Antonius, nobleman of Pergamum;
To Luke in the house of Calpurnius, a brother in the Lord;
Grace be to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you on the calends of Domitianus [1 October] to alert you to the recent events that have overtaken us here in Pergamum, which you may have heard of already by informal report. Knowing of Antipas’s affection and respect for you, I have taken it upon myself to send you a personal report. Our beloved Antipas, citizen, nobleman, benefactor, and friend, has given up his life to the most high God. Mania and I have been distraught by this and its implications, and I write as much to inform you as to ask for your prayers and encouragement in these desperate times.
The night before his death, Antipas came to my house after the sun had set and requested that I provide safekeeping for the scribal copies of his correspondence with you. He also deposited with me other documents that I have since examined, finding them to comprise official records, personal reports, and business inventories. I see from the copy of his last letter to you that you have been fully informed of the situation surrounding Demetrius’s arrest. Antipas also informed you of his own departure from Pergamum and retreat to Attaea on the coast, where he resided for a week and a half. He returned to Pergamum the night before the Pergamene gladiatorial contests several weeks ago, and on that same night he appeared at my house with his documentation.
On that night, Antipas and I had a brief conversation about Demetrius’s situation. I could see that he was tremendously uncomfortable discussing the matter, and his face appeared to be shadowy gray. Knowing that he was no longer resident in Euphemos’s house, I suggested that he consider my house to be his own for as long as it proved beneficial to him, but he refused, despite my protests. He asked only two things: to see Nouna briefly and to leave his servants Stachys and Glykeros with me. I agreed and took him to Nouna’s bedside, where he stroked her hair as she slept quietly. In the darkness, I remember thinking how his aged hands appeared to be both soft and strong in this gentle touch.
Diotis, the girl’s mother, woke to find him there and called his name. When he responded, Antipas’s voice had the same softness and strength that was in his touch. “Have no fear. All will be well,” he said. Then he kissed Nouna’s forehead lovingly, covered her with a blanket, and withdrew from the house. He stopped at the door and mumbled something about wanting to offer Stachys his freedom after his final trip from Pergamum to Ephesus in the near future (a comment I did not understand until later). After thanking me for my kindness, he embraced me and departed alone into the night.
I saw him next in the amphitheater the following day, the day of the Pergamene gladiatorial games [15 September]. The amphitheater was filled to capacity, with an even larger number of noblemen in attendance for this event than for the first event six months ago. I, along with other magistrates, sat in the tribunal editoris. Rufinus, the host, and Kalandion, his assistant in the organization of the games, were seated in pride of place. The emperor and his party sat directly across the arena in the imperial podium. Although Rufinus was the host of the games, the emperor obviously received the most attention. His entourage included a host of noblemen and advisors and his cousin Flavius Clemens. Although the emperor drew the gaze of the crowd, Rufinus’s own reputation as host of the games was bolstered by the emperor’s presence.
I was not an enthusiastic spectator at the games, not least since my heart was downtrodden with sorrow, knowing that Demetrius, our friend and brother in the Lord, was scheduled to meet a horrendous death in the course of the day. Although I could do nothing to change the outcome, I thought it best to attend, for the sake of both Demetrius and Diotis. Upon my urging, Diotis had decided not to attend the games but to remain in my house, knowing that her own heart would be torn to pieces were she to watch Demetrius meet his death in the jaws of wild animals. But she requested that I attend the games to confirm Demetrius’s bravery and courage in my own testimony. We also thought that perhaps I could catch Demetrius’s eye long enough to offer him a brotherly embrace prior to his ordeal. And so, with a heavy heart, I attended the games.
