Contemporary Social Parallels for "take up one's cross"

Ryan Simmons ryanasimmons at yahoo.com
Fri Apr 28 17:43:28 EDT 2000


Dear B-Greekers:

I need some help for a paper I am doing for my
Intermediate Greek class.  My text is Mark 8:27-9:1.

I would really appreciate any information on primary
sources for a first century reader's understanding of
the phrase ARATW TON STAURON AUTOU (take up one's
cross) in verse 34.

Was this a common metaphor? I recall reading
references to "crosses" of ill fortune in Jack
Lindsay's translation of Apuleius' Metamorphoses. But
it seemed more flipant than the ocurrence in Mark.

Thanks very much.

(As a side question: Does any one have a suggestion
for a gender neutral translation for the AUTOU here
other than "one's." I am somewhat dissatisfied with it
because it carries an indefiniteness that is not in
the Greek personal pronoun.)

Yours,
Ryan Simmons
M.Div. Student
Emmanuel School of Religion
Johnson City, TN

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