小普林尼

小普林尼可能于62年出生于当代意大利的考摩（当时的名称为Novum Comum），他的母亲是著名的学者和作家老普林尼的妹妹。他本来姓西罗，他父亲死后，他的舅舅老普林尼按照他父亲的遗愿将他领为养子，因此他获得了普林尼这个姓。此后他在罗马市读书。小普林尼18岁时就已经在法庭演讲、辩论，此时他与他的第一位夫人结婚，但是他的前两位夫人的姓名都没流传下来。他在公元100年娶的第三位夫人的名字（卡尔普尼亚）在一封信中流传下来了。19岁时小普林尼被提拔为罗马皇帝提图斯的祭祀。他按照罗马贵族官僚生涯先后成为叙利亚的军团校官（82年）、财务官、副执政（ 93年 / 94年 ）和执政官（100年）。他也经常处理财政问题，在这方面有一些经验，比如98年他负责管理国库。最后他被任命为罗马比提尼亚-潘图斯省（省会尼克美迪亚，当代土耳其伊兹米特）的省长。公元113年小普林尼可能死于当地，或者在他回到家乡后不久去世。

小普林尼14岁时就发表了一部希腊悲剧和一些诗。他的一些演讲也保存下来，其中包括他当任执政官后对皇帝图拉真的颂扬演说。在皇帝涅尔瓦执政时他发表了一系列事后加工和扩充的演说。小普林尼最著名的是他的书信。他一共收集和发表了10卷，369封信。其中前9卷包括248封信，这248封信是写给105个不同的收信人的，其中包括朋友、熟人和当时的知名人士。这些信都在普林尼赴比提尼亚前发表的。第十卷包括他与图拉真之间的书信往来（共12封信，其中包括图拉真的回信）。在这些信中小普林尼也探讨了如何对待基督教的问题。在给塔西佗的信中普林尼描述了使他的叔叔和导师老普林尼丧生的那场维苏威火山的爆发。小普林尼在发表他的书信时特别注意保持书信的格式（包括收信人、发信人、称呼等等格式）。在每封信中他都会讨论一个问题。他的书信涉及到罗马上层社会几乎所有的生活问题。虽然这些书信是经过加工后发表的，而且其诠言风格“一般”，但是他为后人提供了当时罗马社会、生活和政治的详细的描述。比如他描述了个人的事务、报道、政治、对他的庄园的描写、对风景的描写、教育问题等等。只有第十卷中的书信是按照其发送时间排列的。

Pliny the Younger or Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (62-c.115): Roman senator, nephew of Pliny the Elder, governor of Bithynia-Pontus (109-111), author of a famous collection of letters.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.

Pliny the Elder

(Caius Plinius Secundus) (pl′n) (KEY) , c.A.D. 23–A.D. 79, Roman naturalist, b. Cisalpine Gaul. He was a friend and fellow soldier of Vespasian, and he dedicated his great work to Titus. He died of asphyxiation in the neighborhood of Vesuvius, having gone to investigate the eruption. His one surviving work is an encyclopedia of natural science (Historia naturalis). It is divided into 37 books and, after a preface, deals with the nature of the physical universe; geography; anthropology; zoology; botany, including the medicinal uses of plants; curatives derived from the animal world; and mineralogy, including an account of the uses of pigments and a history of the fine arts. Pliny’s industry was immense and his knowledge of sources extensive, but his information is mostly secondhand and quite useless as science. 1

See Selections from the History of the World, ed. by P. Turner (1962). 2

His nephew and ward, Pliny the Younger (Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus), A.D. 62?–c.A.D. 113, was an orator and a statesman. He was quaestor (A.D. 89), tribune (A.D. 91), and praetor (A.D. 93) and subsequently held treasury posts. He was consul (A.D. 100) and died in his proconsular province of Pontus-Bithynia. His fame rests on his letters, written probably for publication, which are an excellent mirror of Roman life. 3

See his Letters and Panegyricus, tr. by B. Radice (2 vol., 1969); studies by S. E. Stout (1954) and A. N. Sherwin-White (1966). 4

一世纪到约249AD时，罗马政府并不区分基督徒和犹太人（例如徒18：14-15）。但因基督教的传播，不少地方常引起来自犹太人或外邦人的扰乱（例如徒19：23-41）。克劳狄乌斯年间，在罗马城因基督而引起的搅动，曾导致克劳狄乌斯命犹太人都离开罗马（参徒18：2）。

