerous juncture, courage or folly, but I took up Livy and amused myself with turning over that author and even making extracts from him as if I had been perfectly at my leisure. Just then a friend of my uncles who had lately come to him from Spain joined us and observing me sitting by my mother with a book in my hand reproved her for her calmness and me at the same time for my careless security. Nevertheless I went on with my author. Though now it was now morning the light was still exceeding the faint and doubtful the buildings all around us tottered and though we stood upon open ground yet as the place was narrow and confined there was no remaining without imminent danger. We therefore resolved to quit the town. A panic-stricken crowd followed us and as to a mind distracted with terror every suggestion seems more prudent than its own pressed on us in dense array to drive us forward as we came out. Being at a convenient distance from the houses we stood still in the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. The chariots which we had ordered to be drawn out were so agitated backward and forward though upon the most level ground that we could not keep them steady even by supporting them with large stones. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself and to be driven from its banks by the convulsive motion of the earth it is certain at least the shore was considerably enlarged and several sea animals were left upon it. On the other side a black and dreadful cloud broken with rapid zigzag flashes revealed behind it variously shaped masses of flame these last were like sheet lightning but much larger. Upon this our Spanish friend whom I mentioned above addressing himself to my mother and me with great energy and urgency if your brother, he said if your uncle be safe he certainly wishes you may be so too but if he perished it was his desire no doubt that you might both survive him why therefore do you delay your escape a moment? We could never think of our own safety we said while we were uncertain of his upon this our friend left us and withdrew from the danger with the utmost precipitation soon afterward the cloud began to descend and cover the sea it had already surrounded and concealed the island of Caprié and the promontory of Missenham My mother now besought, urged and even commanded me to make my escape at any rate which as I was young I might easily do as for herself she said her age and copulency rendered all attempts of that sort impossible however she would willingly meet death if she could have the satisfaction of seeing that she was not the occasion of mine but I absolutely refused to leave her and taking her by the hand compelled her to go with me she complied with great reluctance and not without many reproaches to herself for retarding my flight the ashes now began to fall upon us though in no great quantity I looked back a dense dark mist seemed to be following us spreading itself over the country like a cloud let us turn out of the high road I said while we can still see for fear that should we fall in the road we should be pressed to death in the dark by the crowds that are following us we had scarcely sat down when night came upon us not such as we have when the sky is cloudy or when there is no moon but that of a room when it is shut up and all the lights put out you might hear the shrieks of women the screams of children and the shouts of men some calling for their children others for their parents and seeking to recognize each other by the voices that replied one lamenting his own fate another that of his family some wishing to die from the very fear of dying some lifting their hands to the gods but the greater part convinced that there were now no gods at all and that the final endless night of which we have heard had come upon the world among these there were some who augmented the real terrors by others imaginary or willfully invented I remember some who declared that one part of misanum had fallen that another was on fire it was false but they found people to believe them it now grew rather lighter which we imagined to be rather the forerunner of an approaching burst of flames as in truth it was than the return of day the fire fell at a distance from us then again we were immersed in thick darkness and a heavy shower of ashes rained upon us which we were obliged every now and then to stand up to shake off otherwise we should have been crushed and buried in the heap I might boast that during all this scene of horror not a sigh or expression of fear escaped me had not my support been grounded at miserable though mighty consolation that all mankind were involved in the same calamity and that I was perishing with the world itself at last this dreadful darkness was dissipated by degrees like a cloud or a smoke the real day returned and even the sun shone out though with a lurid light like when an eclipse is coming on every object that presented itself to our eyes which were extremely weakened seemed changed being covered deep with ashes as if with snow we returned to Misenham where we refreshed ourselves as well as we could and passed an anxious night between hope and fear though indeed with a much larger share of the latter for the earthquake still continued while many frenzied persons ran up and down heightening their own tens calamities by terrible predictions however my mother and I notwithstanding the danger we had passed and that which still threatened us had no thoughts of leaving the place till we could receive some news of my uncle and now you will read this narrative without any view of inserting it in your history of which it is not in the least worthy and indeed you must put it down to your own request why should appear not worth even the trouble of a letter farewell end of section 21 section 22 of the great events by famous historians volume 3 this is a LibriVox recording our LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Colleen McMahon the great events by famous historians volume 3 edited by Charles F. Horn Rossiter Johnson and John Rudd destruction of Pompeii AD 79 by Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton the amphitheater at Pompeii was crowded to the doors a lion was at large in the arena and the populace surged toward an Egyptian priest, Arbasis demanding that he be thrown down to be devoured by the tent on his death Arbasis noted a strange and awful apparition his craft made him courageous he stretched forth his hand behold he shouted with a voice of thunder which stilled the roar of the crowd behold how the gods protect the guiltless the fires of the avenging orcas burst forth against the false witness of my accusers the eyes of the crowd followed the gesture of the Egyptian and beheld within effable dismay a vast vapor shooting from the summit of Vesuvius in the form of a gigantic pine tree the trunk, blackness, the branches fire a fire that shifted and wavered in its hues with every moment now fiercely luminous now of a dull and dying red that again blazed terrifically forth with intolerable glare there was a dead heart-sunk in silence through which there suddenly broke the roar of the lion which was echoed back from within the building by the sharper and fiercer yells of its fellow beast dread seers were they of the burden of the atmosphere and wild prophets of the wrath to come then there arose on high the universal shrieks of women the men stared at each other but were dumb at that moment they felt the earth shake beneath their feet the walls of the theater trembled and beyond in the distance they heard the crash of falling roofs an instant more and the mountain clouds seemed to roll toward them dark and rapid like a torrent at the same time it cast forth from its bosom a shower of ashes mixed with vast fragments of burning stone over the crushing vines over the desolate streets over the amphitheater itself far and wide with many a mighty splash in the agitated sea fell that awful shower no longer thought the crowd of justice or of our bases safety for themselves was their sole thought turned to fly each dashing pressing crushing against the other trampling recklessly over the fallen amid groans and oaths and prayers and sudden shrieks the enormous crowd vomited itself forth through the numerous passages withers should they fly some anticipating a second earthquake hastened to their homes to load themselves with their more costly goods and escape while it was yet time others dreading the showers of ashes that now fell fast torrent upon torrent over the streets rushed under the roofs of the nearest houses or temples or sheds shelter of any