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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 31

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 XXXI.—Argument: The Charge of Our Entertainments Being Polluted with Incest, is Entirely Opposed to All Probability, While It is Plain that Gentiles are Actually Guilty of Incest. The Banquets of Christians are Not Only Modest, But Temperate. In Fact, Incestuous Lust is So Unheard Of, that with Many Even the Modest Association of the Sexes Gives Rise to a Blush.

“And of the incestuous banqueting,

‹ Chapter 30 Chapter 32 ›

the

plotting

of

demons

has

falsely

devised

an

enormous

fable

against

us

,

to

stain

the

glory

of

our

modesty

,

by

the

loathing

excited

by

an

outrageous

infamy

,

that

before

inquiring

into

the

truth

it

might

turn

men

away

from

us

by

the

terror

of

an

abominable

charge

.

It

was

thus

your

own

Fronto

acted

in

this

respect

:

he

did

not

produce

testimony

,

as

one

who

alleged

a

charge

,

but

he

scattered

reproaches

as

a

rhetorician

.

For

these

things

have

rather

originated

from

your

own

nations

.

Among

the

Persians

,

a

promiscuous

association

between

sons

and

mothers

is

allowed

.

Marriages

with

sisters

are

legitimate

among

the

Egyptians

and

in

Athens

.

Your

records

and

your

tragedies

,

which

you

both

read

and

hear

with

pleasure

,

glory

in

incests

:

thus

also

you

worship

incestuous

gods

,

who

have

intercourse

with

mothers

,

with

daughters

,

with

sisters

.

With

reason

,

therefore

,

is

incest

frequently

detected

among

you

,

and

is

continually

permitted

.

Miserable

men

,

you

may

even

,

without

knowing

it

,

rush

into

what

is

unlawful

:

since

you

scatter

your

lusts

promiscuously

,

since

you

everywhere

beget

children

,

since

you

frequently

expose

even

those

who

are

born

at

home

to

the

mercy

of

others

,

it

is

inevitable

that

you

must

come

back

to

your

own

children

,

and

stray

to

your

own

offspring

.

Thus

you

continue

the

story

of

incest

,

even

although

you

have

no

consciousness

of

your

crime

.

But

we

maintain

our

modesty

not

in

appearance

,

but

in

our

heart

we

gladly

abide

by

the

bond

of

a

single

marriage

;

in

the

desire

of

procreating

,

we

know

either

one

wife

,

or

none

at

all

.

We

practise

sharing

in

banquets

,

which

are

not

only

modest

,

but

also

sober

:

for

we

do

not

indulge

in

entertainments

nor

prolong

our

feasts

with

wine

;

but

we

temper

our

joyousness

with

gravity

,

with

chaste

discourse

,

and

with

body

even

more

chaste

(

divers

of

us

unviolated

)

enjoy

rather

than

make

a

boast

of

a

perpetual

virginity

of

a

body

.

So

far

,

in

fact

,

are

they

from

indulging

in

incestuous

desire

,

that

with

some

even

the

(

idea

of

a

)

modest

intercourse

of

the

sexes

causes

a

blush

.

Neither

do

we

at

once

stand

on

the

level

of

the

lowest

of

the

people

,

if

we

refuse

your

honours

and

purple

robes

;

and

we

are

not

fastidious

,

if

we

all

have

a

discernment

of

one

good

,

but

are

assembled

together

with

the

same

quietness

with

which

we

live

as

individuals

;

and

we

are

not

garrulous

in

corners

,

although

you

either

blush

or

are

afraid

to

hear

us

in

public

.

And

that

day

by

day

the

number

of

us

is

increased

,

is

not

a

ground

for

a

charge

of

error

,

but

is

a

testimony

which

claims

praise

;

for

,

in

a

fair

mode

of

life

,

our

actual

number

both

continues

and

abides

undiminished

,

and

strangers

increase

it

.

Thus

,

in

short

,

we

do

not

distinguish

our

people

by

some

small

bodily

mark

,

as

you

suppose

,

but

easily

enough

by

the

sign

of

innocency

and

modesty

.

Thus

we

love

one

another

,

to

your

regret

,

with

a

mutual

love

,

because

we

do

not

know

how

to

hate

.

Thus

we

call

one

another

,

to

your

envy

,

brethren

:

as

being

men

born

of

one

God

and

Parent

,

and

companions

in

faith

,

and

as

fellow

-

heirs

in

hope

.

You

,

however

,

do

not

recognise

one

another

,

and

you

are

cruel

in

your

mutual

hatreds

;

nor

do

you

acknowledge

one

another

as

brethren

,

unless

indeed

for

the

purpose

of

fratricide

.

Notes

1
[Fronto is called “our Cirtensian” in cap. ix. supra; and this suggests that the Octavius was probably written in Cirta, circaa.d. 210. See supra, p. 178.]