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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 20

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 XX.—Argument: But If the World is Ruled by Providence and Governed by the Will of One God, an Ignorant Antipathy Ought Not to Carry Us Away into the Error of Agreement with It: Although Delighted with Its Own Fables, It Has Brought in Ridiculous Traditions. Nor is It Shown Less Plainly that the Worship of the Gods Has Always Been Silly and Impious, in that the Most Ancient of Men Have Venerated Their Kings, Their Illustrious Generals, and Inventors of Arts, on Account of Their Remarkable Deeds, No Otherwise Than as Gods.

“I have set forth the

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opinions

almost

of

all

the

philosophers

whose

more

illustrious

glory

it

is

to

have

pointed

out

that

there

is

one

God

,

although

with

many

names

;

so

that

any

one

might

think

either

that

Christians

are

now

philosophers

,

or

that

philosophers

were

then

already

Christians

.

But

if

the

world

is

governed

by

providence

,

and

directed

by

the

will

of

one

God

,

antiquity

of

unskilled

people

ought

not

,

however

delighted

and

charmed

with

its

own

fables

,

to

carry

us

away

into

the

mistake

of

a

mutual

agreement

,

when

it

is

rebutted

by

the

opinions

of

its

own

philosophers

,

who

are

supported

by

the

authority

both

of

reason

and

of

antiquity

.

For

our

ancestors

had

such

an

easy

faith

in

falsehoods

,

that

they

rashly

believed

even

other

monstrosities

as

marvellous

wonders

;

a

manifold

Scylla

,

a

Chimæra

of

many

forms

,

and

a

Hydra

rising

again

from

its

auspicious

wounds

,

and

Centaurs

,

horses

entwined

with

their

riders

;

and

whatever

Report

was

allowed

to

feign

,

they

were

entirely

willing

to

listen

to

.

Why

should

I

refer

to

those

old

wives

’

fables

,

that

men

were

changed

from

men

into

birds

and

beasts

,

and

from

men

into

trees

and

flowers

?

—

which

things

,

if

they

had

happened

at

all

,

would

happen

again

;

and

because

they

cannot

happen

now

,

therefore

never

happened

at

all

.

In

like

manner

with

respect

to

the

gods

too

,

our

ancestors

believed

carelessly

,

credulously

,

with

untrained

simplicity

;

while

worshipping

their

kings

religiously

,

desiring

to

look

upon

them

when

dead

in

outward

forms

,

anxious

to

preserve

their

memories

in

statues

,

those

things

became

sacred

which

had

been

taken

up

merely

as

consolations

.

Thereupon

,

and

before

the

world

was

opened

up

by

commerce

,

and

before

the

nations

confounded

their

rites

and

customs

,

each

particular

nation

venerated

its

Founder

,

or

illustrious

Leader

,

or

modest

Queen

braver

than

her

sex

,

or

the

discoverer

of

any

sort

of

faculty

or

art

,

as

a

citizen

of

worthy

memory

;

and

thus

a

reward

was

given

to

the

deceased

,

and

an

example

to

those

who

were

to

follow

.

Notes

1
Some editors read, “mere wonders,” apparently on conjecture only.
2
Otherwise, “was pleased.”
3
Four early editions read “instantius” for “in statuis,” making the meaning probably, “more keenly,” “more directly.”