A Reflection for Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Find today’s readings here.
I have recently begun reading Mary Beard’s SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, which covers a period of about a thousand years, from Rome’s founding until about A.D. 212 when Emperor Caracalla declared all who lived in the Roman Empire to be citizens. As someone who has long been fascinated by classical history, I had been looking forward to getting to this particular history book for some time—and it provides some interesting context for what we see in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Paul’s journey through Greece is also a journey through the Roman Empire. Judea was, after all, a province of Rome, and it had been under Roman influence or direct rule for nearly a century prior to the death of Christ. It was Rome that put Herod in power, and it was Rome that levied all those taxes you hear about so often in the Gospels. And when Rome persecuted Christians, it was a state action, the aim of which was to tamp down on who they perceived to be dangerous political revolutionaries (they were not necessarily wrong about that part).
Especially today, when being Christian is not exactly a rare thing, it is always important to remember that early Christians were treated as a strange subset of the Jews, who were otherwise treated as normal subjects of Rome. Paul, however, was famously born a Roman citizen, which must have been advantageous to him in those early days of ministry.
There is a famous Latin phrase: cīvis Rōmānus sum, meaning “I am a Roman citizen.” The might of Rome was understood to be so great that a simple declaration of “cīvis Rōmānus sum” was said to inspire fear and protect the Roman citizen from any kind of danger. Now, there is almost certainly some degree of exaggeration when it comes to how this saying would have been employed, but it speaks to the way that people generally thought of Rome: that no matter where you or how you got there, if you’re a Roman then you’re a Roman.
Paul would have been cloaked in the protection of cīvis Rōmānus sum as well when he traveled to Greece and sermonized at the Areopagus. This was the high court of Athens, where the leaders of the city would adjudicate various cases, including those of religious matters. It is understood that Paul’s sermon at the Areopagus was not only a lecture but also a test by the Athenians to see whether Paul was up to no good. At the end of the day, though, Paul was a Roman citizen, which lent him some credibility, particularly in this part of the world.
While it seems most of the Greeks did not believe Paul, some invited Paul back to Athens to continue preaching about Christ—and others even joined him on his journey of evangelization. By his own account, Paul thought himself a mediocre public speaker, but he made strong arguments bolstered by his status. Paul was never ashamed of using his Roman identity to his advantage, whether it be for travel or to persuade people to Christianity.
These days, many of us are privileged to exist in parts of the world that are largely considered peaceful and safe. America (and, more broadly, “The West”) is, in many ways, the modern Rome—which identified its proudest period as the Pax Romana, the Roman peace. We should strive for such a proud period today and discern the best ways to embody our faith for a less fortunate world. After all, cives Romani sumus.
