remorseless with the gods of the Romans and ridicules them in the extreme, allow-
ing him to attack the notion that Roman superiority is based on religiosity.Apologeticum
Written shortly after Ad nationes, the Apologeticumis Tertullian’s most important
work, addressed to the magistrates, the leading elite of the Roman empire, whom
he attempts to convince (Price 1999: 109). It is characterized by its careful organ-
ization, wealth of arguments, and accomplished rhetoric. It is an allegation, in which
Tertullian starts out by dealing with the irregularities of the proceedings used
against Christians (chapters 1–3) and re-examines the value of the laws adduced against
Christians (chapters 4 – 6). It then goes on to defend Christians against the accusa-
tions of hidden or secret crimes (7–9) and thoroughly refutes the accusations of pub-
lic crimes (9–39). He then contends that the association of Christians is perfectly
lawful, their doctrine is true, and their behavior is irreproachable (39– 45). He ends
up examining the relationship of Christianity with philosophy because it is a truth
revealed by god (46 –50).
Apologeticum offers much material from Ad nationes, but is not a mere literal
repetition, as the material is often expanded or developed with another purpose,
differently laid out, and responding to a different argumentative structure, and within
this framework many expressions appear more refined and sophisticated. Unlike Ad
nationes, it is an organized work following a plan and constituting a unit. In the
opening lines we miss the incisive tone of Ad nationes, especially that of the second
book, which was fundamentally an attack on pagans in general and the Romans in
particular; hence the fundamental place given to the reference to Varro’s work. In
Apologeticum, on the other hand, the dispute with Varro is no longer the structur-
ing or linking thread, because it mainly defends Christians. Tertullian, returning to
certain lines already posed in the first book of Ad nationes, creatively incorporates
elements of Greek apologetics and addresses his work to the magistrates of the Roman
empire, stressing that it is they who are in charge of administering justice. The open-
ing words are indicative of Tertullian’s change of attitude: “Rulers of the Roman
Empire, if, seated for the administration of justice on your lofty tribunal, under the
gaze of every eye, and occupying there all but the highest position in the state, you
may not openly inquire into and sift before the world the real truth in regard to the
charges made against the Christians.. .” (Apol.1.1).
With a new discursive strategy, Tertullian addresses the Romani imperii antistites,
the bosses of the empire, that is, the sector of Roman leaders in general, whom, at
the end of the work, he will call boni praesides(Apol.50.12). This way of address-
ing his audience is in stark contrast with the direct aggression in referring to them
as miserandae nationesin the second book of Ad nationes. Undoubtedly, the pur-
pose of Tertullian’s discourse is now that of persuasion, demanding the construc-
tion of a different audience. This audience will find its counterpart in numerous
expressions throughout the work as a whole; Apol.2.14 is an eloquent example: hoc
imperium, cuius ministri estis, civilis, non tyrannica dominatio est(“the power of which
you are servants is a civil, not a tyrannical domination”). This shows not only Tertullian’s
466 Cecilia Ames