AUC Philologica (Acta Universitatis Carolinae Philologica) is an academic journal published by Charles University. It publishes scholarly articles in a large number of disciplines (English, German, Greek and Latin, Oriental, Romance and Slavonic studies, as well as in phonetics and translation studies), both on linguistic and on literary and cultural topics. Apart from articles it publishes reviews of new academic books or special issues of academic journals.
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AUC PHILOLOGICA, Vol 2017 No 2 (2017), 95–110
Auctor nominis eius Christus. Tacitus’ Knowledge of the Origins of Christianity
Ivan Prchlík
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/24646830.2017.15
published online: 18. 10. 2017
abstract
Tacitus’ information about the beginnings of Christianity contains details, which may be historically precise. He learnt them, perhaps, from Christian followers of some other than the received tradition, whom he could have tried during his proconsulship of Asia. Dio’s account of the trial of Flavius Clemens and others is probably taken from Tacitus, who in his capacity of quindecemvir sacris faciundis could have participated or been interested in the trial. Dio’s actual formulation of this account omitting Christianity should thus be believed. The implication is that, when treating this affair in his Histories, prior to his sojourn to Asia, Tacitus need not have known anything yet about Christianity, and its beginnings in particular. His information would thus come exclusively from Asia and could be treated as such by modern scholarship.
keywords: Tacitus; beginnings of Christianity; Christianity in ancient Asia Minor; diversity in early Christianity; Cassius Dio and his sources; the Flavius Clemens affair
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