kind for protection from the terrors of the open air but darker and larger and mightier spread the cloud above them it was a sudden and more ghastly night rushing upon the realm of noon meanwhile the streets were already thinned the crowd had hastened to disperse itself under shelter the ashes began to fill up the lower parts of the town but here and there you heard the steps of fugitives crunching them warily or saw their pale and haggard faces by the blue glare of the lightning or the more unsteady glare of torches by which they endeavored to steer their steps but ever and anon the boiling water or the straggling ashes mysterious and gusty winds rising and dying in a breath extinguished these wandering lights and with them the last living hope of those who bore them amid the other horrors the mighty mountain now cast up columns of boiling water blend and needed with the half burning ashes the streams fell like seething mud over the streets and frequent intervals and full where the priests of Isis had now cowered around the altars on which they had vainly sought to kindle fires and poor incense one of the fiercest of those deadly torrents mangled with immense fragments of scoria had poured its rage over the bended forms of the priests it dashed that cry had been of death that silence had been of eternity the ashes the pitchy stream sprinkled the altars covered the pavement and half concealed the quivering corpses of the priests in proportion as the blackness gathered did the lightnings around Vesuvius increase in their vivid and scorching glare nor was their horrible beauty confined to the usual hues of fire no rainbow ever rivaled their varying and prodigal dyes now brightly blue as the most azure depth of a southern sky now of a livid and snake-like green darting restlessly to and fro as the folds of an enormous serpent now of a lurid and intolerable crimson gushing forth through the columns of smoke far and wide and lighting up the whole city from arch to arch then suddenly dying into a sickly mass like the ghost of their own life in the pauses of the showers you heard the rumbling of the earth beneath and the groaning waves of the tortured sea or lower still and audible but to the watch of intense fear the grinding and hissing murmur of the escaping gases through the chasms of the distant mountain sometimes the cloud appeared to break from its solid mass and by the lightning to assume quaint and vast mimicries of human or of monster shapes striding across the gloom hurtling one upon the other and vanishing swiftly into the turbulent abyss of shade so that to the eyes and fancies of the affrighted wanderers the unsubstantial vapors were as the bodily forms of gigantic foes the agents of terror and of death the ashes in many places were already knee deep and the boiling showers which came from the steaming breath of the volcano forced their way into the houses bearing with them a strong and suffocating vapor in some places immense fragments of rock hurled upon the house roofs bore down along the streets masses of confused ruin which yet more and more with every hour obstructed the way and as the day advanced the motion of the earth was more sensibly felt the footing seemed to slide and creep nor could chariot or litter be kept steady even on the most level ground sometimes the huger stones striking against each other as they fell broke into countless fragments emitting sparks of fire which caught whatever was combustible within their reach and along the plains beyond the city the darkness was now terribly relieved for several houses and even vineyards had been set on flames and at various intervals the fires rose sullenly and fiercely against the solid gloom to add to this partial relief of the darkness the citizens had here and there in the more public places as the porticoes of temples and the entrances to the forum endeavored to place rows of torches but these rarely continued long the showers and the winds extinguished them and the sudden darkness into which their sudden birth was converted had something in it doubly terrible and doubly impressing on the impotence of human hopes the lesson of despair frequently by the momentary light of these torches parties of fugitives encountered each other some harrying toward the sea others flying from the sea back to the land for the ocean had retreated rapidly from the shore and utter darkness lay over it and upon its groaning and tossing waves the storm of cinders and rock fell without the protection which the streets and roofs afforded to the land wild haggard ghastly with supernatural fears these groups encountered each other but without the leisure to speak to consult to advise the showers fell now frequently though not continuously extinguishing the lights which showed to each band the death like faces of the other and harrying all to seek refuge beneath the nearest shelter the whole elements of civilization were broken up ever in a non by the flickering lights you saw the thief hastening by the most solemn authorities of the law laden with and fearfully chuckling over the produce of his sudden gains if in the darkness wife was separated from husband or parent from child vain was the hope of reunion each hurried blindly and confused Leon nothing in all the various and complicated machinery of social life was left save the primal law of self preservation in parts where the ashes lay dry and uncommixed with the boiling torrents cast upward from the mountain at capricious intervals the surface of the earth presented a leprous and ghastly in other places cinder and rock lay matted in heaps from beneath which emerged the half hid limbs of some crushed and mangled fugitive the groans of the dying were broken by wild shrieks of women's terror now near now distant which when heard in the utter darkness were rendered doubly appalling by the crushing sense of helplessness and the uncertainty of the perils around and clear and distinct through all where the mighty disnoises from the fatal mountain its rushing winds its whirling torrents and from time to time the burst and roar of some more fiery and fierce explosion and ever as the winds swept howling along the street they bore sharp streams of burning dust and such sickening and poisonous vapors as took away for the instant breath and consciousness followed by a rapid revulsion of the arrested blood and a tingling sensation of agony trembling through every nerve and fiber of the frame suddenly all became lighted with an intense and lured glow bright and gigantic through the darkness which closed around it like the walls of hell the mountain shone a pile of fire its summit seemed driven into or rather above its surface there seemed to rise two monster shapes each confronting each as demons contending for a world these were of one deep blood red hue of fire which lighted up the whole atmosphere far and wide but below the nether part of the mountain was still dark and shrouded save in three places a down which flowed serpentine and irregular rivers of molten lava darkly red through the profound gloom of their banks they flowed slowly on as toward the devoted city over the broadest there seemed to spring a cragged and stupendous arch from which as from the jaws of hell gushed the sources of the sudden phlegethon and through the still air was heard the rattling of the fragments of rock hurtling one upon another as they were born down the fiery cataracts darkening for one instant the spot where they fell and suffused the next in the burnished hues of the flood in which they floated nearly 17 centuries had rolled away when the city of Pompey was disinterred from its silent home footnote destroyed ad 79 first discovered ad 1750 end of footnote all vivid with undimmed hues its walls fresh as if painted yesterday not a hue faded on the rich mosaic of its floors in its forum the half finished columns as left by the workman's hand in its gardens the sacrificial tripod in its halls the chest of treasure in its baths the stridgel in its theaters the counter of admission in its saloons the furniture and the lamp in its triclinia the fragments of the last feast in its cubicular the perfumes and the rouge of faded beauty and everywhere the bones and skeletons of those who once moved the springs of that minute yet gorgeous machine of luxury and life in the house of diamet in the subterranean vaults 20 skeletons one of a babe were discovered in one spot by the door covered by a fine ashen dust that had evidently been wafted slowly through the apertures until it had filled the whole space there were jewels and coins candelabra for unavailing light and wine