lated: “In the home region of the apocalyptic seer [of Revelation] there
were probably Persian inscriptions, perhaps partly of the same sort as the
letter of Darius in Magnesia. He also appears to have had ample opportu-
nity to become familiar with them, since some of them were refurbished
in the first century A.D.” (1911, 179).
More recently, affirming and amplifying Rudberg’s argument, David E.
Aune (1997, 117–32, esp. pp. 126–29) similarly proposes that the seven
proclamations to the seven churches reflect the form and content of ancient
imperial edicts. Aune thinks that these proclamations also can be identi-
fied with a “paraenetic salvation-judgement oracle” (1997, 126)—a pro-
posal I find far less compelling. Using especially the work of Margareta
Benner, The Emperor Says: Studies in the Rhetorical Style in Edicts of the Early
Empire(1975; see also Winterbottom 1977, 419–20; Fridh 1956), Aune
makes the following comparisons:
Thepraescriptio,with the verb of declaration, [i.e., the title(s) and name(s)
of the issuing magistrate(s) or emperor plus dicit/dicuntorlegei/legousi]
is the only formal characteristic consistently recurring in imperial edicts.
Each of the seven proclamations [in Revelation] begins with a praescrip-
tiosimilar to those found in imperial edicts, except that in them the
verb of declaration precedesthe christological predications, while in impe-
rial edicts it followsthe name(s) and title(s) of the issuing magistrate(s)
or emperor....
While no counterpart to the prooemium[i.e., the preface, which was
supposed to produce benevolence and interest on the part of the
addresses] is found in the seven proclamations, its absence is appropri-
ate in eastern provinces where the traditions of absolute sovereignty, first
of the Persian monarchs and then of the Hellenistic kings, were predom-
inant.
Thenarratio,which occurs with some frequency in Roman edicts,
often has the character of reported information (renuntiatum est nobis).
Thenarratiohas a functional counterpart in the [oida] clauses in each of
the proclamations....
Thedispositio[expressing decisions] occurs in each proclamation,
except that it is not introduced with the usual ordaining verb meaning
“I command,” but is influenced by the conditional style of prophetic
speech consisting of ethical exhortations usually matched by condi-
tional threats....
Finally, statements with a function similar to the sanctioorcorrobora-
tioof Roman edicts [intended to bring about obedience to the enactment]
are regularly found at the close of each proclamation in the conditional
promise of victory. (Aune 1997, 128–29)Why Christianity Succeeded (in) the Roman Empire 267