The day commenced along the normal lines, with the parade and the beast hunts taking up most of the morning. At lunchtime, the execution of criminals began. Demetrius’s execution was to take place after the execution of the freemen by the sword; the crimes with which he had been charged were considered heinous enough to be worthy of death by animal mauling. After twenty or so other freemen were executed, Demetrius was brought into the arena, in chains, accompanied by a handler and a leading civic official. He was taken to stand before the emperor’s box, where the emperor and his entourage were seated. Although frail in physical appearance, Demetrius carried himself with boldness and conviction. The emperor motioned for silence and then signaled the official to speak. Over the bestial noises protruding from the animal complex, he stated the charges against Demetrius: blasphemy against the emperor, criminal treason against the state, and atheism.
The emperor, probably having been informed of the case prior to the day, asked for no clarification of the charges. Instead, he announced his wish to hear what the host of the games thought of the case against this Christian. Rufinus, almost on cue, stood in the tribunal editoris and announced to the emperor that he had personally studied some of the life of Jesus Christ. From his study, Rufinus had concluded that the teachings of Jesus Christ were a Jewish superstition that posed something of a political danger to the empire because those of weaker minds might perceive such teachings as a challenge to the legitimacy of the eternal city of Rome. Nonetheless, he also pointed out that many Pergamenes who worship Jesus Christ do not compromise their imperial loyalty or their worship of the traditional gods. As an example, he mentioned Kalandion, who had acted as his personal assistant in organizing these games. (At this, Kalandion took the occasion to draw the emperor’s gaze to himself by rising from his seat and bowing in the direction of the imperial box.) Rufinus pointed out further that some Christians associated with Demetrius are also noblemen of Pergamum and have not committed treasonable offenses. (I imagined he was referring to me and to Antipas, but I shared no exchange of glance with Rufinus.) Rufinus was led to believe, he announced, that Demetrius stood accused of offenses that were applicable to him alone and no one else. But the charges were legitimate and were to be met with execution, lest others join in his treason. Rufinus then bowed and seated himself.
The crowd continued its silence, which was broken only by the words of the emperor. He announced that, in contrast to common supposition, his general inclination is to be generous and merciful to all his subjects but that, since a local nobleman had made a specific request, he would permit the request. He instructed that Demetrius be prepared for execution by animal slaughter and pronounced a blessing on Demetrius’s soul. At this, the crowd erupted in shouts of approval, which were accepted as a compliment by the emperor. This interaction between the emperor and Rufinus had probably been devised prior to the games. The staging had proceeded as planned, and the emperor emerged with his reputation enhanced and with Roman justice intact.
What did not proceed as planned happened next. As Demetrius was being removed from the arena to prepare him for the slaughter, a solitary figure emerged from somewhere, walking directly toward the imperial podium. It was Antipas, dressed in attire that clearly attested to his stature as a member of the elite but walking with the gait of a burdened man. As he neared the emperor, the imperial guards rushed him and tried to sweep him back, but the emperor’s interest had been aroused by this unprecedented sight, and he instructed his guards simply to hold the man. Standing where Demetrius had just stood, Antipas spoke, but his initial words were lost under the noise of the crowd, whereupon a hush came over the amphitheater. The emperor asked his name and purpose. I will attempt to do justice to Antipas’s forthright words.
I, most excellent Domitian, am Antipas, a nobleman of your empire, the recipient of divine favor in my birth and business. The city of Tyre was my base for accruing great profit from my landholdings in Galilee, and the city of Caesarea Maritima has been my home for many years. My name is taken from the son of Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, a great tetrarch of Galilee and promoter of Rome. I have only recently come to Pergamum, the citadel of the gods, to spend my final years in quiet contemplation, to worship the gods in a city loyal to the emperor, and to benefit from the healing effects of Asclepius as my bones become arthritic.
