{"id":56218,"date":"2019-10-28T19:35:42","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T18:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/ciekawostka\/bacchanalia-the-first-persecutions\/"},"modified":"2022-08-31T19:31:13","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T17:31:13","slug":"bacchanalia-the-first-persecutions","status":"publish","type":"ciekawostki","link":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/bacchanalia-the-first-persecutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Bacchanalia – the first persecutions?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dionysus\u2019s cult already been known in the second millenium BCE in the Minoan civilization. He was a god of opposites \u2013 kind and gentle, but also savage and cruel. He was broader known in the Romans as Bacchus<\/a>. In 186 BCE was, connected with him, certain act, which remains unclear until today…<\/p>\n

In various popular magazines can be found widespread thesis that in this act was some \u201creligious ground”. That\u2019s absurd! How can anyone persecute a god who can take a revenge on them, like Dionysus took a revenge on pirates<\/a> who kidnapped him?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same case with the allegedly killed of thousands of young peoples; it\u2019s highly controversial. Ancient sources don\u2019t give us \u201cstatistics”, numbers given in them don\u2019t reflect reality. Nobody counted them. Julius Caesar<\/a> in Gallic War<\/em> (Bellum Gallicum<\/em>) has written that Gallic army<\/a> counted a million soldiers; it\u2019s absolutely impossible.<\/p>\n

Against common opinions, in 186 BCE bacchanalia hasn\u2019t been forbidden. The proof of that is even a quick reading of the resolution of the Senate<\/a> concerning them, where it\u2019s said only about the prohibition of creating associations and about limits of number of participants and demand of formal permission on the exercise of a cult from\u00a0 praetor<\/a> urbanus.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dates which can be encounter (16-17 march), which are allegedly the dates in which the bacchanalia has been celebrated suggest that it was an official festival recognized by Roman authorities included to the ritual calendar<\/a>. The Bacchic cult of that period wasn\u2019t an official cult, but an unofficial one \u2013 Livy<\/a> gives us no premises to recognize of existence any official forms of this cult. Moreover, the ceremonies in honour of Bacchus<\/a> were celebrated at night, which exclude any form of official cult. At the top of that, describing Hispala\u2019s account he wrote that since Paculla Annia from Champaigne became the priestess highly increase frequently of ceremonies \u2013 devoted them 5 days in a month. This march\u2019s date refers to Liberalia<\/a>, which has nothing to do with bacchanalia, which is, unfortunately, incomprehensible for many of the people describing it. Liberalia is official state festival in honour of the old-Italian god Liber identified with Dionysus in 494 BC.<\/p>\n

Very amused me such fragment found on the Internet:<\/p>\n

\n

\nAny informations about bacchanalia we\u2019ve got only from fierce enemies of this cult. One of them was a Christian apologist Minuncius Felix Octavius lived in turn of II I III century CE:<\/p>\n

\nThey recognize one another by secret signs and marks; they fall in love almost before they are acquainted; everywhere they introduce a kind of religion<\/a> of lust, a promiscuous \u2018brotherhood\u2019 and \u2018sisterhood\u2019 by which ordinary fornication, under cover of a hallowed name, is converted to incest<\/a>. (\u2026) An infant, cased in dough to deceive the unsuspecting, is placed beside the person to be initiated. The novice is thereupon induced to inflict what seem to be harmless blows upon the dough, and unintentionally the infant is killed by his unsuspecting blows; the blood \u2013 oh, horrible \u2013 they lap up greedily; the limbs they tear to pieces eagerly; (…)”<\/p>\n

– The Loeb Classical Library, G.P. Goold (ed.), Tertulian, Apology, De spectaculis<\/em>, Minucius Felix, Octavius<\/em>, London 1977, p. 337, 339<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Analysis of this fragment is highly educational, because it shows how ends not-reading quoting sources. The Author doesn\u2019t know what is he quoting exactly whereby didn\u2019t avoid horrible mistakes, completely mixing things. First of all: \u201cOctavius” is the title of the work wrote by Minucius (not any Minuncius) Felix. Secondly, these are words one of the interlocutors (the work has a dialogue form), some Cicilius, which spoke that about Christians. It\u2019s one of the classical spots (similar in Tertullian<\/a>) accusing CHRISTIANS sacrificing infants, blood drinking etc.<\/p>\n

\n\n
\n \n\n \n
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\n <\/i>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n Reproduction of bronze table contains text of the resolution of the Senate from 186 BCE Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus<\/em>. <\/div>\n \n \n <\/div>\n \n

Small mention about that act is in Cicero\u2019s<\/a> work, which allude about it in half a sentence. In treatise\u00a0 On laws<\/em> he wrote:<\/p>\n

\n

Our ancestors\u2019 severity on this subject is shown by the old resolution of the senate concerning Bacchanalia, along with the inquiry [and] chastisement by the consuls through the addition of military force.<\/p>\n

– Cicero<\/a><\/strong>, On the Laws<\/em>, trans. D. Fott, p. 181<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Translation \u2013 of course \u2013 is not literal. In original we have:<\/p>\n

\n

Quo in genere severitatem maiorum senatus vetus auctoritas de Bacchanalibus et consulum exercitu adhibito quaestio animadversio que declarat.<\/p>\n

– Oxford Classical Texts, J. G. F. Powell (ed.)<\/strong>, M. Tulli Ciceronis, De Re Publica, De Legibus, Cato Maior de Senectute, Laelius de Amicitia<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What has to be understood as:<\/p>\n

\n

Such kind of ancestor\u2019s severity shows old resolution of the Senate about bacchanalia orders an action taken by consuls with a military force.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There is no informations, against any fakes, about 5-years persecutions, and even about persecution itself (only about \u201can action” \u2013\u00a0 quaestio animadversio<\/em>), and the use of military force is foggy. The army was command by consuls, which, according to resolution of the Senate, had to take the action. Perhaps that is why Cicero mentioned the military force. Without a doubt, the Roman orator was exaggerate.<\/p>\n

All sources needs to be reading critically. The case of bacchanalia had only a political context and we know a little about it, however how would an army acted? Where? The Senate\u2019s resolution (Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus<\/em>) was concerning an Italy<\/a> (Roman allies \u2013 qu\u012b foeder\u0101t\u012b) not an entire Imperium Romanum. Moreover it didn\u2019t forbid all the Bacchic cults as I already mentioned. Beside an army couldn\u2019t enter to the Rome<\/a> itself \u2013 it can\u2019t cross pomerium<\/a> (or pomoerium), that is to say the sacred border of the City.<\/p>\n

The main account of the events of 186 BCE is the Livy\u2019s account. We have there a vivid relations of crimes, killings and fornications allegedly committing by bacchants, especially on their secret meetings. Was it really like that? Rather not. Uncritical belief of Livy (and other written sources) is rather feature of XIX historiography<\/a>. With Dionysus were linked, of course, very bloody miths contained motifs of tearing animals<\/a> apart and even infants by bacchantes taken by \u2018mania\u2019 sent by a god; there were even acts of cannibalism. Walter F. Otto in his monograph about Dionysus writes wider about it. We shouldn\u2019t however trust such miths; even Otto himself doesn\u2019t do that, like Author of the second monograph about Dionysus, Prof. Lengauer, which presents more balanced description of Dionysus, not so bloody as the Otto\u2019s one (They are both great experts of Greek religion). In the other hand, however, it is hardly not to see the familiarity to another event, the bloody suppression allegedly very dangerous antirepublic Second Catilinarian conspiracy<\/a> by Cicero in 63 BC. The Catilina\u2019s<\/a> allies had to allegedly sacrifices humans to seal the enter to conspiracy (in such informations doubt a little Sallust<\/a>, contemporary witness and the author of the historical work about this event, and takes it as a fact susceptible to belief in gossips Plutarch in Cicero\u2019s life; with similar accusations we meet again in cases of Christians). Moreover, we have to remember that Livy writes in epoch of Augustus<\/a>, when the justification have to be made of Principate<\/a> and emphasize the merits to Rome of its maker (so Livy\u2019s work is also an element of propaganda<\/a> of the new regime). The stories of a great religious decline were made, which had to allegedly be common in the Republic, and be overcome by savior of the Roman state \u2013 the first Princeps Augustus<\/a>, which appears to us as an restorer, which save the Republic from catastrophe, so, almost, create a New Rome \u2013 like Romulus<\/a>. Colourful describes bacchic\u2019s crimes we can treat as tales.<\/p>\n

