Deux problèmes d’histoire des religions au monde antique : II. Tacite et la « persécution néronienne »
Two Problems of the History of Religions in the Ancient World. II. Tacitus and the «Persecution of Neron»

Summary/Abstract: By a critical approach of Tacitus’ Histories, as well as of an important part of the historiographical works devoted to this classical source in the 20th century, Martin Bodinger subminates the ancient cliché, according to which the well-known persecution of the Christians under the rule of Neron is rather a fiction, propagated by Tacitus and assumed as such. Was Tacitus a lier in respect to this very historical fact? If Tacitus was wrong, why did the Christians accept and preserve his “invention”, which under no circumstances looks favourable to the image of Christianity? The conclusion is firmly argued at the end of Dr Bodinger’s study: “There was no persecution of the Christians under Neron. In fact, the persecutions did not take place but beginning with ‘70s of the 2nd century a.J.-C.”.

• Details
• Contents