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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 36

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. XXXVI.—Of the Philosophers,—Namely, Epicurus and Pythagoras.

Since I have spoken briefly of philosophy,

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now

also

I

will

speak

a

few

things

about

the

philosophers

.

This

is

especially

the

doctrine

of

Epicurus

,

that

there

is

no

providence

.

And

at

the

same

time

he

does

not

deny

the

existence

of

gods

.

In

both

respects

he

acts

contrary

to

reason

.

For

if

there

are

gods

,

it

follows

that

there

is

a

providence

.

For

otherwise

we

can

form

no

intelligible

idea

of

God

,

for

it

is

His

peculiar

province

to

foresee

.

But

Epicurus

says

He

takes

no

care

about

anything

.

Therefore

He

disregards

not

only

the

affairs

of

men

,

but

also

heavenly

things

.

How

,

therefore

,

or

from

what

,

do

you

affirm

that

He

exists

?

For

when

you

have

taken

away

the

divine

providence

and

care

,

it

would

naturally

follow

that

you

should

altogether

deny

the

existence

of

God

;

whereas

now

you

have

left

Him

in

name

,

but

in

reality

you

have

taken

Him

away

.

Whence

,

then

,

did

the

world

derive

its

origin

,

if

God

takes

no

care

of

anything

?

There

are

,

he

says

,

minute

atoms

,

which

can

neither

be

seen

nor

touched

,

and

from

the

fortuitous

meeting

of

these

all

things

arose

,

and

are

continually

arising

.

If

they

are

neither

seen

nor

perceived

by

any

part

of

the

body

,

how

could

you

know

of

their

existence

?

In

the

,

if

they

exist

,

with

what

mind

do

they

meet

together

to

effect

anything

?

If

they

are

smooth

,

they

cannot

cohere

:

if

they

are

hooked

and

angular

,

then

they

are

divisible

;

for

hooks

and

angles

project

,

and

can

be

cut

off

.

But

these

things

are

senseless

and

unprofitable

.

Why

should

I

mention

that

he

also

makes

souls

capable

of

extinction

?

who

is

refuted

not

only

by

all

philosophers

and

general

persuasion

,

but

also

by

the

answers

of

bards

,

by

the

predictions

of

the

Sibyls

,

and

lastly

,

by

the

divine

voices

of

the

prophets

themselves

;

so

that

it

is

wonderful

that

Epicurus

alone

existed

,

who

should

place

the

condition

of

man

on

a

level

with

the

flocks

and

beasts

.

What of Pythagoras, who was first called a philosopher, who judged that souls were indeed immortal, but that they passed into other bodies, either of cattle, or of birds, or of beasts? Would it not have been better that they should be destroyed, together with their bodies, than thus to be condemned to pass into the bodies of other animals? Would it not be better not to exist at all, than, after having had the form of a man, to live as a swine or a dog? And the foolish man, to gain credit for his saying, said that he himself had been Euphorbus in the Trojan war, and that, when he had been slain, he passed into other figures of animals, and at last became Pythagoras. O happy man! to whom alone so great a memory was given; or rather unhappy, who, when changed into a sheep, was not permitted to be ignorant of what he was! And would to Heaven that he alone had been thus senseless! He found also some to believe him, and some indeed among the learned, to whom the inheritance of folly passed.

Notes

1
Providere.
2
Inter doctos homines. Others read “indoctos homines,” but this does not convey so good a meaning.