Gesturing to draw close, the magistrate shouted, “Men, women, and children of Oxyrhynchus, faithful city of the Roman Empire, lend your ear so that I may tell, in a few words, of the constitution of your Imperium, which faces a distressing danger. Perhaps you have already heard about those derelicts who call themselves Christians, rejecting the gods of our forefathers in favor of some charlatan whom they call Christ, who has proclaimed himself the son of god, convincing the gullible with magic, incantations, and incredible stories, and using trickery and deceit to win over feeble minds. These Christians threaten the pax deorum; they will bring ruin to the earth and to our race!” he shouted.
Avitus had learned long ago of the pax deorum, a pact between man and the gods in which they agreed to preserve and protect the heavens and earth in exchange for man’s habitual prayer and sacrifice. To neglect these duties was to solicit the wrath of the gods, precipitating the decline, or even destruction, of humanity. Mimicking the words of their leader and namesake, these Christians were grossly insulting in their insistence that only their god held sway over the universe, and they were dangerous in their impious belief that their god was worthy of worship, but none others.
“Their pestilence is spreading like a cancer to all reaches of the Roman Empire, and it must be stopped,” the magistrate roared. The people of Oxyrhynchus looked around at one another, their eyes overwrought with suspicion, and their mouths overcome with gossip as they fell into the grips of speculation.
“I have come with an edict issued by Emperor Decius to seek out these rabble-rousers. For the safety of the empire, each inhabitant of this city will be required to make a public sacrifice attesting to your loyalty of our ancestral gods,” he said, knowing any Christian would refuse, for their sacred writing had laid down that he who sacrifices to other gods shall be utterly destroyed.
“Those of you who agree will receive certificates that will keep you safe from harm. Those who refuse will be executed—hung by a tree, stoned, or set ablaze,” the magistrate yelled, his words growing bolder as he spoke. “You will have until sundown tomorrow to visit me at the temple of Zeus where you may receive your certificate, or refuse and meet your death. We have men stationed at your city gates, so I advise no one attempt escape,” he said with a growl.
Avitus bowed out from the crowd and walked briskly toward his home, fearing he would soon be forced to forsake his life in the name of the Christian faith. Just outside the marketplace, he passed by a group of men bantering, their concern plainly written in the creases of their brows. Avitus approached them, hoping they could not discern his desperation.
“Good tidings, gentleman,” he said, casually drawing an arc in the sand with his foot. The men looked down to the ground with surprise. The old man standing to his right touched his toe to the sand and drew an arc mirroring his, creating the outline of a simple fish. All present drew a sigh of relief, knowing they were in good company—among Christians.
The fish symbol had been adopted by Christians in the first century, when persecutions against them first began, and was drawn on walls to designate meeting places, or used to distinguish friend from foe, as Avitus had done. The fish had biblical significance—several of Jesus’ twelve Apostles were fisherman; Jesus had commissioned the Apostles to go out and fish for people (Matt 4:19); and Jesus fed the five thousand with two fishes and five loaves (Mark 6:41)—but it also offered Christians a discreet symbol since the fish was also associated with pagan gods, being associated with Aphrodite and Isis, as well as the zodiac sign of Pisces. Christians even made an acronym of the Greek word for fish, ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys): Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior (Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ).
Avitus and his Christian comrades, choosing not to become martyrs like various of their fellow Christians had, quickly began plotting their escape from execution, planning to leave Oxyrhynchus as soon as the veils of night were drawn. If they could successfully sneak past the guards, they would venture to the countryside where the magistrate and his men would not bother to go. Some planned on purchasing a certificate of sacrifice on the black market, while others would simply wait out the persecution, though this was not the first, nor would it be the last time Christians were sought out and punished.
The Truth of the Matter: All the information given regarding the fish—its pagan associations, biblical significance, and its symbolic adoption and use by the Christians—is true. The information given regarding the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius, including the requirement of public sacrifice in exchange for a certificate (called a libellus), is also true. Four of these certificates were, in fact, found near Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, dating to 250 CE, when this story takes place. It was also accurate to peg the Roman Empire’s hatred for the Christian faith to the fact that they threatened the pax deorum, though that is but one reason among many that Christians were persecuted in antiquity. The characters in this story are fictional.
No comments:
Post a Comment