Occidere vel Non Occidentem:

Theo Mangold

To Kill or Not to Kill

Characters: Marius, Octavius, Messenger, Narrator.

Narrator: The year is 33 A.D. It’s late on a thursday night in April, in Judea. A few days ago, Jesus was captured and taken prisoner by the Romans. Meanwhile, in a Roman camp, a general, Marius, is talking to his lieutenant, Octavius. They are about to go back to their quarters for the night when a messenger arrives with very important orders.

Messenger: Sir, I have a message addressed to you. I got very specific orders, this letter is for your eyes only. (Holds out letter to give to Marius)

Marius: Thank you soldier. (Takes letter) Who’s it from?

Messenger: Pontius Pilate himself, sir.

Marius: Really? What does the leader of all of Judea want from me?

Messenger: I don’t know. I was just told that it was crucial that I get this letter to you as soon as possible. Apparently it’s urgent that you read it as soon as you get it.

Marius: Alright, you’re dismissed.

(Messenger leaves)

Marius: Alright Octavius, let's see what Pontius Pilate wants with me. (Opens letter and begins to read)

Octavius: So? What does he need?

Marius: He says that I am to go ahead with the orders to kill one of our prisoners. Tomorrow.

Octavius: Which one?

Marius: Jesus. Pilate says he's some kind of a false prophet, and that we need to get rid of him.

Octavius: Isn't he just some guy yelling out his ideas? Why is he so special?

Marius: Apparently Pilate sees him as a threat to Roman beliefs, and that he is claiming to be king of the Jews, though that isn't true.

Octavius: So we kill him then?

Marius: I guess. Is it right though to kill a man for speaking his mind? Does he really deserve to be killed and tortured?

Octavius: It is not our decision to make, sir. Should you refuse to kill Jesus, it will be you on the cross, not him.

Marius: I know, I know. I just don't think it's right.

Octavius: That doesn't make a difference to us. I'm sorry to be speaking against you sir, but you need to consider the consequences of your actions.

Marius: Octavius, you know I've always valued your opinions. I am aware of everything you are saying, but I'm still doubtful. When a man proclaims to be a prophet, is he really targeting Rome? Isn't it possible that he respects Rome, yet has his own ideas?

Octavius: Any man that lives within the reaches of the Roman empire must obey its laws. Jesus knows he has been breaking the law, therefore he is against Rome and must be punished.

Marius: He hasn't killed a man, he hasn't stolen, he has just lied. So we send him to Hades for that?

Octavius: But he is an enemy of those who rule him. If he were so upset with the Romans, then he is free to go to Orient, or some other place out of our reach.

Marius: I feel as though I don't have much of a choice in the matter anyway. Should I refuse to follow these orders, Pilate will have me killed and replace me with someone who will.

Octavius: Exactly. So just follow your orders, and you'll be fine. It's not like this Jesus is helping anyone anyway. He's just giving the Jews a false sense of hope and power, which is dangerous for us. The Romans struggle to hold Judea as it is, the last thing we need is some nobody thinking he's somebody that causes a rebellion amongst the Jews. If we kill Jesus, we can keep a strong hold on these people.

Marius: But what if his death just upsets them? What if more comes from this than Pontius Pilate anticipates?

Octavius: It's not our job to worry about things like that. We just follow our orders, and our families back in Rome lead good lives. Should a rebellion stem from Jesus' death, we stop it. We've stopped multiple already, so we can stop more.

Marius: Each rebellion means more Roman soldiers killed. More mothers, wives, and daughters left without a son, husband, or father to take care of them. Plus, the more Jews we kill, the more upset they are. We don't help anything by stopping rebellions, we just delay the problem.

Octavius: None of this is ours to worry about. We can hold off the Jews, so that's all we have to do. Should the Jews rebel, it's their fault what happens to them. They know we are more powerful, so they are foolish to try anything against us.

Marius: They may not be Romans, Octavius, but they are people. They are not swine that we can kill freely. Yes, it's our practice to keep an iron fist on those we rule and kill anyone against us, but I don't see the benefit in needlessly killing every single person with ideas that are not identical to ours.

Octavius: Sir, I respect your ideas, but as a soldier of Rome you are sworn to protect the people and beliefs of Rome all throughout our empire. If you don't, you and your family will be killed. You are too good of a commander to waste your time worrying about what a few Jews thinks.

Marius: Alright, Octavius. You’ve made your point. I’ll give the order tomorrow morning for his death. We have two others to kill too, but Jesus is the main prisoner we need executed.

Octavius: Alright. You made the right choice, Marius.

Marius: No, Octavius, I made the only choice I had.

(Marius and Octavius exit)

Narrator: And so, Marius and Octavius returned to their quarters to rest. The next day, Marius’ plans were put into action. Jesus, the traitor to Rome, was executed on a cross on friday afternoon, in April, 33 A.D. Marius struggled for the rest of his life with the decision he made, and later fell in battle against a Jewish rebellion. Octavius lived on, eventually dying of old age in his home in Rome. As time went on, Marius and Octavius were forgotten, but the name of Jesus, the man they killed, was never lost.

Works Sited• Roberts, Mark D. Why Did Jesus Have to Die? Roman, Jewish, and Christian Perspectives.

Retrieved May first, 2014 from www.patheos.com%2Fblogs%2Fmarkdroberts%2Fseries%2Fwhy-did-jesus-have-to-die%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFOdlGcon5VkKXWEmW-6fKsHWtoWg

• Charlesworth, J. Jesus and Jehohanan: An Archaeological Note on Crucifixion. Retrieved May first, 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/crucifixion.html

• Keko, Don. The Crucifixion: A Roman View. Retrieved May first, 2014 from http://www.examiner.com/article/the-crucifixion-a-roman-view

• Tabor, James. The Roman World of Jesus: An Overview. Retrieved May first, 2014 from http://clas-pages.uncc.edu/james-tabor/the-roman-world-of-jesus-an-overview/

• Lockshin, Martin. Who Killed Jesus? Retrieved May first, 2014 from http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/Jews_and_Non-Jews/Attitudes_Toward_Non-Jews/Christianity/who-killed-jesus.shtml

 

 

Picture Links● http://www.nathangreene.com/prod_detail_list/14● http://www.fashion-era.com/ancient_costume/roman-costume-history-

toga.htm● https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/category/jesus/● http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/crucifixion/roman-cr

ucifixion-methods-reveal-the-history-of-crucifixion/● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_wars● http://truupictures.com/cross-of-jesus/● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate