Well, I did find it over at Atheist Forums.com. The discussion at that point was dealing with Tacitus:
(Quoting above earlier posts in the thread)
Or, most likely it was a fraud perpetrated in the late middle ages as we have not a single reference from pagan or xtian sources that Tacitus wrote any such thing. The closest we come is the obscure 5th century xtian writer, Sulpicius Severus, who mentions a lot of it without citing Tacitus and leaves out the bullshit about Pilate.
Chapter 29 of Severus' Chronica
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PATRISTC/PII11-5.TXT
The beginning bears a close resemblance to what appears in Tacitus' "Annals" but no one in antiquity ever mentions it in relation to him.
As noted below, no writer, xtian or otherwise, makes the slightest reference to Tacitus' alleged comments regarding Nero and punishing "multitudes" of xtians for starting the fire.
http://carrington-arts.com/cliff/Nero.htm
Quote:Not a very credible witness. How did he get his information?
Either it was from existing Christians. Or from Roman records.
(Quoting above earlier posts in the thread)
Or, most likely it was a fraud perpetrated in the late middle ages as we have not a single reference from pagan or xtian sources that Tacitus wrote any such thing. The closest we come is the obscure 5th century xtian writer, Sulpicius Severus, who mentions a lot of it without citing Tacitus and leaves out the bullshit about Pilate.
Chapter 29 of Severus' Chronica
Quote:CHAPTER XXIX.
Is the meantime, the number of the Christians being now very large, it
happened that Rome was destroyed by fire, while Nero was stationed at
Antium. But the opinion of all cast the odium of causing the fire upon the
emperor, and he was believed in this way to have sought for the glory of
building a new city. And in fact, Nero could not by any means he tried
escape from the charge that the fire had been caused by his orders. He
therefore turned the accusation against the Christians, and the most cruel
tortures were accordingly inflicted upon the innocent. Nay, even new kinds
of death were invented, so that, being covered in the skins of wild beasts,
they perished by being devoured by dogs, while many were crucified or slain
by fire, and not a few were set apart for this purpose, that, when the day
came to a close, they should be consumed to serve for light during the
night. In this way, cruelty tint began to be manifested against the
Christians. Afterwards, too, their religion was prohibited by laws which
were enacted; and by edicts openly set forth it was proclaimed unlawful to
be a Christian. At that time Paul and Peter were condemned to death, the
former being beheaded with a sword, while Peter suffered crucifixion. And
while these things went on at Rome, the Jews, not able to endure the
injuries they suffered under the rule of Festus Florus, began to rebel.
Vespasian, being sent by Nero against them, with proconsular power,
defeated them in numerous important battles, and compelled them to flee
within the walls of Jerusalem. In the meanwhile Nero, now hateful even to
himself from a consciousness of his crimes, disappears from among(1) men,
leaving it uncertain whether or not he had laid violent hands upon himself:
certainly his body was never found. It was accordingly believed that, even
if he did put an end to himself with a sword, his wound was cured, and his
life preserved, according to that which was written regarding him,--"And
his mortal(2) wound was healed," --to be sent forth again near the end of
the world, in order that he may practice the mystery of iniquity.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PATRISTC/PII11-5.TXT
The beginning bears a close resemblance to what appears in Tacitus' "Annals" but no one in antiquity ever mentions it in relation to him.
As noted below, no writer, xtian or otherwise, makes the slightest reference to Tacitus' alleged comments regarding Nero and punishing "multitudes" of xtians for starting the fire.
http://carrington-arts.com/cliff/Nero.htm
