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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 14

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 XIV.—Argument: With Something of the Pride of Self-Satisfaction, Cæcilius Urges Octavius to Reply to His Arguments; And Minucius with Modesty Answers Him, that He Must Not Exult at His Own by No Means Ordinary Eloquence, and at the Harmonious Variety of His Address.

Thus far Cæcilius; and smiling cheerfully

‹ Chapter 13 Chapter 15 ›

(

for

the

vehemence

of

his

prolonged

discourse

had

relaxed

the

ardour

of

his

indignation

)

,

he

added

:

“

And

what

does

Octavius

venture

to

reply

to

this

,

a

man

of

the

race

of

Plautus

,

who

,

while

he

was

chief

among

the

millers

,

was

still

the

lowest

of

philosophers

?

”

“

Restrain

,

”

said

I

,

“

your

self

-

approval

against

him

;

for

it

is

not

worthy

of

you

to

exult

at

the

harmony

of

your

discourse

,

before

the

subject

shall

have

been

more

fully

argued

on

both

sides

;

especially

since

your

reasoning

is

striving

after

truth

,

not

praise

.

And

in

however

great

a

degree

your

discourse

has

delighted

me

by

its

subtile

variety

,

yet

I

am

very

deeply

moved

,

not

concerning

the

present

discussion

,

but

concerning

the

entire

kind

of

disputation

—

that

for

the

most

part

the

condition

of

truth

should

be

changed

according

to

the

powers

of

discussion

,

and

even

the

faculty

of

perspicuous

eloquence

.

This

is

very

well

known

to

occur

by

reason

of

the

facility

of

the

hearers

,

who

,

being

distracted

by

the

allurement

of

words

from

attention

to

things

,

assent

without

distinction

to

everything

that

is

said

,

and

do

not

separate

falsehood

from

truth

;

unaware

that

even

in

that

which

is

incredible

there

is

often

truth

,

and

in

verisimilitude

falsehood

.

Therefore

the

oftener

they

believe

bold

assertions

,

the

more

frequently

they

are

convinced

by

those

who

are

more

clever

,

and

thus

are

continually

deceived

by

their

temerity

.

They

transfer

the

blame

of

the

judge

to

the

complaint

of

uncertainty

;

so

that

,

everything

being

condemned

,

they

would

rather

that

all

things

should

be

left

in

suspense

,

than

that

they

should

decide

about

matters

of

doubt

.

Therefore

we

must

take

care

that

we

do

not

in

such

sort

suffer

from

the

hatred

at

once

of

all

discourses

,

even

as

very

many

of

the

more

simple

kind

are

led

to

execration

and

hatred

of

men

in

general

.

For

those

who

are

carelessly

credulous

are

deceived

by

those

whom

they

thought

worthy

;

and

by

and

by

,

by

a

kindred

error

,

they

begin

to

suspect

every

one

as

wicked

,

and

dread

even

those

whom

they

might

have

regarded

as

excellent

.

Now

therefore

we

are

anxious

—

because

in

everything

there

may

be

argument

on

both

sides

;

and

on

the

one

hand

,

the

truth

is

for

the

most

part

obscure

;

and

on

the

other

side

there

is

a

marvellous

subtlety

,

which

sometimes

by

its

abundance

of

words

imitates

the

confidence

of

acknowledged

proof

—

as

carefully

as

possible

to

weigh

each

particular

,

that

we

may

,

while

ready

to

applaud

acuteness

,

yet

elect

,

approve

,

and

adopt

those

things

which

are

right

.

”

Notes

1
“Plautinæ prosapiæ.” The expression is intended as a reproach against the humble occupations of many of the Christian professors. Plautus is said, when in need, to have laboured at a baker’s hand-mill. Cæcilius tells Octavius that he may be the first among the millers, but he is the last among the philosophers. Stieber proposes “Christianorum” instead of “pistorum”—“Christians” instead of “millers.”