"The Acts of Paul and Thecla" Present Both Pagan and Christian Relationships with the Natural World

In the anthology, Ancient Greek Popular Literature, edited by William Hansen, we see in the story “The Acts of Paul and Thecla” both Pagan and Christian relationships with the animal world portrayed.  This intriguing set of juxtapositions is presented when Thecla is brought to the stadium in punishment and set forth to fight the wild beasts.  “And lions and bears were set upon her, and a fierce lioness ran to her and lay down at her feet. . . .And a bear ran upon her, but the lioness ran and met it, and tore the bear asunder.”  Here we see, as in the story of the Pagan Hero, an animal who is an ideal friend, but as the scene with Thecla unfolds, man’s relationship to animals and the natural world reveals the transition Christianity demands.  “And again a lion trained against men, which belonged to Alexander, ran upon her; the lioness grappled with the lion, and perished with it.  And the women mourned the more, since the lioness was dead.”  The protective lioness was dead indeed, but this also indicates a death of friendship with the animal world.  The transition of our relationship with nature is further defined as the story goes on.  “So then she threw herself in the water in the name of Jesus Christ; but the seals, seeing the light of a lightning-flash, floated dead on the surface” (Hansen 61).  Here we see the mighty hand of God reach in and orchestrate an act of nature.  The series of quotes presented in this section of the story exposes a great deal as they encompass three stages of man’s transitionary relationship to nature.  The first is that of the Pagan Hero with animal as companion, the second is man’s domination over nature by training animals to kill men, and the third is the biblical representation of God’s dominant power over all living creatures.