hardened in the amphorae for the prolongation of agonized life the sand consolidated by damps had taken the forms of the skeletons as in a cast and the traveler may yet see the impression of a female neck and bosom of young and round proportions it seems to the inquirer as if the air had been gradually changed into a sulfurous vapor the inmates of the vaults had rushed to the door to find it closed and blocked up by the scoria without and in their attempts to force it had been suffocated with the atmosphere in the garden was found a skeleton with a key by its bony hand and near it a bag of coins this is believed to have been the master of the house who had probably sought to escape by the garden and been destroyed either by the vapors or some fragment of stone besides some silver vases lay another skeleton probably that of a slave various theories as to the exact mode by which Pompey was destroyed have been invented by the ingenious I have adopted that which is the most generally received and which upon inspecting the strata appears the only one admissible by common sense namely a destruction by showers of ashes and boiling water mingled with frequent eruptions of large stones and aided by partial convulsions of the earth herculaneum on the contrary appears to have received not only the showers of ashes but also inundations from molten lava and the streams referred to must be considered as destined for that city rather than for Pompey volcanic lightnings were evidently among the engines of ruin at Pompey. Papyrus and other of the more inflammable materials are found in a burned state some substances in metal are partially melted and a bronze statue is completely shivered as by lightning upon the whole accepting only the inevitable poetic license of shortening the time which the destruction occupied I believe my description of that awful event is very little assisted by invention and will be found not less accurate for its appearance and a romance. Roseter Johnson and John Rudd the Jews last struggle for freedom their final dispersion AD 132 Charles Maryvale the successful revolt of the Maccabees against the bloody persecutions of the Assyrian king Antiochus Epiphanes about BC 164 inaugurated a glorious epic in Jewish history from that time the Jews enjoyed their freedom under the dynasty of their present kings till BC 63 the Romans under Pompey took possession of Jerusalem a period of Roman terry and depression followed in AD 66 through 70 a great revolt of the Jews occurred the Romans burned Jerusalem to the ground Josephus says the number killed in this revolt 2,100,000 and the number of prisoners 97,000 of those who survived all above 17 years old were sent to Egypt to work in the mines were distributed among the provinces to be exhibited as gladiators in the public theaters and in the combats against wild beasts about 50 years later AD 116 a tremendous uprising occurred among the Jews the eastern Mediterranean in which many lives were lost it was quickly suppressed by the emperor Trajan and the punishments were similar in cruelty to those which followed the previous insurrection but this dauntless people were not yet conquered when the emperor Hadrian AD 130 arrived at Jerusalem on his tour of the empire he resolved that the holy city of the Jews should be rebuilt by the Roman colony and its name changed to Alia capitalina and the Jews were forbidden to surgeon in the new city by this and other measures the spark of revolt was once more kindled among the religious and patriotic spirits of the Jewish nation the Jews in Palestine flew to arms AD 132 encouraged by the prayers the vows and the material support of their compatriots in Rome Byzantium, Alexandria and Babylon the Jewish war cry echoed around the civilized world a fitting leader for the insurrectionists soon appeared in the person of Simon Barcochabas Julius Severus who was in Britain ordering the affairs of that distant province was summoned to the east to quell the disturbance which had swollen to the dimensions of a revolution to abolish Roman authority in Palestine the conflict which ensued lasted from AD 132 to 135 and was very bitterly contested on both sides it was not before the Hebrew leader fell amid thousands of his followers that the Jewish forces were defeated we are told that in this last revolution the Romans took 50 fortresses 985 villages were occupied and that the people killed numbered 580,000 the Jews were dispersed to every quarter of the noon world and remained so to this day the new city of Hadrian continued to exist but did not prosper and the Jews were prohibited under penalty of death from ever setting foot in Jerusalem the threat of imperial life could hardly snap without a jar which would be felt throughout the empire Trajan like Alexander had been cut off suddenly in the Far East and like Alexander he had left no avowed successor several of his generals abroad might advance nearly equal claims to the sort of Trajan some of the senators at home might deem themselves not unworthy of the purple of Nerva on every side there was an army or faction ready to devote itself to the Nerva of its favorite or its champion the provinces lately annexed were at the same time in a state of ominous agitation along one half of the frontiers Britain's Germans and Sarmatians were mustering their forces for invasion a virulent insurrection was still glowing throughout a large portion of the empire nevertheless the compact body of the Roman Commonwealth held firmly together by its inherent self-attraction there was no tendency to split in pieces as in the ill cemented masses of the Macedonian conquest and the presence of mind of a clever woman was well employed in effecting the peaceful transfer of power and relieving the state from the stress of disruption of the accession of Publius Aelius Hadrianus AD 117 to the empire of the means by which it was effected of the character and reputation he brought with him to the throne of the first measures of his reign by which he renounced the latest conquests of his predecessor while he put forth all his power to retain the realms bequeathed him from an earlier period this matter for another story but let us turn to a review of Eastern affairs of Jewish insurrection and the important consequences which followed from it Trajan was surely fortunate in the moment of his death vexed as he doubtless was by the frustration of his grand designs for incorporating the Parthian monarchy with the Roman and fulfilling the idea of universal empire which had flitted through the mind of Pompeius and Julius but had been deliberately rejected by Augustus and Vespasian his proud spirit would have been broken indeed had he lived to witness the difficulties in which Rome was plunged at his death the spread of the Jewish revolt in Asia and Palestine the aggression of the Moors the Skithians and the Britons at the most distant points of his dominions the momentary success of the insurgence of Cyprus and Cyrene had prompted a general assurance that the conquering race was no longer invincible and that last great triumphs of its legions were followed by a rebound of fortune still more momentous the first act of the new reign was the formal relinquishment of the new provinces beyond the Euphrates the Parthian tottered back with feeble step to his accustomed frontiers Arabia was left unmolested, India was no longer menaced once more suspended between two rival empires of which the one was too weak to seize, the other too weak to retain her all the forces of Rome and the East were now set free to complete the suppression of the Jewish disturbances the flames of insurrection which had broken out in so many remote quarters were concentrated and burned more fiercely than ever in the ancient center of the Jewish nationality Marcius Turbo appointed to command in Palestine was equally amazed that the fanaticism and the numbers of people whose faith had been mocked whose hopes frustrated whose young men had been decimated, whose old men women and children had been enslaved and exiled under the teachings of the doctors of Tiberia faith had been cherished and hope had revived even unmolested for fifty years a new generation had risen from the soil of their ancestors recruited by the multitudes who flocked homeward year by year with an unextinguishable love of country and reinforced by the fugitives from many scenes of persecution all animated with a growing conviction that the last struggle of their race was at hand to be contested by their old historic triumphs it is not perhaps wholly fanciful to imagine that the Jewish leaders, after the fall of their