Fitz Jenő (szerk.): Religions and Cults in Pannonia. Exhibiton an Székesfehérvár, Csók István Gallery 15 May - 30 September 1996 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: A. sorozat 33. (1998)

from faith either by torture, or by bribe. Fidelity when one part of a married couple is Christian and the other a pagan, fidelity in nursing a plague-stricken person, fidelity in ransoming of prisoners and in material sacrifice, fidelity in human esteem of the slave and fidelity in transmittance of true Knowledge. A temptation for wavering was not lesser in these ages but they learnt from the imperial cult that fidelity had two sides: for fidelity you would receive protection. They, as milites Christi, had confidence, but they knew in whom. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation." (Psalm 90. [91]18 d.) The historical survey of Pannonia's Christianity. In the minute when we deal with the history of Christianity, we are confronted with the duality to which J. Lortz called the attention of the specialists dealing with Church history, namely that the Church is the mystic body of Christ (LORTZ 1962, 3). Here are the metaphysical roots which we cannot grasp with a find material. Only written sources could speak ofthat in the case the population of the area in question thought to jot down their thoughts. In connection with the written sources of Antiquity one of the questions, not to be neglected, is the temporal difference between the date of the happening and that of the noticing. That means that as more we go back as more we can meet oral tradition.19

That means that lack of written records would not be equivalent with a lack of thoughts as well. Word can exist also without writing. On our territory there was, as mentioned, no written literature in the pagan world, either. This is for Christianity - as for its existence or non-existence either, - not an argumentum ex silentio. The other lesson is, given from the lack of our written sources, that we have no or almost no points of support for reconstructing the intellectual life of the beginnings. To the questions - how Christianity was accepted, what discussions they had - we cannot give an answer according to Pannonian peculiarities, but as unity existed in this respect, we may have some conjectures starting from general experiences. What remains for us, is the knowledge of the structure, which is, however, subject to a change in time and space, which structure is called today ecclesiastic hierarchy. History. In contrast with the previous opinions I look regard the early i.e. 1st century evangelizations as authentic. It is a necessity that evangelizing should start from the apostles, either personally, or through the persons authorized by them, or their disciples. We have to count also with the 72 disciples, chosen by Jesus from the beginning with the aim to teach. I accept thus the activity of Andronicus and Epaemetos as authentic who arrived in Sirmium in rapid succession. The area between Drave and Sava in Southern Pannónia is different - as in many other respects - also regarding Christianity from the phenomena observable on different territories of Pannónia. This area shows rather more conformities with Dalmatia. I rise the possibility that the numerous and small episcopates on the area of the present Croatia might be the successors of the onetime "bishoprics". The Church is wellknown from its adhering to traditions and from the fact that it tried to keep the most ancient terrritorial division possible. In Dalmatia there are many episcopates (MIGOTTI 1990; MIGOTTI 1991; MIGOTTI 1992a; MIGOTTI 1992b). In the light of the above I should rather insist on the question, which role could have played the autochthonous population in the Christianization of Pannónia. The area inhabited by Illyrians was divided from that settled by Celts. If we compare the areas of Pannónia populated by Celts with other Celtic regions, we reach a solution sooner.20 I suppose that on the areas inhabited by Celts we can count with the phenomenon interpretation Celtiana et Christiana, i.e. they accepted Christian doctrine inconspicuously. For an evangelization started by Greeks on the southern parts speak the surviving Greek names. Persons known as Christians have without exception Greek names (NAGY 1939,35-51). This phenomenon is another proof for the activity of Andronicus and Epaemetos. The role of Aquileia in this early missionary activity is more an intermediate one as a starting and key function. The missionaries might have arrived there through Aquileia, they even might have dwelt there, but they kept, all the same, 18 In connection with this psalm cf. POST 1982, 147-176. 19 The different works dealing with the history of writing verify it that writing, especially writing of letters, is not a self-evident thing, see e.g. DIRINGER / REGENSBURGER 1968. 201 think here

of the works as well as of the entries on Celts in the DACL, which make it obvious that Christianity was not far from the Celts, I would say they recognized in Christianity their old religion sanctified and "redeemed". For adjustment they needed only some alterations on the buildings. 47