Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

I 62 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMthose studies which the vices of a former ruler hadviewed with fear, and the studies specified are rhetoricand philosophy. Dio of Prusa, self-banished underDomitian, returned joyously under Trajan, and wasdistinguished by him. Hadrian sought intercoursewith philosophers as well as with learned men ingeneral, and is supposed to have been the first whoappointed public teachers of philosophy in Rome.Antoninus Pius established them in all the provinces.The salaries of the learned who were drawn to theUniversity of Alexandria continued on, and publicprofessors of the four chief schools were named atAthens with ample appointments by Marcus Aurelius.Janius Rusticus, probably the grandson of the Rusticuswhom Domitian had put to death, was the bosomfriend of the last-named emperor, and as governor ofRome gave the crown of martyrdom to Justin Martyr,who had tried the various sects of philosophy, andfinding satisfaction in none had taken refuge in theChristian faith. It was a crime worthy of the mostignominious death in the eyes of a descendant of aStoic who had perished for his political and philosophicalopinions.The second century, then, and the third, are theage of a triple alliance between the empire, philosophy,and polytheism as seen in belief and worship.The enem of imperial rule in Nero's time hadbecome a friend in that of Trajan, just as thed sacrifices which Seneca slighted had been encouragedby Plutarch's warmest devotion. Theward and outward revolution is complete, whatemay have been the causes leading to it. That vvh iensued from this time was not a mere natsequence or unfolding of the previous civilisation,