Tacticus Annals
The Roman historian Tacitus wrote concerning the Great Fire of Rome, in Book 15, chapter 44 of his Annals:

"Hence to suppress the rumor, Nero falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea"

Tacitus is remembered first and foremost as Rome's greatest historian. He was born in the year 56. Tacitus was able to consult the official sources of the Roman state: the acta senatus (the minutes of the session of the Senate) and the acta diurna populi Romani (a collection of the acts of the government and news of the court and capital). He could read the collections of speeches by some emperors, such as Tiberius and Claudius. Generally, Tacitus was a scrupulous historian who paid careful attention to his historical works.

"He is on the very closest of terms of friendship with Cornelius Tacitus, and you know what an honourable man Tacitus is." - Letter from Pliny the Younger to Fundanus

Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, an author and a natural philosopher of Ancient Rome.

Josephus Testimonium Flavianum
The Jewish historian Josephus published his work Antiquities of the Jews. The writings contain two passages about Jesus.

Antiquities of the Jews 3.3
" Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.

He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day"

Antiquities of the Jews 20:9
"Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James"

Just How Bad Was Jesus Really Beaten?
According to the testimony of the historian Josephus the movie the Passion of the Christ accurately portrays the level of brutality Christ suffered.

"At this the multitude had great indignation; and when Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they came about his tribunal, and made a clamor at it. Now the Jews were so badly beaten, that many of them perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to death, by which means the multitude was astonished at the calamity of those that were slain, and held their peace." -Josephus - The Wars of the Jews - Book 2 Chapter 9


Suetonius - Lives of the Twelve Caesars - Claudius 25
"He banished from Rome all the Jews, who were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus. -Christ."

Acts 18:2 Because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome

Roman Use of the Word "Chrestus"
Tertullian criticises pagan disdain for Christianity and points out the fact they can't even spell the name correctly. He implies the common misspelling of Chrestus by their use of the term Chrestians.

"Most people so blindly knock their heads against the hatred of the Christian name...It is wrongly pronounced by you as "Chrestians" (for you do not even know accurately the name you hate)... But the special ground of dislike to the sect is, that it bears the name of its Founder." - Tertullian Apology, Chapter III


Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger admits to torturing and executing Christians who refused to deny Christ. Those who denied the charges were spared and ordered to exalt the Roman gods and curse the name of Christ. Pliny addresses his concerns to Emperor Trajan that too many citizens were being killed for their refusal to deny their faith.

"I asked them directly if they were Christians...those who persisted, I ordered away... Those who denied they
were or ever had been Christians...worshiped both your image and the images of the gods and cursed Christ. They used to gather on a stated day before dawn and sing to Christ as if he were a god... All the more I believed it necessary to find out what was the truth from two servant maids, which were called deaconesses, by means of torture. Nothing more did I find than a disgusting, fanatical superstition. Therefore I stopped the examination, and hastened to consult you...on account of the number of people endangered. For many of all ages, all classes, and both sexes already are brought into danger..." - Pliny's letter to Emperor Trajan

Though Pliny states some of the accused denied the charges, a recurring theme in the correspondence between Pliny and Trajan is the willingness of the true believer to die for Christ. This would hardly be reasonable if they thought He never existed!