city and temple and the great dispersion of their people deliberately invented new means for maintaining their cherished nationality their conquerors as they might observe were scattered like themselves over the face of the globe and abode wherever they conquered but the laws, the manners and the traditions of Rome were preserved almost intact amid alien races by the consciousness that there existed a visible center of their nation the source, as it were to which they might repair to draw the waters of political life but the dispersion of the Jews seemed the more irremediable as the destruction of their central home was complete to preserve the existence of their nation one other way presented itself in their sacred books they retained a common bond of law and doctrine such as no other people could boast in these venerated records they possessed whether on the Tiber or the Euphrates an elixir of unrivaled virtue with a sudden revulsion of feeling the popular orators and captains but took themselves to the study of law its history and antiquities its actual text and its inner meaning the schools of Tiberias resounded with debate on the rival principles of interpretation the ancient and the modern the stricter and the laxer known respectively by the names of their teachers Shamai and Hillel the doctors decided in favor of the more accommodating system by which the stern exclusiveness of the original letter was extenuated and the law of the rude tribes of Palestine molded to the very taste and temper of a cosmopolitan society while the text itself was embalmed in the Masora an elaborate system of punctuation and notation to every particle of which to ensure its uncorrupted preservation a mystical significance was attached by this curious contrivance the letter of the law the character of Judaism was sanctified forever while its spirit was remodeled to the exigencies of the present or the future till it would have been no longer recognized by its authors or even by very recent disciples to this new learning of tradition and glosses the ardent youth of the nation devoted itself with a fanaticism not less vehement that which had fought and bled half a century before the name of Rabbi Akiba is preserved as a type of the hierophant of restored Judaism the stories depicting him are best expounded as myths and figures he reached it was said the age of 120 years the period assigned in the sacred records to his prototype the law giver Moses like David in his youth he kept sheep on the mountains like Jacob he served a master a rich citizen of Jerusalem for Jerusalem in his youth was still standing his master's daughter cast the eyes of affection upon him and offered him a secret marriage but this damsel was no other than Jerusalem itself so often imaged to the mind of the Jewish people by the figure of a maiden a wife or a widow this mystic bride required him to repair to the schools acquire knowledge and wisdom surround himself with disciples and such as we have seen was the actual policy of the new defenders of Judaism the damsel was rebuked by her indignant father but when after the lapse of 12 years Akiba returned to tame his bride with 12,000 scholars at his heels he heard her replying that long as he had been absent she only wished him to prolong his stay twice over so as to double his knowledge whereupon he returned patiently to his studies and frequented the schools 12 years longer twice 12 years thus past he returned once more with twice 12,000 disciples and then his wife received him joyfully and covered as she was with rags an outcast and a beggar he presented her to his astonished followers as the being to whom he owed his wisdom his fame and his fortune such were the legends with which new learning was consecrated to the defense of Jewish nationality the concentration of the Roman forces on the soil of Palestine seems to have repressed for a season all overt attempts at insurrection the Jewish leaders restrained their followers from action as long as it was possible to feed their spirit with hopes only it was not till about the 14th year of Hadrian's reign that the final revolt broke out when the Jews of Palestine launched forth upon the war the doctor Akiba gave place to the warrior Barcochibas this gallant warrior the last of the national heroes received or assumed his title the son of the star given successively to several leaders of the Jewish people in token of the fanatic expectations of divine deliverance by which his countrymen did not yet cease to be animated many were the legends which declared this champion's claims to the leadership of the national cause his size and strength were vaunted as more than human it was the arm of God not of man said Hadrian when he saw at last the corpse encircled by a serpent that could alone strike down the giant flame and smoke were seen to issue from his lips and speaking a portent which was rationalized centuries later into a mere conjurer's artifice the concourse of the Jewish nation at his summons was symbolized with a curious reference to the prevalent idea of Israel as a school and the law as a master by the story that at Bethar the appointed rendezvous and last stronghold of the national defense were 400 academies each ruled by 400 teachers each teacher boasting a class of 400 pupils Akiba now at the extreme point of his protracted existence like Samuel of Old nominated the new David to the chiefship of the people he girded Bar Kokobas with the sword of Jehovah placed the staff of command in his hand and held himself the stirrup by which he vaulted into the saddle the last revolt of the Jewish people was precipitated apparently by the increased severity of the measures which the rebellion under Trajan had drawn down they complained that Hadrian had enrolled himself as a proselytite of the law and were doubly incensed against him as a persecutor and a renegade this assertion indeed may have no foundation on the other hand it is not unlikely that this prince a curious explorer of religions of opinions had sought initiation into some of the mysteries of the Jewish faith and ritual but however this may be he gave them mortal offence by perceiving the clear distinction between Judaism and Christianity and by forbidding the Jews to surgeon in the town which he was again raising on the ruins of Jerusalem while he allowed free access to their rivals he is said to even prohibited the right of circumcision by which they jealously maintained their separation from the nations of the west at last when they rose in arms he sent his best generals against them Tinius Rufus was long baffled and often defeated but Julius Severus following the tactics of Vespasian constantly refused the battle they offered him and reduced their strongholds in succession by superior discipline and resources Bacochobas struggled with the obstinacy of despair every excess of cruelty was committed on both sides and it is well perhaps that the details of this mortal spasm are almost wholly lost to us the later Christian writers while they allude with unseemly exultation to the overthrow of one invertebrate enemy by another who proved himself in the end not less invertebrate affirmed that the barbarities of the Jewish leader were mainly directed against themselves on such interested assertions we shall place little reliance in the counter narration of the Jews even the name of Christians is contemptuously disregarded it relates however how at the storming of Bithar when Bacochobas perished in the field ten of the most learned of the rabbis were taken and put cruelly to death while Akiba reserved to expire last and torn in pieces with hot pincers continued to attest the great principle of the Jewish doctrine still exclaiming in his death throes Jehovah Ehad God is one the Jews who fell in these their latest combats are counted by hundreds of thousands and we may conclude that the suppression of the revolt was followed by sanguinary prescriptions by wholesale captivity and general banishment the dispersion of the unhappy race particularly in the west was now complete and final the sacred soil of Jerusalem was occupied by a Roman colony which received the name of Alia capitalina with reference to the emperor who founded it and to the supreme god of the pagan mythology installed on the desecrated summits of Zion and Mariah the feign of Jupiter was erected on the site of the holy temple and a shrine of venus planted we are assured on the very spot hallowed to Christians by our Lord's crucifixion but Hadrian had no purpose of insulting the disciples of Jesus and this desecration if the tradition be true was probably accidental