LIBELLATICI

libellatici, the name given to a class of persons who, during the persecution of decius, a.d. 250, evaded the consequences of their christian belief by procuring documents (_libelli_) which certified that they had satisfied the authorities of their submission to the edict requiring them to offer incense or sacrifice to the imperial gods. as thirty-eight years had elapsed since the last period of persecution, the churches had become in many ways lax, and the number of those who failed to hold out under the persecution was very great. the procedure of the courts which had cognizance of the matter was, however, by no means strict, and the judges and subordinate officials were often not ill-disposed towards christians, so that evasion was fairly easy. many of those who could not hold out were able to secure certificates which gave them immunity from punishment without actually renouncing the faith, just as "parliamentary certificates" of conformity used to be given in england without any pretext of fact. it is to the persons who received such certificates that the name _libellatici_ belonged (those who actually fulfilled the edict being called _thurificati_ or _sacrificati_). to calculate their number would be impossible, but we know from the writings of cyprian, dionysius of alexandria and other contemporaries, that they were a numerous class, and that they were to be found in italy, in egypt and in africa, and among both clergy and laity. archbishop benson is probably right in thinking that "there was no systematic and regular procedure in the matter," and that the _libelli_ may have been of very different kinds. they must, however, as a general rule, have consisted of a certificate _from the authorities_ to the effect that the accused person had satisfied them. [the name _libellus_ has also been applied to another kind of document--to the letters given by confessors, or by those who were about to suffer martyrdom, to persons who had fallen, to be used to secure forgiveness for them from the authorities of the church. with such _libelli_ we are not here concerned.] the subject has acquired a fresh interest from the fact that two of these actual _libelli_ have been recovered, in 1893 and 1894 respectively, both from egypt; one is now in the brugsch pasha collection in the berlin museum; the other is in the collection of papyri belonging to the archduke rainer. the former is on a papyrus leaf about 8 by 3 in., the latter on mere fragments of papyrus which have been pieced together. the former was first deciphered and described by dr fritz krebs, the latter by dr k. wessely: both are given and commented upon by dr benson. there is a remarkable similarity between them: in each the form is that n. "was ever constant in sacrificing to the gods"; and that he now, in the presence of the commissioners of the sacrifices ([greek: hoi heremenoi ton thyson]), has both sacrificed and drunk [_or_ has poured libations], and has tasted of the victims, in witness whereof he begs them to sign this certificate. then follows the signature, with attestations. the former of the two is dated, and the date must fall in the year 250. it is impossible to prove that either of the documents actually refers to christians: they may have been given to pagans who had been accused and had cleared themselves, or to former christians who had apostatized. but no doubt _libelli_ in this same form were delivered, in egypt at least, to christians who secured immunity without actual apostasy; and the form in italy and africa probably did not differ widely from this. the practice gave rise to complicated problems of ecclesiastical discipline, which are reflected in the correspondence of cyprian and especially in the novatian controversy. see e. w. benson, _cyprian_ (london, 1897); _theol. literaturzeitung_, 20th of january and 17th of march 1894. (w. e. co.) liber and libera, in roman mythology, deities, male and female, identified with the greek dionysus and persephone. in honour of liber (also called liber pater and bacchus) two festivals were celebrated. in the country feast of the vintage, held at the time of the gathering of the grapes, and the city festival of march 17th called _liberalia_ (ovid, _fasti_, iii. 711) we find purely italian ceremonial unaffected by greek religion. the country festival was a great merry-making, where the first-fruits of the new must were offered to the gods. it was characterized by the grossest symbolism, in honour of the fertility of nature. in the city festival, growing civilization had impressed a new character on the primitive religion, and connected it with the framework of society. at this time the youths laid aside the boy's _toga praetexta_ and assumed the man's _toga libera_ or _virilis_ (_fasti_, iii. 771). cakes of meal, honey and oil were offered to the two deities at this festival. liber was originally an old italian god of the productivity of nature, especially of the vine. his name indicated the free, unrestrained character of his worship. when, at an early period, the hellenic religion of demeter spread to rome, liber and libera were identified with dionysus and persephone, and associated with another italian goddess ceres, who was identified with demeter. by order of the sibylline books, a temple was built to these three deities near the circus flaminius; the whole cultus was borrowed from the greeks, down even to the terminology, and priestesses were brought from the greek cities.