According to another legend (Mors Pilati, in Tisch- endorf's Evang. Apoc. p. 432), Tiberius, hearing of the wonderful works of healing that had been wrought in Judaea, writes to Pilate, bidding him to send to Pome the man that had this divine power. Pilate has to confess that he has crucified him ; but the messenger meets Veronica, who gives him the cloth which had re- ceived the impress of the divine features, and by this the emperor is healed. Pilate is summoned to take his trial, and presents himself wearing the holy and seam- less tunic. This acts as a spell upon the emperor, and he forgets his wonted severity. After a time Pilate is thrown into prison, and there commits suicide. His body is cast into the Tiber, but as storms and tempests followed, the Komans take it up and send it to Yienne. It is thrown into the Rhone ; but the same disasters fol- low, and it is sent on to Losania (Lucerne or Lausanne?). There it is sunk in a pool, fenced round by mountains, and even there the waters boil or bubble strangely. The interest of this story obviously lies in its presenting an early form (the existing text is of the 14th century) of the local traditions which connect the name of the procurator of Juda?a with the Mount Pilatus that over- looks the lake of Lucerne. The received explanation (Ruskin, Modem Painters, v, 128) of the legend, as originating in a distortion of the descriptive name Mons Pileatus (the "cloud-capped"), supplies a curious instance of the genesis of a myth from a false etymol- ogy ; but it may be questioned whether it rests on suffi-
PILATE'S STAIRCASE
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PILGRIM FATHERS
ciont grounds, and i- not rather the product of a pseudo- eriticism, finding in a name 1 1 1*- starting-point, not the embodiment ol a legend. Have we anj evidence that the mountain was known as "Pileatus" before the le- gend? Have we not, in the apocryphal storj just cited, the legend independently of the name? (comp. Yilmar. Deutsche Nationalliteratur, i, 217). Theextenl to which
tin- terror c lected with the belief formerly prevailed
is8omewhal startling, [fa stone were thrown into tin- lake, a violent storm would follow. No one was allowed tn vi>ii ii without a special permission from the author- ities of Lucerne. The neighboring shepherds wen- bound by a solemn oath, renewed annually, never to guide a stranger i<> ii (Gessner, Descript Mont. PUat. [Zurich, L555], p. I'". The spell was broken in 1584 by Johannes Milller, cure <>t' Lucerne, who was bold enough to throw stones and abide the consequences ( ( iolbery, / 'nivi rs pittoresqm d» la Suim . p. 327 ). It is striking that traditions oi Pilate attach themselves to se\ era! localities in the south of France (comp. Murray's Hand-book for France, Route 125).
Hut whatever we may think of these legends, or even of the apocrypha] works that have come ■ 1< >\\ n to our own times, there can be little doubt that the original documents referred to by the early Church fathers were genuine (Hencke, Opusc. Acad. p. 201 sq.). Such is the opinion of Winer (Realworterb.'). Lardner, who has fully discussed the subject, decides that "it must be allowed by all that Pontius Pilate composed some mem- oirs concerning our Saviour, and sent them to the em- peror" i \ i. 610). Winer adds," What we now have in Greek under this title (Pilate's Report; see Fabricii Apocr. i. 237, 239; iii. 156), as well as the two letters of Pilate to Tiberius, are fabrications of a later age." So Lardner:"The Acts of Pontius Pilate, and his letter to Tiberius, which we now have, are not genuine, but manifestly spurious." We have not space here to re- view the arguments which have been adduced in favor of and against these documents; but we must, add that we attach some importance to them, thinking it by no means unlikelj that, if they are fabrications, they are fabricated in some keeping with the genuine pieces, which were in some way lost, and the loss of which the composers of our actual pieces sought as well as they could to repair, [fthis view can be sustained, then the documents we have may serve to help us in the use of discretion to the substance of the original Acts. At all ■ vents, il -< < ms certain thai an official report was made by Pilate; and thus we gain another proof that "these things were nol done in a corner." Those who wish to enter into this subject should first consult Lardner (ut sup."), and the valuable references be gives. See also Alt man, 1>< Epist, PiLad Tiber, i Bern. 1755) ; Van Dale, De Orac. p. 609 Bq.; Schmidt, Einleitung ins V. /'. ii, 249 sq. Of especial value is Hermansson, Dt Pontio PUat. (Upsala, 1624); also Burger, />■ Pontio Pilot. (Misen. 1782). The latest work on the subject is that of Lipsius, li'n Pilatus-Acten, kritisch untersucht (Kiel, 1871 1. See Acts oi Pilate.
<tn the genera] subject of this article, the reader may refer to Germar, Docetur adloca P.PUatifacinora cat. (Thorun, 1785); Lengheimicb, Di Pilati patria (s. 1. L677); Gotter, l>< Conjugis Pilati Somnio (Jen. 17(H); Kluge, />■ Somnio Uxoris Pilati (Hal 1720); Herbart, Examen Somnii Ux. Pil. (Oldeub. 1735); Distell, Z>< Soluti Uxoris Pilati (Alt L772); Mounier, /'< Pilati ■ Servat. agendi ration* (1825); Warneck, Pont.