a Jewish legend affirms that the figure of a swine was sculpted in bitter mockery over a gate of the new city the Jews have retorted with equal scorn that the effigy of the unclean animal which represented to their minds every low and bestial appetite was a fitting emblem of the colony and its founder of the lewd worship of its gods and the vile propensities of its emperor the fancy of later Christian writers that Hadrian regarded their co-religionists with special consideration claims founded as misconception we hear indeed of the graciousness with which he allowed them among other sectarians to defend their usages and expound their doctrines in his presence and doubtless his curiosity if no worthy your feeling was moved by the fact which he fully appreciated of the interest they excited in certain quarters of the empire but there is no evidence that his favor extended further than to the recognition of their independence of the Jews from whom they now formally separated themselves and the discouragement of the local persecutions to which they were occasionally subjected so far the bigoted hostility of their enemies was overruled at last in their favor in another way they learn to profit by the examples of their rivals from the recent policy of the Jews they might understand as an advantage to a scattered community without a local center or a political status of erecting in a volume of sacred records their acknowledged standard of faith and practice the scriptures of the New Testament like the Nushwa of the Jewish rabbis took the place of the Holy of Holies as the tabernacle of their God and the pledge of their union with him the canon of their sacred books however casual its apparent formation was indeed a providential development the habitual references of bishops and doctors to the words of their founder and the writings of the first disciples guided them to the proper sources of their faith and taught them justly to discriminate the genuine from the spurious meager as are the remains of Christian literature of the second century they tend to confirm our assurance that the scriptures of the New Dispensation were known and recognized as divine at that early period and that the Church of Christ the future mistress of the world was already become a great social fact an empire within the empire end of section 23 section 24 of the Great Events by famous historians volume 3 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Colleen McMahon The Great Events by famous historians volume 3 edited by Charles F. Horn Rossiter Johnson and John Rudd martyrdom of Polycarp and Justin Martyr AD 155 by Homer Shem Cox the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius who died AD 161 had been tolerant to the new Judaic sect known as Christians under his mild regime although he did not encourage them the faithful had greatly multiplied the Christians had become a body great enough to be reckoned with in a political sense the populace were generally hostile to them as enemies of the gods more than one of the apostolic fathers had suffered martyrdom among them Ignatius a disciple of Saint John and Bishop of Antioch who is said to have been thrown to the lions in the circus about AD 107 but the account of the martyrdom of Polycarp is probably the first authentic description we have Polycarp was born about AD 60 probably of Christian parents he bridges the little known period between the age of his master the Apostle John and that of his own disciple Penaeus during the earlier half of the second century he was Bishop of Smyrna Ephesus had become the new hope of the faith and in that city Polycarp had received his education and lived in familiar intercourse with many who had seen Christ he was also intimate with Papias and Ignatius the only writing of Polycarp extant is the epistle to the Philippians which follows it is of great value for questions the Church and the Ignatian epistles of the authenticity of Polycarp's epistle Reverend Father W.O.B. Pardo S.J. says there are long and learned controversies about some of these apocryphal books of that in question he says probably authentic not inspired Archbishop Wake was fully convinced of its genuineness and his translation has been here used Justin, surname to the martyr was born at Sitchin, Samaria about A.D. 100 after his conversion to Christianity he wondered about arguing for the truth of the new faith he was of a bold aggressive nature and scorned to temporize and think spiritual his language and motive address were borrowed from the Stoics but were the true utterance of his own manly soul you can kill us, you cannot harm us was his answer when condemned the words proceeded from a believer ready and destined to give his life for the faith truly did the blood of the martyrs prove the seed of the church Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians here too annexed is taken from a rare work which contains the uncanonical books of the period of Christ's infancy and the early days of the church entitled the apocryphal books of the New Testament the laity have little knowledge of it Homer Shim Cox Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna was undoubtedly a companion of the apostle John and received instruction from other apostles about this time says Eusebius referring to the commencement of the 2nd century flourished Polycarp in Asia an intimate disciple of the apostles who received the Episcopit of the Church of Smyrna at the hands of eyewitnesses and servants of the Lord the lengthened life of the apostle John who attained to an extreme old age connects the fathers of the 2nd century with the immediate followers of Christ Polycarp must have been a contemporary of St. John for about 20 years a letter of Irenaeus who is a pupil of Polycarp has been preserved which gives a graphic and remarkably interesting account of the familiar intercourse of Polycarp with the apostle the letter is addressed by Irenaeus and named Florinus with whom he remonstrates for holding Irenaeus doctrines these doctrines of Florinus to say the least are not of a sound understanding these doctrines are inconsistent with the church and calculated to thrust those that follow them into the greatest impiety these doctrines not even the heretics out of the church ever attempted to assert these doctrines were never delivered to thee by the presbyters before us so were the immediate disciples of the apostles for I saw thee when I was yet a boy in Lower Asia with Polycarp moving in great splendor at court and endeavoring by all means to gain his esteem I remember the events of those times much better than those of more recent occurrence as the studies of our youth growing with our minds unite with them so firmly that I can tell also the very place where the blessed Polycarp was accustomed to sit and discourse and also his entrances, his walks his manner of life the form of his body his conversations with the people and familiar intercourse with John as he was accustomed to tell as also his familiarity with those that had seen the Lord also concerning his miracles, his doctrine all these were told by Polycarp in consistency with the holy scriptures and he had received them from the eyewitnesses of the doctrine of salvation and the mercy of God and the opportunity then afforded me I attentively heard noting them down not on paper but in my heart and these same facts I am always in the habit by the grace of God of recalling faithfully to mind and I can bear witness in the sight of God that if that blessed and apostolic presbyter had heard any such thing as this he would have exclaimed and stopped his ears and according to his custom would have said oh good God and to what things has thou reserved me that I should tolerate these things he would have fled from the place in which he had sat or stood hearing doctrines like these from his epistles also which he wrote to the neighboring churches in order to confirm them or to some of the brethren in order to admonish or exhort them the same thing may be clearly shown in another place Irenaeus states that Polycarp was appointed bishop of Smyrna by the apostles themselves Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles and conversed with many who had seen Christ but was also by apostles in Asia appointed bishop of the church in Smyrna whom I also saw in my early youth for he lived a very long time and when a very old man gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom departed this life having always taught those things which he had learned from the apostles and which the church has handed down and which alone are true of the numerous letters which Polycarp as bishop of Smyrna wrote to the neighboring churches only one is extant it is addressed by Polycarp and the presbyters with him to the church of God sojourning at Philippi and probably was written about the middle of the second century in this epistle he praises the Philippians for their firm Christian faith and exhorts them to adhere to the doctrine which Saint Paul had taught them by word of mouth and by his epistle after various exhortations to presbyters, deacons and other members of the church Polycarp refers to the martyrdom of Ignatius but apparently was ignorant of the circumstances attending it for the epistle concludes with the request for information respecting him the martyrdom of Polycarp himself is described in an epistle addressed by the church of Smyrna of which he was bishop to the church of Phylamelium in the city of the neighboring province of Phrygia there are probably some interpolations but accepting these the document can hardly be of much later date than the death of the martyr there are several reasons for this conclusion in the first place the general tenor shows that is intended to give information of events which had recently happened secondly a post script states that a copy of it belonged to Irenaeus a disciple of Polycarp and thirdly a large part of it is transcribed by Eusebius who treats it as an authentic document the date of the death of Polycarp is well ascertained to be AD 167 in the reign of Marcus Aurelius for some time previously there had been a cruel persecution of the Christians at Smyrna in which both the Gentile and Jewish inhabitants took part against Polycarp especially as the chief minister of the Christian church their hostility was directed after several Christians had been tortured and thrown to the lions the multitude clamored for the death of the bishop yielding to the urgent entreaties of those around him Polycarp quitted the city but he was pursued and brought back the proconsul who reluctantly allowed him to be arrested was anxious to save him when he was led forward a great tumult arose among those that heard he was taken at length as he advanced the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp and he answering that he was he urged him to deny Christ saying have a regard for your age and adding similar expressions such as are usual for them to employ swear he said by the genius of Caesar repent say away with those that deny the gods but Polycarp with accountants grave and serious and contemplating the whole multitude that were collected in the stadium beckoned with his hand to them and with a sigh looked up to heaven away with the atheists the governor continued to urge him again saying swear and I will dismiss you revile Christ revile Christ Polycarp replied eighty and six years have I served him and he never did me wrong and how can I now blaspheme my king who has saved me the governor continued to urge him and in vain threatened him with the wild beasts at length the herald was ordered to proclaim in the midst of the stadium that Polycarp confesses he is a Christian there upon the multitude cried out this is that teacher of Asia the father of the Christians the destroyer of our gods and demanded that he should be burned alive and the governor gave sentence accordingly according to the hard custom of the times the executioners were about to fasten his hands to the stake by spikes when he begged that he might be bound merely saying that he who gave him strength to bear the flames would also give him strength to remain unmoved on the pyre this last request was granted and being bound to the stake he uttered this beautiful prayer father of thy well beloved and blessed son Jesus Christ through whom we have received the knowledge of thee the God of angels and powers and all creation and of all the family of the righteous that live before thee I bless thee that thou hast thought me worthy of the present day and hour to have a share in the number of the martyrs and the cross of Christ unto the resurrection of eternal life both of the soul and body in the incorruptible felicity of the Holy Spirit among whom may I be received in thy sight this day is a rich and acceptable sacrifice as thou the faithful and true God has prepared has revealed and fulfilled wherefore on this account and for all things I praise thee I bless thee I glorify thee through the eternal high priest Jesus Christ thy well beloved son through whom glory be to thee with him and the Holy Ghost both now and ever more amen the flames did not immediately seize upon his body so one of the executioners in mercy perhaps plunged a sword into his body and so ended his sufferings the centurion then placed the body in the midst of the fire and burned it according to the custom of the Gentiles thus at last taking up his bones valued more than precious stones more tried than gold we deposited them where they should be there also as far as we can the Lord will grant us to celebrate the natal day of his martyrdom enjoying gladness both in commemoration of those who finished their contest before and to prepare those that shall be hereafter there is something wonderfully touching in this reference to the natal day of his martyrdom those who wrote it thought that the day on which the warp was pierced by the sword was not the day of his death but the birthday of a new and happier life Justin who from the manner of his death is often called Justin martyr was a native of Samaria he was of Roman parentage and was born early in the second century and therefore must have been contemporary with many persons who had seen some of the apostles Justin who is addicted to philosophical pursuits has given in one of his works a curious account of his studies and search after religious truth first he thought to find it in the stoic philosophy I surrendered myself to a certain stoic and having spent a considerable time with him when I had not acquired any further knowledge of God for he did not know it himself and said such instruction was unnecessary I left him and betook myself to another who was called a parapetetic and as he fancied shrewd and this after having entertained me for a few days requested me to settle the fee in order that our intercourse might not be unprofitable him too for this reason I abandoned believing him to be no philosopher at all disgusted with the mercenary spirit of the parapetetic the inquirer next determined to make a trial of Pythagorean philosophy but the celebrated Pythagorean teacher whom he consulted wished him to learn music astronomy and geometry those kinds of knowledge however were not what Justin wanted and besides he thought that they would take up too much time so he next resolved to make a trial of Platonism and this time he was more successful in my helpless condition it occurred to me to have a meeting with the Platonists for their fame was great I thereupon spent as much of my time as possible with one who had lately settled in our city a sagacious man holding a high position among the Platonists and I progressed and made the greatest improvements daily and the perception of immaterial things quite overpowered me and the contemplation of ideas furnished my mind with wings so that in a little while I supposed that I had become wise and such was my folly that I expected forthwith to look upon God for this is the end of Plato's philosophy Justin then proceeds to give a remarkably interesting and graphic account of his conversion to Christianity and while I was thus disposed when I wished to be filled with great quietness and to shun the path of men I used to go into a certain field not far from the sea and when I was near that spot one day where I purposed to be by myself a certain old man of dignified appearance exhibiting meek and venerable manners followed me in a little distance and when I turned around on him having halted I fixed my eyes rather keenly upon him Justin gets into conversation with the old man and says that he delights in solitary spots where his attention is not distracted and where his converse with himself is uninterrupted and proceeds to a fervid laudation of philosophy does philosophy then make happiness said he interrupting assuredly said I and it alone what then is philosophy he said and what is happiness pray tell me unless something hinders you from saying philosophy said I is a knowledge of that which really exists and a clear perception of truth and happiness is the reward of such knowledge and wisdom but what do you call God said he that which always maintains the same nature and is the cause of all other things that indeed is God so I