Throughout my years, like my father and his father, I have never ceased to work for the common good of the empire. I have been one to acquire many possessions through my diligence and to spend my wealth freely through generosity. I have supported the populace in times of famine. I have provided baths, statues, fountains, pavements, and spectacles for the cities and have sought to surpass my peers in doing good. I am no rogue and have no passion for sedition. In my short time in this region, I have already acted as benefactor to the cities of Pergamum, Ephesus, and Miletus. Indeed, the statue of you, our powerful emperor, that stands at the entrance to this city came into being exclusively through my benefaction. I, along with the honorable Kalandion, assisted our great nobleman Rufinus in organizing the gladiatorial games held earlier this year in your honor. So the words that I speak are those not of a scoundrel but of one who all his life has been loyal to you and the great emperors of Rome before you.
The man who has just appeared before you is Demetrius, someone I have known for a short period of time. Although he is an artisan, I have found him to be a man of great insight and wisdom. I have shared a common bond of association with him for several months, gathering with him and others to eat, study, worship, and serve others in the name of Jesus Christ. In these gatherings, I have seen the start of something that has refreshed my soul, tired as it was from years of striving to promote my own reputation and honor. These gatherings testify to a new form of society, a truly generous society, wherein honor is not zealously reserved for the few who can manipulate it for their own benefit but is recognized as a quality of all people. No one is more surprised than I am to find that what motivates me now is not a commitment to the Pax Romana [the peace brought about by Rome] but a commitment to the empire of the God of Israel. That God is, I now believe, the eternal, sovereign, and blessed Lord of all, the creator God whose mercy knows no boundaries. I also must affirm, consequently, that Rome’s authority is legitimate as long as it does not transgress the boundaries of the empire of God, in which Jesus is Lord.
These words are not themselves seditious. Should you hear them as such, I would appeal to your merciful character, which you have today advertised. I would plead with you, then, to release Demetrius, by your grace. Should Rome’s justice require a victim, then let that victim be me. I will take his punishment. After all, I have acted as a sponsor to Demetrius and his family for several months now, just as a patron sponsors a client. If a footman is knocked down and killed by a chariot, it is not the chariot but the chariot driver who is culpable. If a ship smashes into the rocks, it is the sailor at the tiller who takes the blame. So too, if you deem Demetrius to have committed an offense, I, as his sponsor, must take the responsibility. You may consider me an irresponsible nobleman who has permitted scandal to rise up under his own nose unaware. My death will serve as an example to others, and you will be shown to be both merciful and unswerving. In your wisdom, let your mercy fall upon Demetrius and your justice fall upon me, great Domitian.
The silence continued to pervade the amphitheater, and for moments the emperor said nothing. Finally, he pronounced, “Let it be as you have said. Free Demetrius with a caution, and may he think on the emperor’s kindness. Prepare Antipas for the slaughter as if he were a common criminal. And may all others know of the emperor’s intrinsic clemency and unmovable justice.” Antipas answered with the following: “You and I are the possessions of our common Creator, and we both are enslaved to his will. You have done your part; now I must do mine. I do so without fear, complaint, or regret, looking forward to the glorious return of the Son of Man, my Lord, my God, and my Savior, whose kingdom is eternal. May the God and father of Jesus Christ preserve my soul and bless my brothers and sisters in the Lord.”
The amphitheater filled with the sound of the spectators discussing this unprecedented spectacle. Without showing any emotion, Antipas was taken and prepared for slaughter. Demetrius, who knew only of Antipas’s entry into the arena, was simply told that his life had been spared. He was beaten and then ejected from the amphitheater complex, unaware of the conditions of his release.
