issue edicts for the gradual sup- pression of the new teaching which transformed men into hat- ers of the gods. The adminis- tration of the younger Pliny as governor of Bithynia was com- plicated with matters growing out of the rapid extension of Christianity and the consequent rage of the heathen population within his province. He there- fore endeavored to enforce against Christians the laws for the sup- pression of the really dangerous Iletmries (see Pliny, Epist. x, 43), but found the complaints to be so numerous and the result of the judicial investigations so unsat- isfactory that he referred the whole matter to the emperor for instructions. Of the accused, many denied that they were in any way implicated in Christi- anity; others declared that they had returned to the old faith, and offered incense and libations be- fore the image of the emperor and blasphemed the name of Christ. Those who avowed themselves Christians confessed to nothing of a damaging character. Their offence consisted merely in meet- ing before sunrise of a specified day to sing a common hymn iu honor of Christ as a g(»d, and in the assumption of a voluntary obligation, under oath, to commit no theft, robbery, nor adultery, but to keep a promise and ac- knowledge the possession of goods committed to their trust. The torture applied to two maids disclosed nothing more criminal than these statements. Trajan commended the governor's ac- tion, and observed that no gen- eral and definite prescriptions could be given for such matters. He added that search should not be made for suspected persons, though, if accused and convict- ed, they should be punished un- less they interposed a denial of the charge of being Christians, and authenticated it by calling on the gods. Anonymous accu- sations of any sort should not be received. The ex- ecution of several Christians, among them the aged Symeon, who was the son of Clopas, and successor of James at Jerusalem, must be explained in view of the fact that the emperor was at the same time regent of the State and chief priest (pontifex maxinius), and would consider it necessary to protect and preserve the religion which was so closely interwoven with the in- terests of the State. The same idea will api)ly to the case of Ignatius.
Literature. — The principal sources for the history of Trajan are Pliny the younger, Epmlohe, especially lib. x,
T
Trajan's Column In Rome.
Coin of Trajan.
TRAMONTANE
520
TRANCE
and Piinpffyriciis (ed. Gierig); Diow Cass; Higt. Rom. lil). Ixviii (imt'ortmiatt'ly extant only in the extract by Xi|iliiliiius) ; Aiirel. Victor, CVe.s-. xiii, 1 sq. and Epitome lo; Eiitrop. viii, '2; Orosiiis. vii, "2 s(|. ; Tertidl. .^ /}(;/!<(- get. c. 1 ; Eiiseb. llUt. Keel, iii, 1"2 sc]. ; Justin. Apuloijet. i, (58 ; Kutiiius, ///*•/. Ecel. iv, 9. See Kitterhusii 'J'ra- janus ill Lucent Reproductus (1608) ; Maiinert./'es Troj. Imp. (1(1 Danub. (lexlfp ( Norinib. 1793 ) ;. Engcl,. CVnj- meiit.de Krpedit. Traj. (id Dauub.et Orit/iue Valat'hoium (Viiidel). 1794), \\'()lf, Kine milde Stiftuny Tnijan^s (Berl. 1808, 4to); Fraucke, Zur Gesch. Traj. u. seiner Zeit(jem)Kseii ((Jiistrow, 1837); Baldwin, Comment, et Edict. Vett. I'lhicc. Rum. de Christidnis (Hal. 1727, 4to); Boluncr, A'// DUsertt. .Juris Eccl. Ant. ad Plin. Sec. et Tertull. (2d ed. ibid. 1729), Islaxnm, Perseciitt. Christidnornm sub fnijip. Rom. (Host. 1802, 4to) ; K(>|)ke, J)e tStiitu et Condit. Ckristi sub fmpp. Rom. A Iterius post C/irisf. S(J'c. ( Berol. 1828), Schiockh, Kirchen- ffcsc/i. ii, 320 sc}., (Jicseler, h'irc/ieni/esch. i, 134 sc). ; and the nioiioji'raplis cited by Volbcdins;, Index ['roi/rdm- vnitum, p. 95, 9J*. — lierzoi:;, Reul-Enci//do]>. s. v. ; Smith, Diet, of dr. and Rum, Buxj. s. v. See Pl.I^Y.
Tramontane ('icross the mountuhi). a term applied by the Italians to those dwelling north of the Alps, and especially to the ecclesiastics and professors of the canon law of (iennany and France. See ULTiiAMONTANii.
Trance {tKaraaic, ecstasy), a supernatural state of body and mind, the nature of which has been well con- jectureil by Doddridge, who defines it "such a rapture of mind as gives the person who falls into it a look of astonisliinent, and renders him insensible of the external objects anmiul him, while in the meantime his imagina- tion is agitated iii an extraordinary manner with some striking scenes which pass before it and take up all the attention." He refers to some extraordinary instances of this kind mentioned by Gualterms in his note on Acts x, 10 [Familij Expositor, ad loc. note g). Stockius also describes it as "a sacred ecstasy, or rapture of the nniui out of itself, when, the use of the external senses being suspended, God reveals something in a peculiar manner to prophets and apostles, who are then taken or transported out of themselves." The same idea is in- timated in the English word trance, from the Latin trunsitus, the state of being carried out of one's self. See Insimuatiox ; Pnoi'iiEcv.
1. In the only passage (Numb, xxiv, 4, 10) in which this word occurs in the Iviglish of the Old Test, there is, as the italics show, no corresponding word in He- brew, simply PS3, "falling," for which the Sept. gives tv 'v—}'(;j, and the Vulg. more literally qui cadit. In the New Test, we meet with the word three times (Acts x, 10; xi, .5; xxii, 17), the Vulg. giving "excessus" in the two former, "stupor mentis" in the latter. The Greek word tic(TTamQ employed in these passages denotes the effect of any passion by which the thoughts are wholly absorbed. lu the Sept.it corresponds to fT^U;, a "won- derful thing" (.ler. v, 30), "n'^r, "astonishment" (Deut. xxviii, 28),and nmT, a prophetic lethargy or "deep sleep" ((ien. ii, 21 ; xv, 12, etc.). In the New Test, it usually represents the absorbing effects of admiration (Mark v, 42; Luke v, 2G; Acts iii. 10); of terror (Mark xvi,8).