him as a deceased martyr but agreed together by a form of words that he was a divine figure, in some way their living contemporary. There is no reason to believe that their attitude to Jesus was a recent development. Half a century earlier Peter had reminded the Christians of Bithynia (and others) that, “Through him [that is, Christ] you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him” (1 Pet 1:21 NIV). Without knowing it, Pliny confirms as historically accurate some details found