Turning now directly to the letter of Pliny, our one source of information for these events, we find that the letter consists of two parts.1 The first part of the letter is made up of a series of questions for the emperor to pass upon; the second of an account of what Pliny had done. Before he puts the questions to the emperor he explains his reason for writing. He had never taken part in the trials of Christians, hence he did not know for what crime or to what extent it was customary to punish or