Marcus Aurelius

[katy]

I have been reading M. Aurelius and am impressed by his writings, but I know that he persecuted Christians. He seems so reasonable. Why was he savage toward Christians? Anybody know?

 

[Contarini]

I have been reading M. Aurelius and am impressed by his writings, but I know that he persecuted Christians. He seems so reasonable. Why was he savage toward Christians? Anybody know?

Now you know how I feel reading St. Thomas More (or St. Thomas Aquinas, though obviously he didn’t persecute Protestants since there were none around yet–but he would have done if he had had the chance)!

Marcus Aurelius saw Christians as fanatics who were disturbing the order of the Empire. So yes, he approved of the standard policy of executing them when they came inescapably to the government’s notice and stubbornly refused to make a token sacrifice indicating their loyalty to the Empire.

Edwin

 

[tomarin]

I have been reading M. Aurelius and am impressed by his writings, but I know that he persecuted Christians. He seems so reasonable. Why was he savage toward Christians? Anybody know?

the romans viewed christians (and presumably jews too, although they don’t seem to have felt as threatened by the latter) as uncivic-minded and, curiously, atheistic because their fierce insistence on worshipping only one god precluded them from participating in the public and civic ceremonies that characterized roman religion. marcus aurelius probably would’ve shared that view and justified their persecution on those grounds.

 

[a_priori]

the romans viewed christians (and presumably jews too, although they don’t seem to have felt as threatened by the latter)

The Romans were more tolerant of the Jews because they respected tradition immensely. The Jews were known to be part of a very old and well-established historical tradition. Christians were new and considered to be upstarts.

The Romans (as the Greeks) were well aware of the cohesiveness provided to any society by its shared religion. Christians upset this balance and were seen as a threat to the status quo.