Okunye Early eyayihlala-Roman Imithombo.

UPliny Omncinci

Imiqulu elishumi yembalelwano kaPliny Omncinane, ukususela ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesibini, baye basinda ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Malunga 112 AD, Pliny, ngoko ke irhuluneli yaseBythiniya, wabhalela uMlawuli uTrajan, ecela icebiso lokuba axolele okanye angawaxoleli amaKristu azalelwe izono ukuba alukhanyele ukholo lwawo. Ezi zilandelayo zizicatshulwa ezimbalwa:

'… Ndiyababuza enoba bangamaKristu kusini na; ukuba bathi ewe, ndiphinde umbuzo okwesibini nakwesithathu, ebalumkisa ngezohlwayo ezizibandakanyayo, kwaye ukuba basaqhuba, Ndiyalela ukuba bathathwe … Kwakukho nabanye ababebonakalisa ubudenge obufanayo endandibagcinele ukuthunyelwa eRoma, njengoko babengabemi baseRoma.’

'… Abo babekhanyela ukuba babengamaKristu okanye babengamaKristu baza babiza oothixo ngendlela eqhelekileyo, ndiwacengceleza amazwi emva kwam, abanikela isiqhumiso newayini phambi komfanekiso wakho … zonke ezo nto bendizigqala zifanele ukukhululwa, ngakumbi njengoko baliqalekisayo igama likaKrestu, leyo, kuthiwa, abo bangamaKristu okwenyaniso abanakuhendelwa ukuba benze.’

'Kodwa babhengeza ukuba ubuninzi betyala labo, okanye impazamo yabo, iphelele nje koku, ukuba ngosuku oluchaziweyo babeqhele ukudibana ngaphambi kokusa, nokuba bacule iingoma phakathi kwabo kuKristu, ngokungathi unguthixo, nokuba kude kangaka ekubeni bazibophe ngesifungo ukwenza naluphi na ulwaphulo-mthetho, isifungo sawo yayikukuzikhwebula kubusela, ukuphanga, ukukrexeza, nakukwaphulwa kokholo, kwaye bangayikhanyeli imali abayithembileyo abayigcinileyo xa becelwa ukuba bayizise … Ndandicinga ukuba kuyimfuneko ngakumbi, ke ngoko, ukufumanisa ukuba yeyiphi inyaniso eyayikho kwezi ngxelo ngokungenisa abafazi ababini, ababebizwa ngokuba ngabadikoni, kwintuthumbo, kodwa andizange ndifumane nto ngaphandle kweenkolelo ezithob’ isidima.’

Ngokuchanekileyo! UbuKristu bokuqala yayiyingqokelela nje yamabali aneenkolelo!

'… Abantu abaninzi babo bonke ubudala, kananjalo amadoda nabafazi bawo babe besengozini ngenxa yabamangaleli bawo, kwaye inkqubo iya kuqhubeka. Kuba ukosuleleka kwale nkolelo kusasazeke kungekuphela nje ngezixeko ezikhululekileyo, nasemizaneni nasemizaneni. …’ ('Iincwadi', 10.96)

UTrajan waphendula:

“… Wenze ngokuchaneka okugqibeleleyo ekuthatheni isigqibo ngezizathu zabo bamangalelwe phambi kwakho ngokuba ngamaKristu. … Kufuneka zingakhutshelwa ngaphandle; ukuba babekwe ityala kwaye bagwetywe, kufuneka bohlwaywe, ngaphandle kokuba nabani na okhanyelayo ukuba ungumKristu aze anikele ubungqina obubambekayo baloo nto ngokunqula izithixo zethu uya kuxolelwa ngenxa yoko kukuchaswa., …” (ibid. 10.97)

Lucian waseSamosata

Malunga neAD 170 ULucian waseSamosata wabhala "UkuPasa kukaPeregrinus.” Oku kusekelwe kwimbali, ukanti uhlekisa kakhulu, amagqabaza ngobomi nokufa kweqabane elifuna ingqalelo elathi ngaxa lithile lathi liguqukele kubuKristu laza kangangexesha elide lazingca ngethemba nesisa sabo babecingelwa ukuba ‘babhetyebhetye.’ AmaKristu. Emva kokulahlwa ngabo ekugqibeleni wazenzela igama njengesithandi sobulumko esinguGxeki. ke, njengexhego, wafuna udumo olungunaphakade ngokutsiba kwindawo yakhe yokungcwaba eOlympia, nje emva kokuphela kweMidlalo.

Isicatshulwa esilandelayo siqhelekileyo ngokufanelekileyo kwithoni yayo ngokubanzi:

‘Ezi zidalwa zilahlekisiweyo, Uyabona, baye baqiniseka ukuba abanakufa yaye baya kuphila ngonaphakade, echaza indelelo yokufa nokuzincama okuxhaphakileyo phakathi kwabo. Kwachukunyiswa nakubo ngumniki-mthetho wabo ukuba ukususela ekuguqukeni kwabo, khanyela oothixo baseGrisi, nqula isilumko esibethelelwe emnqamlezweni, kwaye uphile ngemithetho yakhe, bonke ngabazalwana. Bayithabatha ngokupheleleyo imiyalelo yakhe elukholweni, ngesiphumo sokuba bazidelile zonke izinto zehlabathi baze bazibambe ngobunini. Ngoko nayiphi na i-adroit, umntu ongathembekanga, ngubani owazi umhlaba, kufuneka ifumane kuphela phakathi kwale miphefumlo ilula kwaye ithamsanqa lakhe lenziwa ngokukhawuleza; udlala nabo.’

Buyela isihloko main.