Lucian of Samosata on Christians (Death of Peregrinus)
Context
Lucian of Samosata (ca. 125-after 180 AD) was a Syrian Greek rhetorician and satirist from Samosata in the Roman province of Syria. Known for satirical dialogues mocking philosophy, religion, and superstition. He was not a Christian and held no sympathy for Christianity.
What Was Written
Lucian of Samosata (ca. 125-after 180 AD), a Syrian Greek rhetorician and satirist, wrote The Passing of Peregrinus (De Morte Peregrini) ca. 170 AD. The work is a satire mocking the Cynic philosopher Peregrinus Proteus, who exploited Christian communities before publicly immolating himself at the Olympic Games of 165 AD. In sections 11-13, Lucian provides one of the earliest non-Christian descriptions of Christian beliefs and practices, writing that Christians "worship a man to this day — the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account." He describes them as believing in immortality, despising death, sharing their possessions communally, and caring for imprisoned members. He calls Jesus "that crucified sophist" whose laws the Christians follow. As a hostile, mocking witness with no sympathy whatever for Christianity, Lucian's incidental confirmation of these practices is particularly valuable — he had no motive to fabricate or embellish details about Christian worship. The earliest major manuscript is the 10th-century Vaticanus graecus 90, housed at the Vatican Library, with approximately 150 manuscripts surviving in various European libraries.
The Text Itself
The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day — the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account. Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they are all brothers of one another after they have transgressed once, for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws.— Lucian, Volume V (Loeb Classical Library, tr. A.M. Harmon, 1936); Robert E. Van Voorst, "Jesus Outside the New Testament" (Eerdmans, 2000), pp. 58-64
Why This Matters
As a hostile pagan satirist, Lucian provides independent confirmation that Christians worshipped a crucified man as divine, believed in immortality, practiced communal sharing, and showed remarkable willingness to face imprisonment and death.
Acceptance Assessment
Widely Accepted
The authenticity and relevance of the passage are broadly accepted. Lucian had no motive to fabricate details about Christian practices.
What Scholars Debate
Minor debate over whether Lucian had direct knowledge of Christianity or relied on secondhand reports. His descriptions of Christians as credulous may be satirical exaggeration rather than strict reportage.