Chapter XVIII.274    Comp., The Apology, c. 50 [p. 54, infra.]—Christians Charged with an Obstinate Contempt of Death.  Instances of the Same are Found Amongst the Heathen.

The rest of your charge of obstinacy against us you sum up in this indictment, that we boldly refuse neither your swords, nor your crosses, nor your wild beasts, nor fire, nor tortures, such is our obduracy and contempt of death. But (you are inconsistent in your charges); for in former times amongst your own ancestors all these terrors have come in men’s intrepidity275    A virtute didicerunt. not only to be despised, but even to be held in great praise. How many swords there were, and what brave men were willing to suffer by them, it were irksome to enumerate.276    With the “piget prosequi” to govern the preceding oblique clause, it is unnecessary to suppose (with Oehler) the omission here of some verb like “erogavit.” (If we take the torture) of the cross, of which so many instances have occurred, exquisite in cruelty, your own Regulus readily initiated the suffering which up to his day was without a precedent;277    Novitatem…dedicavit. a queen of Egypt used wild beasts of her own (to accomplish her death);278    Tertullian refers to Cleopatra’s death also in his tract ad Mart. c. iv. [See this Vol. infra.] the Carthaginian woman, who in the last extremity of her country was more courageous than her husband Asdrubal,279    This case is again referred to in this treatise (p. 138), and in ad Mart c. iv. [See this Volume, infra.] only followed the example, set long before by Dido herself, of going through fire to her death. Then, again, a woman of Athens defied the tyrant, exhausted his tortures, and at last, lest her person and sex might succumb through weakness, she bit off her tongue and spat out of her mouth the only possible instrument of a confession which was now out of her power.280    Eradicatæ confessionis. [See p. 55, supra.] But in your own instance you account such deeds glorious, in ours obstinate.  Annihilate now the glory of your ancestors, in order that you may thereby annihilate us also. Be content from henceforth to repeal the praises of your forefathers, in order that you may not have to accord commendation to us for the same (sufferings). Perhaps (you will say) the character of a more robust age may have rendered the spirits of antiquity more enduring. Now, however, (we enjoy) the blessing of quietness and peace; so that the minds and dispositions of men (should be) more tolerant even towards strangers. Well, you rejoin, be it so: you may compare yourselves with the ancients; we must needs pursue with hatred all that we find in you offensive to ourselves, because it does not obtain currency281    Non invenitur. among us. Answer me, then, on each particular case by itself. I am not seeking for examples on a uniform scale.282    Eadem voce. Since, forsooth, the sword through their contempt of death produced stories of heroism amongst your ancestors, it is not, of course,283    Utique. The ironical tone of Tertullian’s answer is evident. from love of life that you go to the trainers sword in hand and offer yourselves as gladiators,284    Gladio ad lanistas auctoratis. (nor) through fear of death do you enrol your names in the army.285    We follow Oehler in giving the clause this negative turn; he renders it: “Tretet nicht aus Furcht vor dem Tode ins Kriegsheer ein.” Since an ordinary286    Alicui. woman makes her death famous by wild beasts, it cannot but be of your own pure accord that you encounter wild beasts day after day in the midst of peaceful times. Although no longer any Regulus among you has raised a cross as the instrument of his own crucifixion, yet a contempt of the fire has even now displayed itself,287    Jam evasit. since one of yourselves very lately has offered for a wager288    Auctoravit. to go to any place which may be fixed upon and put on the burning shirt.289    Vestiendum incendiale tunica. If a woman once defiantly danced beneath the scourge, the same feat has been very recently performed again by one of your own (circus-) hunters290    Inter venatorios: “venatores circi” (Oehler). as he traversed the appointed course, not to mention the famous sufferings of the Spartans.291    “Doubtless the stripes which the Spartans endured with such firmness, aggravated by the presence of their nearest relatives, who encouraged them, conferred honour upon their family.”—Apology, c. 50. [See p. 55, supra.]

18. Imo qui deum Caesarem dicitis, et deridetis, dicendo quod non est, et male dicitis, quia non vult esse quod dicitis; mavult enim vivere, quam deus fieri. Reliquum obstinationis in illo capitulo collocatis, 0584A quod neque gladios neque cruces neque bestias vestras, non ignem, non tormenta, ob duritatem ac contemptum mortis, animo recusemus. At enim haec omnia apud priores majoresque vestros non contemni modo, sed etiam magna laude pensari ac virtute didicerunt. Gladius quot et quantos viros voluntarios! piget prosequi. Crucis vero novitatem numerosae abstrusae Regulus vester libenter dedicavit. Regina Aegypti bestiis suis usa est. Ignes post Carthaginensem feminam Asdrubale marito in extremis patriae constantiorem docuerat invadere ipsa Dido. Sed et tormenta mulier Attica fatigavit tyranno negans, postremo, ne cederet corpus et sexus, linguam suam pastam exspuit, totum eradicatae confessionis ministerium. Sed vestris ista ad gloriam, nostris ad 0584B duritiam deputatis. Destruite nunc gloriam majorum, quo nos quoque destruatis. Contenti estote detrahere etiam laudi parentum ad praesens, ne nobis locum detis. De his forsitan et temporum qualitas robustioris antiquitatis exegerit ingenia duriora, at nunc tranquillitas pacis et ingenia mitiora et mentes hominum etiam in extraneos . . . Ergo, inquitis, veteribus vos comparate; nobis necesse est in vobis odio prosequi quod a nobis non probatur, quia nec invenitur in nobis. Respondete igitur ad singulas species. Non eadem voce exempla deposco. Si contemptu scilicet mortis gladius de majoribus fabulas fecit, utique non vitae amore gladio vos ad lanistas auctoratis, sed mortis nomen militiae datis . Si feminae alicui de bestiis famosa mors est, medio quotidie pacis 0584C sponte libera ad bestias itis. Si crucem, configendi corporis machinam, nullus adhuc ex vobis Regulus pepigit, attamen jam ignis contemptus evasit , ex quo se quidam proxime vestiendum incendiali tunica ad certum usquequaque locum auctoravit. Si flagris mulier insultavit, hoc quoque proxime inter venatorios 0585A ordine transcurso remensus est, ut taceam de Laconica gloria .