We should remember that in the beginnings of the II century BCE Rome is not an Italy! The Bacchic cult in Italy is present first of all in the Italian\u2019s cities, mostly Greeks. And there were very popular indeed. The very interest testimony of that, concerning period and rank of spread this cult comes from Sophocles. In Antigone<\/em> the choir is singing:<\/p>\n

Thou by many names adored,<\/p>\n

Child of Zeus the God of thunder,
\nOf a Theban bride the wonder,
\nFair Italia’s guardian lord;
\nIn the deep-embosomed glades
\nOf the Eleusinian Queen,
\nHaunt of revellers, men and maids,
\nDionysus, thou art seen.<\/p>\n

– The Loeb Classical Library, T.E. Page (ed.), Sophocles, Oedipus The King<\/a>, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone<\/em>, London 1962, p. 401<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So we have a testimony that the Bacchic cult was widely spread in Italy already in V century BC. Why the Roman authorities became interested not until the beginnings II century BC? Moreover Livy has written that this \u201cevil” was spreading from many years. No one knows nothing? People were vanishing without a trace and no one were looking for them? Hardly possible.<\/p>\n

Great expert of Rome\u2019s history, Prof. Zi\u00f3\u0142kowski, in his History of Rome<\/a><\/em>, writes about this events (p. 272):<\/p>\n

\n

Horrible repressions which strike on the participants of bacchanals, were caused not gossips about ritual murders, poisonings and any kind of lust, but the main crime in the literally meaning of the word: broad spread of the cult and its organizing character, and also lack of any Republic\u2019s administration and religion control over it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Then he mentioned about illegal executions of the bacchants in Rome itself, which means that this \u201cpersecutions” had a folk lynch character of the incites by consul<\/a> Postumius Albinus mob, supported by authority and agreement of the senate, which of course don\u2019t deny the thesis that the disturbances were planned by the states authorities, but they didn\u2019t have the character of the states persecutions. It was rather the state\u2019s inspiring \u201csocial excess”.<\/p>\n

\n\n
\n \n\n \n
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\n <\/i>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n Bacchanalia depicted on a Roman sarcophagus, dated 210-220 CE. <\/div>\n \n
\n Na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa - Na tych samych warunkach 3.0. <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n

The case had the clear political character \u2013 the cause of its execute was the existence of Rome\u2019s state independent organization, not a religious regards.<\/p>\n

Even if we belief in Livy\u2019s<\/a> account then his relation is clear \u2013 the subject of persecution was the improper rituals alien origin (externo ritu<\/em>), which incompatibility with traditional Romans rites could disturb the balance between worlds of men and gods<\/a>, that is the peace with gods (pax deorum<\/a><\/em>). There were not persecutions caused by disbelief of bacchants of \u201cthe one and true god”. In the times of Livy Dionysus was widely known, respectable and accepted god (which explains also the horror of \u2013 according to Livy \u2013 the deeds of bacchants \u2013 somehow he must convinced his readers about the dangerous justifying the persecutions). Clearly states it Prof. Musia\u0142:<\/p>\n

\n

Dionysus played on the Tibr in the end of the I century BCE much bigger part then it results from written sources.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I hope I managed to shed some light on this, very unclear up to this day, case. Dionysus was very curious god, many elements of his \u201ctheology” were borrow by Christians. It was describe in, already mentioned by me, work about Dionysus (pos. 2 in bibliography) by Prof. W\u0142odzimierz Lengauer, great expert of both Greek religion and Dionysus itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36768,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"kategorie_ciekawostek":[96],"class_list":["post-56218","ciekawostki","type-ciekawostki","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","kategorie_ciekawostek-faith"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ciekawostki\/56218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ciekawostki"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ciekawostki"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ciekawostki\/56218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kategorie_ciekawostek","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kategorie_ciekawostek?post=56218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}