# Pliny the Younger reports on Christians to Trajan (112)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/112-pliny-the-younger-reports-on-christians-to-trajan
Location: Bithynia, Asia Minor
Themes: Persecution

The governor of Bithynia describes Christian worship and asks Trajan how to treat them, the earliest pagan account of the church. At this point in the timeline (112), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Alexander I (c. 105 – c. 115). Dates for the earliest bishops of Rome are traditional and uncertain.

## Why it matters
Pliny the Younger reports on Christians to Trajan mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Alexander I](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-alexander-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Pliny the Younger on Christians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Younger_on_Christians)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Pliny the Younger reports on Christians to Trajan](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Pliny+the+Younger+reports+on+Christians+to+Trajan)
- [Wikipedia — Early Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante-Nicene_period)