answered him and he listened with pleasure the conversation which is too long to be fully transcribed turns on the attributes of the soul Justin discourses on that topic after the manner of the Platonists the old man on the other hand urges him to study the prophets of the Old Testament for they predicted the coming of Christ and their prophecies have been fulfilled they said he both glorified the creator the God and father of all and proclaimed his son the Christ sent by him but he added pray that above all things the gates of light may be open to you for these things cannot be perceived or understood by all but only by him to whom God and his Christ have imparted wisdom when he had spoken these and many other things which there is no time for mentioning at present he went away bitting me attend to them and I have not seen him since but straight away a flame was kindled in my soul and a love of the prophets and of those men who are friends of Christ possessed me and whilst revolving his words in my mind I found this philosophy alone to be safe and profitable for the reason I am a philosopher moreover I would that all making a resolution similar to my own would regard the words of the Savior for they possess a terrible power in themselves and are sufficient to inspire those who turn aside from the path of rectitude with all while the sweetest rest is afforded to those who diligently observe them the dialogue from which these passages are taken is a real or imaginary disputation with trifle a learned Jew at Ephesus respecting the principles of Christianity and contains an elaborate demonstration that Christ is the Messiah of the Old Testament the controversy is carried on with courtesy on both sides and each disputant is equally earnest in his attempt to convert the other Justin was a very copious writer the two most important of his writings now remaining are the two apologies these are certainly the two earliest of the numerous ancient pleas for toleration of Christianity now extant the first Apologia is addressed to the emperor Antoninus Pius and the Roman Senate and the whole people of the Romans and the purport of it may be inferred from the commencement in which Justin says that he presents this address and petition in behalf of all nations who were unjustly hated and wantonly abused myself being one of them the second Apologia was addressed probably in the reign of Antoninus Marcus Aurelius and successor of Antoninus Pius in this work Justin appeals indignantly to the Roman Senate against the unjust conduct of one Herbicus who at Rome had condemned several persons to death simply because they professed to be Christians this Herbicus seems to have held the office of prefect of the city a magistrate from whom there was no appeal except to the prince himself as this Apologia would suggest to the Senate the two Apologies contain the most vehement invectives against the whole system of heathen idolatry and accused Jupiter and the other gods whom the Romans revered of ineffable vices of course the man who could thus tell the Roman Senate and people that all the held sacred was unspeakably and hideously wicked could expect but one fate Justin threw down the gauntlet and the authorities very quietly took it up with the result which as the human power was all with them it was not difficult to foresee sometime in the reign of Aurelius but in what year is not known Justin and several other Christians were accused before Rusticus prefect of Rome of disobedience to certain decrees then in force by which Christians who refused to sacrifice to the gods were liable to be put to death it is difficult to reconcile the passing of these decrees with the known character of Aurelius who is universally described as a humane as a benevolent king the probable explanation is that like his predecessor Trajan he was actuated by motives of state policy and regarded Christianity as rebellion against the authority of the state Eusebius has given an account of the martyrdom of Justin upon the authority of Tatian who was a disciple of the martyr this account substantially agrees with the very ancient martyrdom of Justin which concludes thus the prefect says to Justin Harkin you who are called learned and think that you know true doctrines if you are scourged and beheaded do you believe that you will ascend into heaven Justin said I hope that if I endure these things I shall have this gift for I know that to all who have thus lived there abides the divine favor of the world Rusticus the prefect said do you suppose that you will ascend into heaven to receive such a recompense Justin said I do not suppose it but I know and am fully persuaded of it thus also said the other Christians do what you will for we are Christians and do not sacrificed idols Rusticus the prefect pronounced sentence saying let those who refuse to sacrifice to the gods and to yield to the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer decapitation according to the law the holy martyrs having glorified God and having gone forth to the accustomed place were beheaded and perfected their testimony in the confession of the savior and some of the faithful having secretly removed their bodies laid them in a suitable place the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ having wrought along with them to whom be glory forever and ever Amen End of Section 24 Recording by Colleen McMahon Section 25 of The Great Events by Famous Historians This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Great Events by Famous Historians Edited by Charles F. Horn Rosseter Johnson and John Rudd Martyr Jim of Polycop and Justin Martyr the Epistle of Polycop to the Philippians AD 155 by Polycop Polycop and the presbyters that are with him to the church of God which is at Philippi mercy unto you and peace from God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ our savior be multiplied I rejoice greatly with you Jesus Christ that you receive the images of a true love and accompanied as it is behooved you those who were in bonds becoming saints which are the crowns of such as are truly chosen by God and our Lord as also that the root of the faith which was preached from ancient times remains firm in you to this day and brings forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered himself brought even to the death for our sins whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death whom having not seen ye love in whom though now he see him not yet believing he rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory into which many desire to enter knowing that by grace ye are saved not by works but by the will of God through Jesus Christ wherefore girding up the loins of your minds serve the Lord with fear and in truth laying aside all empty in vain speech in the error of many believing in him that raised up by Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and hath given him glory and a throne at his right hand to whom all things are made subject both that are in heaven and that are in earth whom every living creature shall worship who shall come to be the judge and the dead whose blood God shall require of them that believe in him but he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also raise us up in like manner if we do his will and walk according to his commandments and love those things which he loved abstaining from all unrighteousness inordinate affection and love of money from evil speaking false witness not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing or striking for striking or cursing for cursing but remembering what the Lord has taught us saying judge not and ye shall not be judged forgive and ye shall be forgiven be merciful and ye shall obtain mercy for with the same measure that ye meet with all it shall be measured to you again and again that blessed are the poor and that they are persecuted for righteousness for their is the kingdom of God these things my brethren I took not the liberty of myself to write unto you concerning righteousness but you yourselves before encourage me to it for neither can I nor any other such as I am come up to the wisdom of the blessed and renowned Paul who being himself in person with those who then lived did with all exactness and soundness each the word of truth and being gone from you wrote an epistle to you into which if you look you will be able to edify yourselves in the faith that has been delivered unto you which is the mother of us all being followed with hope and led on by a general love both toward God and toward Christ and toward our neighbor for if any man has these things he has fulfilled the law of