sky kunde

Pliny, Tacitus and Suetonius used the word supertitionem (translated as superstition into english) in reference to christian's faith. What does it really mean? Did they mean something like a spurious creed or like a new creed?

Thanks in advanced

Roger Pearse

Tertullian wrote a work entitled De superstitione saeculi against paganism.

The work was extant in the 9th century, as it is listed towards the end of the contemporary list of contents of the 9th century Codex Agobardinus but the rear portion of this manuscript has since been lost, and no copy of the work has reached us. It has recently been suggested that the work, De execrandis diis which is listed among the spuria is in fact a collection of excerpts made from De superstitione saeculi by the 9th century scholar Florus of Lyons, who added a note in the margin of the Agobardinus. If so, we can get some idea of its contents from that.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

andrewcriddle

This (Inventing Superstition) may be relevant
Inventing Superstition : From the Hippocratics to the Christians

Andrew Criddle

(Note to Mods: still not sure how to link to Amazon via IIDB)

Check your PM's

Chris Weimer

Superstitio meant unreasonble belief, not necessarily new belief. The word was used long before Christians arrived on the scene.

Ben C Smith

You might find the Lewis and Short entry for superstitio useful as a starting point.

Ben.

sky kunde

Thanks, everyone.