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The Divine Institutes
Lactantius
Book 1 · Chapter 13 About this work A large Latin presentation of Christian teaching that criticizes pagan religion and philosophy while treating justice, God, creation, Christ, worship, ethics, and the final destiny of humanity.
Author Lactantius
Date c. AD 303–311
Origin North Africa and Nicomedia
Genre Apology Chap. xiii.—how vain and trifling are the interpretations of the stoics respecting the gods, and in them concerning the origin of jupiter, concerning saturn and Ops. If therefore these speculations of the philosophers are trifling
‹ Book 1 · Chapter 12 Book 1 · Chapter 14 ›,
what
remains
,
except
that
we
believe
it
to
be
a
matter
of
fact
that
,
being
a
man
,
he
suffered
mutilation
from
a
man
?
Unless
by
chance
any
one
esteems
him
as
a
god
who
feared
a
co
-
heir
;
whereas
,
if
he
had
possessed
any
divine
knowledge
,
he
ought
not
to
have
mutilated
his
father
,
but
himself
,
to
prevent
the
birth
of
Jupiter
,
who
deprived
him
of
the
possession
of
his
kingdom
.
And
he
also
,
when
he
had
married
his
sister
Rhea
,
whom
in
Latin
we
call
Ops
,
is
said
to
have
been
warned
by
an
oracle
not
to
bring
up
his
male
children
,
because
it
would
come
to
pass
that
he
should
be
driven
into
banishment
by
a
son
.
And
being
in
fear
of
this
,
it
is
plain
that
he
did
not
devour
his
sons
,
as
the
fables
report
,
but
put
them
to
death
;
although
it
is
written
in
sacred
history
that
Saturn
and
Ops
,
and
other
men
,
were
at
that
time
accustomed
to
eat
human
flesh
,
but
that
Jupiter
,
who
gave
to
men
laws
and
civilization
,
was
the
first
who
by
an
edict
prohibited
the
use
of
that
food
.
Now
if
this
is
true
,
what
justice
can
there
possibly
have
been
in
him
?
But
let
us
suppose
it
to
be
a
fictitious
story
that
Saturn
devoured
his
sons
,
only
true
after
a
certain
fashion
;
must
we
then
suppose
,
with
the
vulgar
,
that
he
has
eaten
his
sons
,
who
has
carried
them
out
to
burial
?
But
when
Ops
had
brought
forth
Jupiter
,
she
stole
away
the
infant
,
and
secretly
sent
him
into
Crete
to
be
nourished
.
Again
,
I
cannot
but
blame
his
want
of
foresight
.
For
why
did
he
receive
an
oracle
from
another
,
and
not
from
himself
?
Being
placed
in
heaven
,
why
did
he
not
see
the
things
which
were
taking
place
on
earth
?
Why
did
the
Corybantes
with
their
cymbals
escape
his
notice
?
Lastly
,
why
did
there
exist
any
greater
force
which
might
overcome
his
power
?
Doubtless
,
being
aged
,
he
was
easily
overcome
by
one
who
was
young
,
and
despoiled
of
his
sovereignty
.
He
was
therefore
banished
and
went
into
exile
;
and
after
long
wanderings
came
into
Italy
in
a
ship
,
as
Ovid
relates
in
his
Fasti
:
—
“ The cause of the ship remains to be explained . The scythe - bearing god came to the Tuscan river in a ship , having first traversed the world . ”
Janus received him wandering and destitute ; and the ancient coins are a proof of this , on which there is a representation of Janus with a double face , and on the other side a ship ; as the same poet adds : —
“ But pious posterity represented a ship on the coin , bearing testimony to the arrival of the stranger god . ”
Not only therefore all the poets , but the writers also of ancient histories and events , agree that he was a man , inasmuch as they handed down to memory his actions in Italy : of Greek writers , Diodorus and Thallus ; of Latin writers , Nepos , Cassius , and Varro . For since men lived in Italy after a rustic fashion , —
“ He brought the race to union first , Erewhile on mountain tops dispersed , And gave them statutes to obey , And willed the land wherein he lay Should Latium’s title bear . ”
Does any one imagine him to be a god , who was driven into banishment , who fled , who lay hid ? No one is so senseless . For he who flees , or lies hid , must fear both violence and death . Orpheus , who lived in more recent times than his , openly relates that Saturn reigned on earth and among men : —
“ First Cronus ruled o’er men on earth , And then from Cronus sprung the mighty king , The widely sounding Zeus . ”
And also our own Maro says :
“ This life the golden Saturn led on earth ; ”
“ That was the storied age of gold , So peacefully , serenely rolled The years beneath his reign . ”
The poet did not say in the former passage that he led this life in heaven , nor in the latter passage that he reigned over the gods above . From which it appears that he was a king on earth ; and this he declares more plainly in another place : —
“ Restorer of the age of gold , In lands where Saturn ruled of old . ”
Ennius , indeed , in his translation of Euhemerus says that Saturn was not the first who reigned , but his father Uranus . In the beginning , he says , Cœlus first had the supreme power on the earth . He instituted and prepared that kingdom in conjunction with his brothers . There is no great dispute , if there is doubt , on the part of the greatest authorities respecting the son and the father . But it is possible that each may have happened : that Uranus first began to be pre - eminent in power among the rest , and to have the chief place , but not the kingdom ; and that afterwards Saturn acquired greater resources , and took the title of king .
Notes 1 Virg., Æneid, viii. 321.
2 Georg., ii. 538.
3 Æneid, viii. 324.
4 Ibid., vi. 793.
