DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4680#0156
1. CHRISTIANS AND PAGANS. 487
shows how exaggerated his picture was. Moreover, he spoke only
from superficial acquaintance with the extreme partisans and the
prominent martyrs; but he had no knowledge of the mass of undis-
tinguished and obscure Chr., whose very existence was probably
unknown to him except by rumour. It is this unknown multitude
of common persons (who, as a rule, had not the courage and heroism
to stand forth prominently as martyrs, or the intellectual power to
shine as leaders and teachers), that are revealed to us in the sepulchral
inscr. They are not represented to us in the Chr. literature, except
when their errors and backslidings have to be castigated; but if we
want to see what Christianity practically was as a working influence
in the Roman Empire, these common men are well worthy of some
share of the attention that is given usually only to the leaders.
The extreme Chr. attitude became the rule in the church of the
fourth and fifth centuries. The results of this changed tone were by
no means entirely good; the reasons for the change are worth study;
and study must begin from the epitaphs, which were revolutionized
in character during the course of the fourth century. M. Le Blant
I p. 126 1 points out that in the Gaulish and other later Chr. inscr.
the parentage of the deceased is rarely mentioned; and he explains
this as a deduction from the orders given to the faithful to renounce
all family ties and devote themselves entirely to God2, and especially
from the words of Matthew XXIII9, Call no man your father upon the
earth; for one is your Fatlier which is in heaven. He quotes various
examples of the martyrs (c. a.d. 270-300 3) literally carrying out this
precept, and declaring that they had neither parents nor family. From
these more enthusiastic (and also bigoted4) Christians, the fashion
spread ; and Le Blant's examples show that in the fourth and fifth
centuries the custom became common and at last almost universal.
Along with parentage they also disclaimed all the other relations of
1 Once for all I may here express my and Diocletian. The answer of Hierax
admiration for his great work Inscr. of Iconium about 163 a.d. (Ruinart
Chrit. de la Gaule, together with his p. 106) shows an earlier style (which
Nouveau Recueil: the frequent refer- might readily harden into the later
ences in the following pages show with custom) verus pater nosier Christus est
what profit I have read it. it mater Fides qua in ipsum credimus;
2 Matth. XIX 29, Mark X 29, Luke ierreni vero parentes mei moriui sunt.
XIV 26, XVIII 29. 4 It is not unfair to apply this last
8 S. Irenaeus of Sirmium^^tSS March epithet to many of the martyrs. Along
vol. Ill p. 555, Ruinart p. 433, S. Petrus with their splendid heroism and devo-
Balsamus in Ruinart p. 526, S. Lucianus tion they showed sometimes traits,
of Antioch, Ruinart p. 530: these ex- excusable in their situation, but not
amples belong to the period of Probus admirable, Church inR.E., pp.374, 351.
shows how exaggerated his picture was. Moreover, he spoke only
from superficial acquaintance with the extreme partisans and the
prominent martyrs; but he had no knowledge of the mass of undis-
tinguished and obscure Chr., whose very existence was probably
unknown to him except by rumour. It is this unknown multitude
of common persons (who, as a rule, had not the courage and heroism
to stand forth prominently as martyrs, or the intellectual power to
shine as leaders and teachers), that are revealed to us in the sepulchral
inscr. They are not represented to us in the Chr. literature, except
when their errors and backslidings have to be castigated; but if we
want to see what Christianity practically was as a working influence
in the Roman Empire, these common men are well worthy of some
share of the attention that is given usually only to the leaders.
The extreme Chr. attitude became the rule in the church of the
fourth and fifth centuries. The results of this changed tone were by
no means entirely good; the reasons for the change are worth study;
and study must begin from the epitaphs, which were revolutionized
in character during the course of the fourth century. M. Le Blant
I p. 126 1 points out that in the Gaulish and other later Chr. inscr.
the parentage of the deceased is rarely mentioned; and he explains
this as a deduction from the orders given to the faithful to renounce
all family ties and devote themselves entirely to God2, and especially
from the words of Matthew XXIII9, Call no man your father upon the
earth; for one is your Fatlier which is in heaven. He quotes various
examples of the martyrs (c. a.d. 270-300 3) literally carrying out this
precept, and declaring that they had neither parents nor family. From
these more enthusiastic (and also bigoted4) Christians, the fashion
spread ; and Le Blant's examples show that in the fourth and fifth
centuries the custom became common and at last almost universal.
Along with parentage they also disclaimed all the other relations of
1 Once for all I may here express my and Diocletian. The answer of Hierax
admiration for his great work Inscr. of Iconium about 163 a.d. (Ruinart
Chrit. de la Gaule, together with his p. 106) shows an earlier style (which
Nouveau Recueil: the frequent refer- might readily harden into the later
ences in the following pages show with custom) verus pater nosier Christus est
what profit I have read it. it mater Fides qua in ipsum credimus;
2 Matth. XIX 29, Mark X 29, Luke ierreni vero parentes mei moriui sunt.
XIV 26, XVIII 29. 4 It is not unfair to apply this last
8 S. Irenaeus of Sirmium^^tSS March epithet to many of the martyrs. Along
vol. Ill p. 555, Ruinart p. 433, S. Petrus with their splendid heroism and devo-
Balsamus in Ruinart p. 526, S. Lucianus tion they showed sometimes traits,
of Antioch, Ruinart p. 530: these ex- excusable in their situation, but not
amples belong to the period of Probus admirable, Church inR.E., pp.374, 351.