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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 14

About this work

A condensed presentation of Lactantius’s apologetic project, summarizing his case against pagan worship and his account of divine providence, true religion, justice, and Christian hope.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: Nicomedia or Gaul
Genre: Apology

Chap. XIV.—The Actions of Saturnus and Uranus Taken from the Historians.

Let us pass on to former things,

‹ Chapter 13 Chapter 20 ›

that

we

may

discover

the

origin

of

the

whole

error

.

Saturnus

is

said

to

have

been

born

of

Cœlus

and

Terra

.

This

is

plainly

incredible

;

but

there

is

a

certain

reason

why

it

is

thus

and

he

who

is

ignorant

of

this

rejects

it

as

a

fable

.

That

Uranus

was

the

father

of

Saturnus

,

both

Hermes

affirms

,

and

sacred

history

teaches

.

When

Trismegistus

said

that

there

were

very

few

men

of

perfect

learning

,

he

enumerated

among

them

his

relatives

,

Uranus

,

Saturnus

,

and

Mercurius

.

Euhemerus

relates

that

the

same

Uranus

was

the

first

who

reigned

on

earth

,

using

these

words

:

“

In

the

beginning

Cœlus

first

had

the

chief

power

on

earth

:

he

instituted

and

prepared

that

kingdom

for

himself

together

with

his

brothers

.

”

Notes

1
From this point the manuscripts are defective to ch. xx.