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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 13

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 XIII.—Argument: Cæcilius at Length Concludes that the New Religion is to Be Repudiated; And that We Must Not Rashly Pronounce Upon Doubtful Matters.

“However, if you have a desire

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to

philosophize

,

let

any

one

of

you

who

is

sufficiently

great

,

imitate

,

if

he

can

,

Socrates

the

prince

of

wisdom

.

The

answer

of

that

man

,

whenever

he

was

asked

about

celestial

matters

,

is

well

known

:

‘

What

is

above

us

is

nothing

to

us

.

’

Well

,

therefore

,

did

he

deserve

from

the

oracle

the

testimony

of

singular

wisdom

,

which

oracle

he

himself

had

a

presentiment

of

,

that

he

had

been

preferred

to

all

men

for

the

reason

,

not

that

he

had

discovered

all

things

,

but

because

he

had

learnt

that

he

knew

nothing

.

And

thus

the

confession

of

ignorance

is

the

height

of

wisdom

.

From

this

source

flowed

the

safe

doubting

of

Arcesilas

,

and

long

after

of

Carneades

,

and

of

very

many

of

the

Academics

,

in

questions

of

the

highest

moment

,

in

which

species

of

philosophy

the

unlearned

can

do

much

with

caution

,

and

the

learned

can

do

gloriously

.

What

!

is

not

the

hesitation

of

Simonides

the

lyric

poet

to

be

admired

and

followed

by

all

?

Which

Simonides

,

when

he

was

asked

by

Hiero

the

tyrant

what

,

and

what

like

he

thought

the

gods

to

be

,

asked

first

of

all

for

a

day

to

deliberate

;

then

postponed

his

reply

for

two

days

;

and

then

,

when

pressed

,

he

added

only

another

;

and

finally

,

when

the

tyrant

inquired

into

the

causes

of

such

a

long

delay

,

he

replied

that

,

the

longer

his

research

continued

,

the

obscurer

the

truth

became

to

him

.

In

my

opinion

also

,

things

which

are

uncertain

ought

to

be

left

as

they

are

.

Nor

,

while

so

many

and

so

great

men

are

deliberating

,

should

we

rashly

and

boldly

give

an

opinion

in

another

direction

,

lest

either

a

childish

superstition

should

be

introduced

,

or

all

religion

should

be

overthrown

.

”

Notes

1
This is otherwise read, “Academic Pyrrhonists.”
2
Cicero, de Natura Deorum, i. 22.