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Adversus Gentes

Arnobius of Sicca

Book 2 · Chapter 3

About this work

A vigorous Latin defense of Christianity against claims that conversion had angered the gods, combining criticism of Roman mythology and cult with arguments about Christ and the soul.

Author: Arnobius of Sicca
Date: c. AD 300–310
Origin: Sicca, North Africa
Genre: Apology

Section 3

3. But He did not permit men to make supplication

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 2 Book 2 · Chapter 4 ›

to

the

lesser

gods

.

Do

you

,

then

,

know

who

are

,

or

where

are

the

lesser

gods

?

Has

mistrust

of

them

,

or

the

way

in

which

they

were

mentioned

,

ever

touched

you

,

so

that

you

are

justly

indignant

that

their

worship

has

been

done

away

with

and

deprived

of

all

honour

?

But

if

haughtiness

of

mind

and

arrogance

,

as

it

is

called

by

the

Greeks

,

did

not

stand

in

your

way

and

hinder

you

,

you

might

long

ago

have

been

able

to

understand

what

He

forbade

to

be

done

,

or

wherefore

;

within

what

limits

He

would

have

true

religion

lie

;

what

danger

arose

to

you

from

that

which

you

thought

obedience

?

or

from

what

evils

you

would

escape

if

you

broke

away

from

your

dangerous

delusion

.

Notes

1
It seems necessary for the sake of the argument to read this interrogatively, but in all the edd. the sentence ends without any mark of interrogation.
2
Typhus—τῦφος.
3
Lit., “He chose…to stand.”