Disciplinary, Moral, and Ascetical Works

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THE CHAPLET Chapter 1 II SHORT TIME AGO a largess, granted by our most ~ excellent emperors, was distributed in the camp.l As the roll was called, the soldiers came forward crowned with laurel. One of them, a truer soldier of God and more steadfast than the rest of his comrades who imagined that they could serve two masters,2 was nobly conspicuous when his name was called. For he was the only one whose head was bare; holding the useless crown in his hand, by this characteristic mode of action alone he was at once known to everyone as a Christian. (2) Thereupon all began to single him out: those in the rear ranks mocked him, those in the front uttered threats. Since the murmur did not abate, his 1 It was customary with the Roman emperors to bestow on each soldier of the army a gift of money (called donativum) on special occasions, such as their accession, or in their wills. The emperors referred to above are Caracalla and Ceta who succeeded their father, Septimius Severus, in 211. Tertullian does not give the name of the camp. While some scholars have thought of Carthage, where the treatise was written, others have suggested Lambaesis, an important Roman camp in Numidia, the headquarters of the 3rd Augusta Legion. 2 Cf. Matt. 6.24; Luke 16.13. 231 232 TERTULLIAN name and particular offense were reported to the tribune.3 When the soldier had stepped out of line, the tribune at once asked him: 'Why are you not wearing the crown like everyone else?' The soldier replied: 'Maybe it is all right for them, but I cannot wear it.' When the tribune asked his reason, he stated: 'Because I am a Christian.' There was a true soldier of God for you! The soldiers clamored for the punishment of the offender and the case was referred to a higher tribunal; the offender was led to the prefects.4 (3) Glad to be rid of the burden, he let fall his heavy military cloak, he took off the uncomfortable boots he had worn as a scout,5 beginning to set foot on holy ground;6 he returned the sword which, too, he did not need to defend 3 In the Republican army the command of each legion was vested in six military tribunes, who commanded in rotation. In the imperial army a senior officer of experience, styled legatus legionis, commanded each legion, a practice which had been introduced by Caesar. The office of legionary tribune was still continued, but the duties were less responsible. The tribunes attended to the exercises and drills, granted discharges and furloughs, kept the military rolls, and were occasionally entrusted with the command on the march. As a rule, in the imperial army the tribunate in the legion was reserved for young men of the nobility starting their public career. 4 When, from the time of Domitian onward, each legion regularly had its own permanent quarters (castra stativa) , a new important command, that of 'camp prefect' (praefectus castrorum) , was established. It was mostly reserved for soldiers of long experience who had been promoted from the rank of centurion. Being in charge of fortifications, buildings, and supplies, the camp prefect was a kind of divisional officer. From Septimius Severus onward he was usually styled 'prefect of the legion.' Moreover, the same emperor gave the command of three newly raised legions (legiones Parthicae [·III) not to legati, but prefects. Emperor Gallienus (260·268) substituted prefects for legati in all the legions. 5 The scouts (speculatores) were legionaries detailed for special duties such as carrying dispatches, acting as military police, etc. 6 Tertullian wants to say that the ground on which a martyr sets foot begins to be holy even before the supreme sacrifice of his life. Cf. Exod. 3.5; Acts 7.33. THE CHAPLET 233 his Lord,7 and dropped the laurel crown from his hand. Now the only purple cloak he had was the hope of shedding his blood; his feet were shod with the readiness of the Gospel,8 and he girt about himself the word of God, keener than any sword.9 Thus fully armed according to the Apostle's advice/o and hoping to be crowned more worthily with the white laurel crown of martyrdom, he awaited in prison the reward of Christ. (4) It was then that the gossips started: maybe they were...