Conceptions and Sources
AemilianuspraesesFructuosodixit:Audistiquidimperatores
praeceperunt?
Fructuosusdixit:Nescioquidpraeceperunt.egoChristianussum.
Aemilianuspraesesdixit:Praeceperuntdeoscoli.
Fructuosusdixit:EgounumDeumcolo,quifecitcaelumetterramet
mareetomniaquaeineissunt.
Aemilianusdixit:Scisessedeos?
Fructuosusdixit:Nescio.
Aemilianusdixit:Sciespostea.
..........
AemilianuspraesesFructuosodixit:Episcopuses?
Fructuosusdixit:Sum.
Aemilianusdixit:Fuisti.
Aemilianus,thegovernor,askedFructuosus:Haveyouheardwhatthe
emperorshaveordered?
Fructuosusanswered:Idonotknowwhattheyhaveordered.Iama
Christian.
Aemilianus,thegovernorsaid:Theyhaveorderedthatthegodsareto
beworshipped.
Fructuosusanswered:IworshiptheoneGod,whomadeheavenand
earthandseaandallthatisinthem.
Aemilianusasked:Doyouknowthattherearegods?
Fructuosusanswered:Idonotknow.
Aemilianussaid:Youwillknowlateron.
..............
Aemilianus,thegovernor,askedFructuosus:Areyouabishop?
Fructuosusanswered:Iam.
Aemilianussaid:Youwere.
EnoughhasbeensaidtoillustratethethreemainthemeswhichIwanttoput
forward:thesheerscaleintimeandspaceofwhatwecallthe‘‘ancientworld’’;
the significance within it of those Jewish and Christian texts in Greek or
Latinwhichwewoulddowelltoincludeinourview;andtheusetowhich
someofthesetextscouldbeput,asbeinggrammaticallysimplebutpregnant
withmeaning,inintroducingbeginnerstoclassicalcultureandbeliefs.
Ifspaceallowed,Iwouldsaysomethingaboutthehundredsofthousands
of inscriptionsandtensofthousandsofpapyriwhichgiveusdirectaccess
tothewordswritteninthethousandsofsmalltownsandvillagesofthean-
cientworld(manyofthesetextswouldalsoserveforbeginnersstartingto