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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 12

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 XII.—Argument: Moreover, What Will Happen to the Christians Themselves After Death, May Be Anticipated from the Fact that Even Now They are Destitute of All Means, and are Afflicted with the Heaviest Calamities and Miseries.

“Neither do you at least take

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experience

from

things

present

,

how

the

fruitless

expectations

of

vain

promise

deceive

you

.

Consider

,

wretched

creatures

,

(

from

your

lot

)

while

you

are

yet

living

,

what

is

threatening

you

after

death

.

Behold

,

a

portion

of

you

—

and

,

as

you

declare

,

the

larger

and

better

portion

—

are

in

want

,

are

cold

,

are

labouring

in

hard

work

and

hunger

;

and

God

suffers

it

,

He

feigns

;

He

either

is

not

willing

or

not

able

to

assist

His

people

;

and

thus

He

is

either

weak

or

inequitable

.

Thou

,

who

dreamest

over

a

posthumous

immortality

,

when

thou

art

shaken

by

danger

,

when

thou

art

consumed

with

fever

,

when

thou

art

torn

with

pain

,

dost

thou

not

then

feel

thy

real

condition

?

Dost

thou

not

then

acknowledge

thy

frailty

?

Poor

wretch

,

art

thou

unwillingly

convinced

of

thine

infirmity

,

and

wilt

not

confess

it

?

But

I

omit

matters

that

are

common

to

all

alike

.

Lo

,

for

you

there

are

threats

,

punishments

,

tortures

,

and

crosses

;

and

that

no

longer

as

objects

of

adoration

,

but

as

tortures

to

be

undergone

;

fires

also

,

which

you

both

predict

and

fear

.

Where

is

that

God

who

is

able

to

help

you

when

you

come

to

life

again

,

since

he

cannot

help

you

while

you

are

in

this

life

?

Do

not

the

Romans

,

without

any

help

from

your

God

,

govern

,

reign

,

have

the

enjoyment

of

the

whole

world

,

and

have

dominion

over

you

?

But

you

in

the

meantime

,

in

suspense

and

anxiety

,

are

abstaining

from

respectable

enjoyments

.

You

do

not

visit

exhibitions

;

you

have

no

concern

in

public

displays

;

you

reject

the

public

banquets

,

and

abhor

the

sacred

contests

;

the

meats

previously

tasted

by

,

and

the

drinks

made

a

libation

of

upon

,

the

altars

.

Thus

you

stand

in

dread

of

the

gods

whom

you

deny

.

You

do

not

wreath

your

heads

with

flowers

;

you

do

not

grace

your

bodies

with

odours

;

you

reserve

unguents

for

funeral

rites

;

you

even

refuse

garlands

to

your

sepulchres

—

pallid

,

trembling

beings

,

worthy

of

the

pity

even

of

our

gods

!

Thus

,

wretched

as

you

are

,

you

neither

rise

again

,

nor

do

you

live

in

the

meanwhile

.

Therefore

,

if

you

have

any

wisdom

or

modesty

,

cease

from

prying

into

the

regions

of

the

sky

,

and

the

destinies

and

secrets

of

the

world

:

it

is

sufficient

to

look

before

your

feet

,

especially

for

untaught

,

uncultivated

,

boorish

,

rustic

people

:

they

who

have

no

capacity

for

understanding

civil

matters

,

are

much

more

denied

the

ability

to

discuss

divine

.

Notes

1
Otherwise, “while you consider, while you are yet alive, poor wretches, what is threatening after death.”
2
Some read, “with shivering.”