After a few minutes, Antipas emerged, stripped of his garments except for a simple tunic and bound with chains. Escorted by four guards, he was led to a place near the tribunal editoris. Fires had already been prepared around the amphitheater to facilitate the execution of some of the criminals. Antipas was led to the small fire nearest to the tribunal editoris and was made to face the emperor. His face was pale, but he held himself with dignity. Then the slaughtered carcass of a magnificent bull was carried in and laid before him. Two of the arena boys cut open the carcass through the throat, breast, and stomach. Its entrails poured out on to the sand. They cleaned out the carcass and cleared away the innards. The guards placed three chains under the carcass. They then forced Antipas to place himself inside the emptied carcass, folding his legs within its body. The carcass was chained together, fully encompassing Antipas within it. Lifting the carcass with a metal pole, the guards rigged it up so that it stood over the nearby fire, whose flames burned low but hot. Downhearted, I could not stay to watch and departed the amphitheater in sorrow. As I departed, Rufinus’s eye caught mine. I saw no sorrow for the terrible events that had now befallen his friend Antipas; instead, the look on his face seemed to say that justice had been done. I have learned that no sound was ever heard from Antipas throughout the ordeal, although his death must have been slow and excruciating. He died, as he had lived, with honor, courage, and nobility.
Returning to my house, I was met with some gladness. After his release, Demetrius had painfully made his way straight to my house, knowing that Diotis and Nouna were in residence there. He greeted an astounded Diotis with a joyful embrace. Nouna evidently was bewildered by his return but soon was playing with him as if he had never been gone. The family’s joy was tinged with remorse upon hearing of Antipas’s bold death. Demetrius continues to be distraught by these events, and his soul bears scars almost as deep as the wounds on his body. Living in prison for some weeks and coming to the brink of death affected him mightily. With Diotis and Nouna, he will continue to stay at my house, recuperating from his ordeal until preparations can be made for his relocation. It is clear that, with his reputation as an antisocial miscreant, he can no longer work in Pergamum unless he publicly compromises his singular devotion to Jesus Christ. It is also clear that, if he continues to renounce the imperial cult publicly, he will be imprisoned again and killed, and Antipas’s death will have been in vain. So Pergamum holds no future for him. Perhaps he will soon return to his hometown in Ancyra. But wherever he goes, he is likely to meet the same dilemma, for the cult of the emperor has taken a strong hold throughout the empire.
Pray for us here in Pergamum, dear friend. Since the time of Demetrius’s arrest, the number of people who gather at my house to worship Jesus Christ has dwindled to only a handful. We continue to meet, pray, study, and care for one another and for others, but we do so mindful of the ever-present threat that hangs over us. Meanwhile, Kalandion and others continue to worship Jesus alongside the traditional gods at the temple to Rome and Augustus, offering sacrifices to Jesus as a powerful god and to the emperor as the lord of all the empire. Since the gladiatorial games, Kalandion has enjoyed an enhanced reputation, and many more are worshiping with him than had previously been the case. Rufinus, with his eyes on advancement to a position in the Roman senate, no longer has connections of any sort with Christian gatherings.
I have managed to carry out my normal duties relatively unaffected by the recent ordeal. No one is looking to yoke me with Demetrius as a troublemaker; Rufinus’s speech to the emperor has ensured that Demetrius’s reputation has not yet spread to the rest of us. Nonetheless, it may be only a matter of time before I too am forced to declare publicly my allegiance to Jesus Christ over the emperor and the traditional gods. I am prepared to do this, I believe, but I also see the case for supporting the Christians in my house under a low profile until either this situation passes or the Lord returns. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide us in these troublesome times. Meanwhile, we seek to carry on in love and unity, lest the forces of chaos that Antipas died to oppose should have their way within our own corporate life.
I regret that I could not write to you sooner about these things. Neither strength nor time have assisted me in this, since now more than ever I must be seen as one fully immersed in carrying out his civic duties.
I have sent Stachys to deliver this message, after which he will be free, in accordance with Antipas’s veiled suggestion to me on the night before his death. If Stachys should wish to return to my household, I would gladly accept him as a freeman in my service for as long as he wishes. Or perhaps the house of Calpurnius has need of his trustworthy and efficient skills.
Brother Luke, I will keep the letters between you and Antipas in a safe place. Diotis has requested that I keep them until such time as they can be read to Nouna to enable her to know more of the man who died so that her adopted father might live.
I hope to see you soon. You are always welcome in our midst.
May the Lord be with you.