In the reading. What to do about the Christians?, the emperor trajan and pliny the

Younger exchange legtters concerning the persercution of christians. From this exchange which of the following assumptions could NOT be made?

A.Neither party knows much about the Christian religion
B. The emperor does not want to tarnish his image
C. The emperor feels hostile Christians
D. The emperor does not want to "seek out" christians to persecute

I got c.

http://www.google.com/search?aq=0&oq=emperor+trajan+and+chri&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=emperor+trajan+and+christians

To determine which assumption could NOT be made from the exchange between Emperor Trajan and Pliny the Younger regarding the persecution of Christians, we will analyze the information provided in the reading.

To start, it is important to understand that the exchange between Emperor Trajan and Pliny the Younger primarily centered around how to handle Christians and their perceived threat to the Roman Empire. Trajan was seeking guidance from Pliny, who was his governor in Bithynia, on how to deal with Christians in his region.

Option A states that neither party knows much about the Christian religion. From the exchange, this assumption is plausible because Trajan seeks information from Pliny, suggesting that he lacks comprehensive knowledge about Christians and their beliefs.

Option B suggests that the emperor does not want to tarnish his image. This assumption is also plausible because Trajan advises Pliny not to conduct official witch hunts or seek out Christians specifically. His concern about tarnishing his image could be interpreted as a desire to maintain a favorable reputation.

Option C asserts that the emperor feels hostile towards Christians. This assumption is plausible based on the context of the exchange, where Trajan expresses concern about the growing number of Christians and their potential impact on Roman society. Although Trajan does not explicitly express hostility, his desire to suppress their influence could be interpreted as being hostile.

Option D suggests that the emperor does not want to "seek out" Christians to persecute. This assumption is also plausible, as Trajan advises Pliny against actively hunting Christians or initiating investigations explicitly targeting them.

From the given options, assumption C (the emperor feels hostile towards Christians) could NOT be made solely based on the exchange. While there are indications of concerns about Christianity, the exact emotions or attitudes of Trajan towards Christians are not explicitly mentioned in the reading.

Therefore, C is the correct answer, and the assumption that cannot be made from the exchange between Trajan and Pliny the Younger.