righteousness for he that has charity as far from sin but the love of money is the root of all evil knowing therefore that as we brought nothing into this world so neither may we carry anything out let us arm ourselves with the armor of righteousness and teach yourselves first to walk according to the commandments of the Lord and then your wives to walk likewise according to the faith that is given to them in charity and impurity in their own husbands with all sincerity and all others alike with all temperance and to bring up their children in the instruction and fear of the Lord the widows likewise teach that they be sober as to what concerns the faith of the Lord praying always for all men being far from all distraction evil speaking, false witness from covetedness and from all evil knowing that they are the altars of God who sees all blemishes and from whom nothing is hid who searches out the very reasonings and thoughts and secrets of our hearts knowing therefore that God is not mocked we ought to walk worthy both of his command and of his glory also the deacons must be blameless before him as the ministers of God in Christ and not of men not false accusers, not double-tonged not lovers of money but moderate in all things compassionate, careful walking according to the truth of the Lord who is the servant of all whom if we please in this present world we shall also be made partakers of that which is to come according as he has promised to us that he will raise us from the dead and that if we shall walk worthy of him we shall also reign together with him if we believe in like manner the younger men must be unblamable in all things above all taking care of their purity and to restrain themselves from all evil for it is good to be cut off from the lust that are in the world because every such lust warrants against the spirit in neither fornicators nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdom of God nor they who do such things as are foolish and unreasonable wherefore he must needs abstain from all these things being subject to the priests and deacons as unto God and Christ the virgins admonish to walk in a spotless and pure conscience and let the elders be compassionate and merciful toward all turning them from their errors seeking out those who are weak not forgetting the widows the fatherless and the poor what is good in the sight of God and man abstaining from all wrath respect to persons and unrighteous judgment and especially being free from all covetedness not easy to believe anything against any nor severe in judgment knowing that we are all debtors in point of sin if therefore we pray to the Lord that he would forgive us we ought also to forgive others for we are all in the sight of our Lord and God it must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and shall every one give an account of himself let us therefore serve him in fear and with all reverence as both himself hath commanded and as the apostles who have preached the gospel unto us and the prophets who have foretold the coming of our Lord have taught us being zealous of what is good abstaining from all offence and from false brethren and from those who bear the name of Christ in hypocrisy who deceive vain men for whoever so does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh he is anti Christ and whoever does not confess his suffering upon the cross is from the devil and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lust and says that there shall neither sin nor judgment he is the first born of Satan wherefore leaving the vanity of many and their false doctrines let us return to the word that was delivered to us from the beginning watching unto prayer and persevering and fasting with supplication beseeching the all seeing God not to lead us into temptation as the Lord hath said the spirit is truly willing but the flesh is weak let us therefore without ceasing hold steadfastly to him who is our hope and the earnestness of our righteousness even Jesus Christ who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth but suffered all for us that we might live through him let us therefore imitate his patience and if we suffer for his name let us glorify him for this example he has given us by himself and so have we believed wherefore I exert all of you that ye obey the word of righteousness and exercise all patience which ye have set forth before our eyes not only in the blessed Ignatius and Zosimos and Rufus but in others among ourselves and in Paul himself and the rest of the apostles being confident in this that all these have not run in vain but in faith and righteousness and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord with whom they also suffered for they love not this present world but him who died and was raised again by God for us stand therefore in these things and follow the example of the Lord being firm and immutable in the faith lovers of the brotherhood lovers of one another companions together in the truth being kind and gentle toward each other despising none when it is in your power to do good defer it not for charity delivered from death be all of you subject one to another having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that by your good works both ye yourselves may receive praise and the Lord may not be blaspheme through you but woe be to him the name of the Lord is blasphemed therefore teach all men sobriety in which do ye also exercise yourselves I am greatly afflicted for Valens who is once a Presbyter among you that he should so little understand the place that was given to him in the church wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain from covetedness and that ye be chaste and true of speech keep yourselves from all evil for he that in these things cannot govern himself how shall he be able to prescribe them to another if a man does not keep himself from covetedness he shall be polluted with idolatry and be judged as if he were a Gentile but who of you are ignorant of the judgment of God do we not know that the saints shall judge the world as Paul teaches but I have neither perceived nor heard anything of this kind in you among whom the blessed Paul labored and you are named in the beginning of his epistle for he glories of you in all the churches who then only knew God for we did not then know him wherefore my brother and I am exceedingly sorry both for him and for his wife to whom God grant a true repentance and be ye also moderate upon this occasion and look not upon such as enemies but call them back as suffering and airing members that you may save your whole body for by doing so ye shall edify your own selves for I trust that you are well exercised in the holy scriptures and that nothing is hid from you but at present it is not granted unto me to practice that which is written be angry and sin not and again let not the sun go down upon your wrath blessed be he that believeth and remembereth these things who also I trust you do now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he himself who is our everlasting High Priest the Son of God even Jesus Christ build you up in faith and in truth and in all meekness and lenity in patience and longsuffering in forbearance and chastity and grant unto you a lot and portion among his saints and us with you and to all that are under the heavens who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the dead pray for all the saints pray also for kings and all that are in authority and for those who persecute you and hate you and for the enemies of the cross that your fruit may be manifest in all and that ye may be perfect in Christ he wrote to me both ye and also Ignatius that if anyone went from hence into Syria he should bring your letters with him which also I will take care of as soon as I shall have a convenient opportunity either by myself or him whom I shall send upon your account the epistles of Ignatius which he wrote unto us together with what others of his have come to our hands and to you according to your order which are subjoined to this epistle by which we may be greatly profited for they treat of faith and patience and of all things that pertain to edification in the Lord Jesus what you know certainly of Ignatius and those that are with him signify to us these things I have written unto you by Crestans whom by this present epistle I have recommended to you and do now again commend for he has had his conversation without blame among us and I suppose also with you ye also have regard unto his sister when she shall come unto you be safe in the Lord Jesus Christ and in favor with all yours Amen End of section 25