在罗马皇帝尼禄(Nero)的时候，形势发生了变化。公元64年，当他在位时，罗马城发生一场大火，烧了六天六夜，全城绝大部份焚为灰烬。谣言传出，放火者是尼禄王本人，于是引起罗马人对皇帝的愤慨；为了转移百姓的怒恨，尼禄便嫁祸于人，将焚城巨祸归咎于基督徒。虽然这是捏造的控告，却有无数基督徒被捉，遭到残酷的逼迫。据说，使徒彼得与保罗都在尼禄逼迫期间相继于罗马殉道。相传彼得是倒钉十架而死，在行刑前，他要求将十架倒置，因为他认为自己不配与他的主以同样方式去世。身为罗马公民的保罗，则被砍头而死。这时期对基督徒的残杀，只局限于罗马城，还没有扩展成全国性的大逼迫。公元95年，暴君多米提安再次逼迫基督徒，老约翰在此时被流放到拔摩海岛上，写下了启示录。

约公元112年左右。当时小亚细亚巡抚小普林尼(Pliny the Younger)写了一封信给罗马皇帝图拉真(Trajan)，提到他对基督徒的政策：任何被控为基督徒的，我便审问他们是否真是基督徒，若他们承认，我便以刑罚警吓他们，并再次审问，假若他们坚持承认自己是基督徒，我便下令将他们处决。图拉真回复指出他在处理被控诉为基督徒的案件时做得非常正确。图拉真也指出：政府不用积极地搜捕基督徒，但却维持一贯严惩基督徒的原则，凡接到举报某人是基督徒，便彻底调查，要求那人放弃信仰，并向罗马的神奠酒献祭，以示清白，要不然便将他处决。在图拉真的统治下，安提阿主教伊格那丢(Ignatius, ca. 35-110 AD)被解赴罗马喂狮子。

Pliny's Epistle To Trajan About 112 CE

Sir,

It is my constant method to apply myself to you for the resolution of all my doubts; for who can better govern my dilatory way of proceeding or instruct my ignorance? I have never been present at the examination of the Christians [by others], on which account I am unacquainted with what uses to be inquired into, and what, and how far they used to be punished; nor are my doubts small, whether there be not a distinction to be made between the ages [of the accused]? and whether tender youth ought to have the same punishment with strong men? Whether there be not room for pardon upon repentance? or whether it may not be an advantage to one that had been a Christian, that he has forsaken Christianity? Whether the bare name, without any crimes besides, or the crimes adhering to that name, be to be punished? In the meantime, I have taken this course about those who have been brought before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians or not? If they confessed that they were Christians, I asked them again, and a third time, intermixing threatenings with the questions. If they persevered in their confession, I ordered them to be executed; for I did not doubt but, let their confession be of any sort whatsoever, this positiveness and inflexible obstinacy deserved to be punished. There have been some of this mad sect whom I took notice of in particular as Roman citizens, that they might be sent to that city. After some time, as is usual in such examinations, the crime spread itself and many more cases came before me. A libel was sent to me, though without an author, containing many names [of persons accused]. These denied that they were Christians now, or ever had been.They called upon the gods, and supplicated to your image, which I caused to be brought to me for that purpose, with frankincense and wine; they also cursed Christ; none of which things, it is said, can any of those that are ready Christians be compelled to do; so I thought fit to let them go. Others of them that were named in the libel, said they were Christians, but presently denied it again; that indeed they had been Christians, but had ceased to be so, some three years, some many more; and one there was that said he had not been so these twenty years. All these worshipped your image, and the images of our gods; these also cursed Christ. However, they assured me that the main of their fault, or of their mistake was this:-That they were wont, on a stated day, to meet together before it was light, and to sing a hymn to Christ, as to a god, alternately; and to oblige themselves by a sacrament [or oath], not to do anything that was ill: but that they would commit no theft, or pilfering, or adultery; that they would not break their promises, or deny what was deposited with them, when it was required back again; after which it was their custom to depart, and to meet again at a common but innocent meal, which they had left off upon that edict which I published at your command, and wherein I had forbidden any such conventicles. These examinations made me think it necessary to inquire by torments what the truth was; which I did of two servant maids, who were calledDeaconesses: but still I discovered no more than that they were addicted to a bad and to an extravagant superstition. Hereupon I have put off any further examinations, and have recourse to you, for the affair seems to be well worth consultation, especially on account of the number of those that are in danger; for there are many of every age, of every rank, and of both sexes, who are now and hereafter likely to be called to account, and to be in danger; for this superstition is spread like a contagion, not only into cities and towns, but into country villages also, which yet there is reason to hope may be stopped and corrected. To be sure, the temples, which were almost forsaken, begin already to be frequented; and the holy solemnities, which were long intermitted, begin to be revived. The sacrifices begin to sell well everywhere, of which very few purchasers had of late appeared; whereby it is easy to suppose how great a multitude of men may be amended, if place for repentance be admitted.

