Apology as Dialogue and Appeal

2020 ◽  
pp. 241-266
Author(s):  
D. H. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Actual Role ◽  
The Subject

This chapter presents a reading of the Octavius, which is cast as a transcription of an earlier dialogue that purportedly took place in Ostia between three lawyers and friends: Marcus Minucius Felix, Caecilius Natalis, and Octavius Januaris. The text is set in a dialogical format that is clearly meant to recall the philosophical dialogues of Cicero, though it is less of a dialogue as it is actually composed of two speeches: one by Caecilius, defending the pagan position; and one by Octavius the Christian. Minucius functions as the arbitrator between the two others, though his actual role is the narrator of the exchange. The three lawyers are on holiday in Ostia, chatting as they walk along the shoreline, when the subject turns to religion; their conversation becomes a debate presenting both sides of the pagan-vs.-Christian arguments as commonly portrayed at the end of the second century. The chapter also considers the work of Thracius Caecilianus Cyprianus, bishop of Carthage.

THE SATYRICA AND THE GOSPELS IN THE SECOND CENTURY

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 356-367
Author(s):  
Robyn Faith Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
First Century ◽  
Circumstantial Evidence ◽  
The Novel ◽  
General Consensus ◽  
Pliny The Younger ◽  
Terminus Post Quem ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Greek Novel

The Satyrica has long been associated with a Neronian courtier named Petronius, mentioned by Tacitus in his Annals. As such, the text is usually dated to the mid first century c.e. This view is so established that certain scholars have suggested it is ‘little short of perverse not to accept the general consensus and read the Satyrica as a Neronian text of the mid-60s ad’. In recent years, however, there has been a groundswell of support for re-evaluating this long-held position. Laird, after comparing the ‘form and content’ of the text to the Greek novel, came to the ‘unattractive’ conclusion that the text may be second century. Similarly, in two recent pieces in CQ, Roth argues that the manumission scene in the Cena establishes a new terminus post quem for the text; she suggests that the freedoms granted by Trimalchio closely parallel—and parody—descriptions of awarding ciuitas found in the letters of Pliny the Younger. Indeed, the three slaves manumitted in the novel are associated with a boar (Sat. 40.3–41.4), Dionysus (Sat. 41.6–7) and a falling star (Sat. 54.1–5); likewise, the three slaves that are the subject of Pliny's letter are C. Valerius Aper (boar), C. Valerius Dionysius (god of wine) and C. Valerius Astraeus (stars). Roth's argument suggests that the author of the Satyrica was not Nero's contemporary but a member of Pliny's intellectual circle, offering strong circumstantial evidence that troubles the accepted tradition on the work's authorship and date.

The Second Century Papers: Looking Ahead in Aeronautics—13

1968 ◽  
Vol 72 (696) ◽  
pp. 1011-1018
Author(s):  
R. Hafner
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Sufficient Detail ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Similar Paper ◽  
Logical Process

Having been delivered about 3 years ago of a paper for the Society's Centenary Journal on the subject of rotorcraft in retrospect—without, apparently, undue birth pains—I was led to think some months ago, when I was asked to write a similar paper—this time on the prospect for rotorcraft in the next 100 years—that the process would perhaps be equally painless. However, unwittingly, I had made one grave logical mistake: I did not realise that this time I was involved with an altogether different bairnie! In looking backwards one is concerned with collecting and collating factual matter from various sources, comparing present views with the views held at the time, and with such hindsight arriving at fairly positive conclusions, a more or less routine logical process, the quality of which is mainly measured by the care taken in considering all important factors in sufficient detail to ensure valid conclusions.

The Epitaph of Julius Terentius

1941 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. Welles
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private House ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject

Investigation of the Agora area at Dura was begun in 1931, and continued in the following seasons of work. It is now possible to trace in some detail the history of the site, which developed from an open square only partly enclosed by simple market buildings into a complex of public and private structures. From one of the latter, a private house built in the late second century in the northwest part of the area (G5 H), came the inscription which is the subject of the present paper.

The Roman Military Occupation of North-West Spain

1976 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 45-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. J. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Military Force ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Main Text ◽  
Gold Mines ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject

The north-west corner of Spain was long neglected by Roman archaeologists, who have tended to concentrate on the more spectacular remains to be found in the south and east. However, recently more attention has been directed there by workers of several nationalities, who have now produced a quite extensive literature on the gold mines, as well as on wider aspects, chiefly in connection with the activities of the legion VII Gemina. Yet there has been little attempt in all this to examine why a substantial military force was maintained in the region for so long. This paper aims to review that problem to about the end of the second century A.D. The evidence available is almost entirely epigraphic, chiefly consisting of epitaphs and religious dedications. Building inscriptions are scarce. For convenience all the epigraphic material from the north-west of Spain that is relevant to the disposition of the army is collected in the appendix, and in the main text reference will be made to the numbers given there. In addition a few historical passages are of importance, but the archaeological site evidence is very slight. The nature of the evidence is such that most attention must be devoted to the units attested in the region and their deployment, with little to be said about their actual bases. Previous work on the subject has been dominated by the late Antonio García y Bellido in several masterly papers. However it has tended to concentrate more on the history of the units themselves than on questions of topography and the reasons behind their presence.

scholarly journals Tell us no secrets: St. Irenaeus’ contra-gnostic doctrine of communion

Vox Patrum ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Don W. Springer
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
People Of God ◽  
Mystical Union ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Union With God ◽  
The Church

Discussion related to the potential for mystical union with God was largely absent from the writings of the Church Fathers prior to the late-second century. Toward the end of that century, however, the concept of communion with God emerged as a topic of interest in both early Christian and Gnostic literature. St. Irenaeus of Lyons was among the earliest Christian writers to critically reflect on the subject. He argued that participation with the divine was possible only in the “orthodox” churches and required three key elements: a life lived in connection to the Spirit of God, in community with the true people of God, while bearing evidence of godly piety and virtue. Whereas Gnostic conceptions of communion frequently included an emphasis on the reception of an exclusive, secret gnosis, Irenaeus’ paradigm offered a public, progressive path of ascent to God.

