Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 3

About this work

A polished Latin dialogue in which pagan and Christian friends debate providence, Roman religion, accusations against Christians, resurrection, and the philosophical credibility of Christian monotheism.

Author: Minucius Felix
Date: Late 2nd or early 3rd century
Origin: Rome or North Africa
Genre: Dialogue

The work’s date relative to Tertullian and the author’s geographical setting remain debated.

Chapter III.—Argument: Octavius, Displeased at the Act of This Superstitious Man, Sharply Reproaches Minucius, on the Ground that the Disgrace of This Wicked Deed is Reflected Not Less on Himself, as Cæcilius’ Host, Than on Cæcilius.

Then Octavius said: “It is

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

not

the

part

of

a

good

man

,

my

brother

Marcus

,

so

to

desert

a

man

who

abides

by

your

side

at

home

and

abroad

,

in

this

blindness

of

vulgar

ignorance

,

as

that

you

should

suffer

him

in

such

broad

daylight

as

this

to

give

himself

up

to

stones

,

however

they

may

be

carved

into

images

,

anointed

and

crowned

;

since

you

know

that

the

disgrace

of

this

his

error

redounds

in

no

less

degree

to

your

discredit

than

to

his

own

.

”

With

this

discourse

of

his

we

passed

over

the

distance

between

the

city

and

the

sea

,

and

we

were

now

walking

on

the

broad

and

open

shore

.

There

the

gently

rippling

wave

was

smoothing

the

outside

sands

as

if

it

would

level

them

for

a

promenade

;

and

as

the

sea

is

always

restless

,

even

when

the

winds

are

lulled

,

it

came

up

on

the

shore

,

although

not

with

waves

crested

and

foaming

,

yet

with

waves

crisped

and

curling

.

Just

then

we

were

excessively

delighted

at

its

vagaries

,

as

on

the

very

threshold

of

the

water

we

were

wetting

the

soles

of

our

feet

,

and

it

now

by

turns

approaching

broke

upon

our

feet

,

and

now

the

wave

retiring

and

retracing

its

course

,

sucked

itself

back

into

itself

.

And

thus

,

slowly

and

quietly

going

along

,

we

tracked

the

coast

of

the

gently

bending

shore

,

beguiling

the

way

with

stories

.

These

stories

were

Octavius

,

who

was

discoursing

on

navigation

.

But

when

we

had

occupied

a

sufficiently

reasonable

time

of

our

walk

with

discourse

,

retracing

the

same

way

again

,

we

trod

the

path

with

reverted

footsteps

.

And

when

we

came

to

that

place

where

the

little

ships

,

drawn

up

on

an

oaken

framework

,

were

lying

at

rest

supported

above

the

(

risk

of

)

ground

-

rot

,

we

saw

some

boys

eagerly

gesticulating

as

they

played

at

throwing

shells

into

the

sea

.

This

play

is

:

To

choose

a

shell

from

the

shore

,

rubbed

and

made

smooth

by

the

tossing

of

the

waves

;

to

take

hold

of

the

shell

in

a

horizontal

position

with

the

fingers

;

to

whirl

it

along

sloping

and

as

low

down

as

possible

upon

the

waves

,

that

when

thrown

it

may

either

skim

the

back

of

the

wave

,

or

may

swim

as

it

glides

along

with

a

smooth

impulse

,

or

may

spring

up

as

it

cleaves

the

top

of

the

waves

,

and

rise

as

if

lifted

up

with

repeated

springs

.

That

boy

claimed

to

be

conqueror

whose

shell

both

went

out

furthest

,

and

leaped

up

most

frequently

.