TRAJAN'S EPISTLE TO PLINY

My Pliny,

You have taken the method which you ought inexamining the causes of those that had been accused as Christians, for indeed no certain and general form of judging can be ordained in this case. These people are not to be sought for; but if they be accused and convicted, they are to be punished; but with this caution, that he who denies himself to be a Christian, and makes it plain that he is not so by supplicating to our gods, although he had been so formerly, may be allowed pardon, upon his repentance. As for libels sent without an author, they ought to have no place in any accusation whatsoever, for that would be a thing of very ill example, and not agreeable to my reign.

生于尼禄放火前2年，死于图拉真之前2年（115），如果按他是113年去世的话，那就是图拉真之前4年。

关于小普林尼，在我未阅读过任何他的作品之前，我总觉得他是个很可爱的人，但这种“可爱”的印象从何而来就不得而知了，或许是我觉得普林尼这个姓念起来很好听，所以觉得小普林尼很可爱吧。

关于普林尼的最初印象，大约是来自关于维苏威火山的科普读物，知道老普林尼就是为了近距离观察而死于这场灾难。如今我知道，那时候小普林尼17岁，亲眼目睹了火山爆发并写信告诉他的朋友塔西佗。老普林尼的“超”自然史实在是太宏大…………总之两个普林尼都太有名了。

小普林尼很小的时候父亲就去世了，他被舅父（老普林尼生于公元23年，死于79年的维苏威火山喷发，死的时候也不算老，他本可以写更多著作的…………）老普林尼收养，并继承了老普林尼的名字。老普林尼长年任职在外，他为小普林尼，他的养子和继承人，指定了很好的监护人，Verginius Rufus，而这又使得许多文人前来拜访并与之为友，其中许多人成了年幼的小普林尼的老师。最著名的，小普林尼的拉丁文和演说术的教师，昆提良，虽然我没有读过他的著作，但是至少我知道他是多么的伟大和有影响力，由此可以想象小普林尼的拉丁文写得有多好。（塔西佗也可能曾是昆提良的弟子，天哪…………）

小普林尼从他的父亲和养父那里继承了不少的财产，他的才华毋庸置疑，而他的仕途看来也是一帆风顺的，他担任过一长串显赫的官职：财务官，地方长官，护民官，执政官，地方总督，他和几任皇帝的私人关系都相当好，他有许多著名和不著名的朋友，塔西佗，苏埃托尼乌斯，马提雅尔（写过很多讽刺诗），等等。我会想象他是优雅又亲切的人，在他风景优美的别墅庭院里散步，手中拿着一卷书，或是和朋友们谈论，只是不知道象柏拉图和西塞罗所描写过的那种师长和弟子，朋友与朋友之间无拘无束的谈话的场景那时候还会不会有，或是在他的图书室里看书和写作。他的一生太过顺利，他总能得到皇帝的重视和人们的喜爱（想想涅尔瓦之前的那几个皇帝都是什么性格吧…………），无论如何从从政的角度上说，小普林尼是不可谓不成功的。

小普林尼的文风和个人性格，相信等我看过了他的书信集之后会更有体会的。

摘一段

看看他的政治生涯…………

Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, son of Lucius, of the Oufentine tribe; consul; augur; legatus Augusti pro praetore consulari potestate for the province of Pontus and Bithynia, sent to that province in accordance with the Senate's decree by the emperor Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus Dacicus, the father of his country; curator of the bed and banks of the Tiber and sewers of Rome; prefect of the treasury of Saturn; prefect of the military treasury; praetor; tribune of the people; quaestor of the emperor; commissioner of the Roman knights; tribune of the Third Gallic legion; magistrate on the Board of Ten;

这里叙述他的官职并非完全依照时间顺序，大约是为了写出来好看或是念出来好听吧，他成为那个“十人团”（the Board of Ten，不知道是不是这么翻译，看资料上说是个高级法庭的团体）之一的时候才20岁，而他最后担任的官职显然是本都和比提尼亚总督。

顺便感慨一下，在背教者尤利安大帝攻打波斯失败以后，波斯的国王沙普尔二世与罗马帝国签定了不平等条约，将帝国东部的5个行省并入了波斯帝国的版图，具体哪5个行省待查，我估计本都和比提尼亚是要丢了…………

小普林尼并非生于元老家庭，他的父亲和叔父都还不过是骑士阶级，而他本人却在很年轻的时候就成了元老（28岁），后来又做了执政官（38岁），他的事业，他的政治生涯，的确是可以让他的父亲和叔父感到满意了。