Transcending Science

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cottingham
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Spiritual Transformation ◽  
Religion And Science ◽  
Actual Role ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
The World ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Religious Understanding

In many contemporary debates, religion and science are cast as rivals, supposedly offering competing explanations of the origins and nature of the cosmos. This chapter argues that we need a more “humane” model of religious understanding, one that is responsive to the actual role played by religion in the life of the believer. Understanding the world religiously is less about subscribing to explanatory hypotheses than about a certain mode of engagement with reality, requiring a moral and spiritual transformation of the subject. This has important implications for the appropriate way to philosophize about religion. Instead of an epistemology of control, operating through the detached evaluation of “spectator evidence,” we may need to substitute an epistemology of receptivity. In religion, as in many areas of human life, proper perception and understanding may require a process of attunement for the relevant evidence to become manifest.

scholarly journals Vyandigheid in apokaliptiese literatuur – die Daniëlboek

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Nel
Keyword(s):  
Jewish Community ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
Apocalyptic Literature ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Book Of Daniel ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Historical Origins

Animosity in apocalyptic literature – the Book of Daniel What is reflected in apocalyptic literature about the subject of animosity? Apocalyptic literature is limited in this article to the Book of Daniel, because it is the most extended apocalyptic text in the Old Testament. Before an apocalyptic work can be discussed, it is important to answer several preliminary questions: what is apocalyptic literature, and what is the phenomenon of apocalypticism? What are the characteristics of this genre? And what are the socio-historical origins of apocalyptic movements?   To understand the Book of Daniel, it is imperative to discuss the two “Sitze im Leben” present in the development of the book. These “Sitze” are the supposed sixth-century BCE exile of Judah, and the second-century BCE Jewish persecution under the Syrian king, Antiochus.   The patterns of animosity in the Book of Daniel are discussed in terms of the relationship between God and people; Jews and a foreign king; Jews and their neighbours; and two groups operating in the Jewish community according to apocalyptic perception, believing and compromising Jews. The story of Daniel in the lion’s den (Dan. 6) is used as a case study to demonstrate these patterns.   The conclusion of the study is that the tales (Dan. 1-6) and visions (Dan. 7-12) can only be understood properly in terms of the patterns of animosity present in the different plots behind the texts.

Perdebatan Taqlīd dalam ‘Aqīdah dan Sharī‘ah

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-115
Author(s):  
Imanuddin Abil Fida
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
The Subject

The debates on the subject of imitation (taqlid) does not exist in the field of fiqih, but also in ushuluddin. Moreover, regarding permissibility of taqlid has been discussed by scholars since the second century. The debate has been more intense after the fall of Baghdad. Some argues that Baghdad’s fall was due to the rise of taqlid among Muslims. Therefore, various books have been written to encourage for ijtihad in order to grow the spirit of knowledge. While others wrote concerning the reason for rejection taqlid based on al-Qur’an, hadist and logic. This article will explain the views of scholars around taqlid both in ‘aqidah and syari’ah

scholarly journals Plato in Bad Company? Plato’s Republic (588b–589b) in the Nag Hammadi Collection: A Re-Examination of Its Background

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187
Author(s):  
Piotr Ashwin-Siejkowski
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Human Soul ◽  
Nag Hammadi ◽  
Clement Of Alexandria ◽  
Christian Teachers ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Bad Company ◽  
Sexual Immorality

Abstract The Coptic translation of a passage from Plato’s Republic (588b–589b) found in the sixth Codex of the Nag Hammadi collection has received very limited academic attention in comparison with other tractates from the same Codex. This paper argues that placing this passage within Clement of Alexandria’s polemic with Christian Platonists Carpocrates and his son Epiphanes, may provide a fresh and insightful comment on the use of Republic, with its anthropology and ethics among various second-century Christian teachers. This passage allegorizes various passions within the human soul and warns against injustice. According to Clement of Alexandria the subject of justice, or righteousness, was one of the subjects which attracted the attention of Epiphanes. I propose that the origin of the Coptic passage goes back to the second-century effort to assimilate Platonic ideas about the human soul into Christian ethics. Although various apologists accused Carpocrates and Epiphanes of sexual immorality, I focus on the possibility that Christians with Platonic tendencies were exploring the nature and power of human passions and considering how they could be controlled. The place of the excerpt in the Nag Hammadi collection is not coincidental but goes along other mythological and didactic treatises within.

Scarce Resources: Philosophical Economics Reproduced

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-42
Author(s):  
Jacob Neusner
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Fundamental Importance ◽  
Rational Utilization ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Religious System ◽  
Philosophical System ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Given ◽  
New System

Abstract The heirs of the initial, philosophical Judaism, in the second century C.E. received a system in which the subject of economics—the rational disposition of scarce resources—was utilized in order to set forth a systemic statement of fundamental importance. While making every effort to affirm the details of that statement and apply them, their system repeated the given but made no significant use of what had been received. Instead the heirs of the Mishnah invented what we must call a counterpart-category, that is to say, a category that dealt with problems of the rational utilization of scarce resources, but not with those same scarce resources defined by the philosophical system of the Mishnah. The systemic category for the aborning religious system was not an economics, but corresponded, in the new system, to the position and role of economics in the old.

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