Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 25

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 XXV.—Argument: Then He Shows that Cæcilius Had Been Wrong in Asserting that the Romans Had Gained Their Power Over the Whole World by Means of the Due Observance of Superstitions of This Kind. Rather the Romans in Their Origin Were Collected by Crime, and Grew by the Terrors of Their Ferocity. And Therefore the Romans Were Not So Great Because They Were Religious, But Because They Were Sacrilegious with Impunity.

“Nevertheless, you will say that

‹ Chapter 24 Chapter 26 ›

that

very

superstition

itself

gave

,

increased

,

and

established

their

empire

for

the

Romans

,

since

they

prevailed

not

so

much

by

their

valour

as

by

their

religion

and

piety

.

Doubtless

the

illustrious

and

noble

justice

of

the

Romans

had

its

beginning

from

the

very

cradle

of

the

growing

empire

.

Did

they

not

in

their

origin

,

when

gathered

together

and

fortified

by

crime

,

grow

by

the

terror

of

their

own

fierceness

?

For

the

first

people

were

assembled

together

as

to

an

asylum

.

Abandoned

people

,

profligate

,

incestuous

,

assassins

,

traitors

,

had

flocked

together

;

and

in

order

that

Romulus

himself

,

their

commander

and

governor

,

might

excel

his

people

in

guilt

,

he

committed

fratricide

.

These

are

the

first

auspices

of

the

religious

state

!

By

and

by

they

carried

off

,

violated

,

and

ruined

foreign

virgins

,

already

betrothed

,

already

destined

for

husbands

,

and

even

some

young

women

from

their

marriage

vows

—

a

thing

unexampled

—

and

then

engaged

in

war

with

their

parents

,

that

is

,

with

their

fathers

-

in

-

law

,

and

shed

the

blood

of

their

kindred

.

What

more

irreligious

,

what

more

audacious

,

what

could

be

safer

than

the

very

confidence

of

crime

?

Now

,

to

drive

their

neighbours

from

the

land

,

to

overthrow

the

nearest

cities

,

with

their

temples

and

altars

,

to

drive

them

into

captivity

,

to

grow

up

by

the

losses

of

others

and

by

their

own

crimes

,

is

the

course

of

training

common

to

the

rest

of

the

kings

and

the

latest

leaders

with

Romulus

.

Thus

,

whatever

the

Romans

hold

,

cultivate

,

possess

,

is

the

spoil

of

their

audacity

.

All

their

temples

are

built

from

the

spoils

of

violence

,

that

is

,

from

the

ruins

of

cities

,

from

the

spoils

of

the

gods

,

from

the

murders

of

priests

.

This

is

to

insult

and

scorn

,

to

yield

to

conquered

religions

,

to

adore

them

when

captive

,

after

having

vanquished

them

.

For

to

adore

what

you

have

taken

by

force

,

is

to

consecrate

sacrilege

,

not

divinities

.

As

often

,

therefore

,

as

the

Romans

triumphed

,

so

often

they

were

polluted

;

and

as

many

trophies

as

they

gained

from

the

nations

,

so

many

spoils

did

they

take

from

the

gods

.

Therefore

the

Romans

were

not

so

great

because

they

were

religious

,

but

because

they

were

sacrilegious

with

impunity

.

For

neither

were

they

able

in

the

wars

themselves

to

have

the

help

of

the

gods

against

whom

they

took

up

arms

;

and

they

began

to

worship

those

when

they

were

triumphed

over

,

whom

they

had

previously

challenged

.

But

what

avail

such

gods

as

those

on

behalf

of

the

Romans

,

who

had

no

power

on

behalf

of

their

own

worshippers

against

the

Roman

arms

?

For

we

know

the

indigenous

gods

of

the

Romans

—

Romulus

,

Picus

,

Tiberinus

,

and

Consus

,

and

Pilumnus

,

and

Picumnus

.

Tatius

both

discovered

and

worshipped

Cloacina

;

Hostilius

,

Fear

and

Pallor

.

Subsequently

Fever

was

dedicated

by

I

know

not

whom

:

such

was

the

superstition

that

nourished

that

city

,

—

diseases

and

ill

states

of

health

.

Assuredly

also

Acca

Laurentia

,

and

Flora

,

infamous

harlots

,

must

be

reckoned

among

the

diseases

and

the

gods

of

the

Romans

.

Such

as

these

doubtless

enlarged

the

dominion

of

the

Romans

,

in

opposition

to

others

who

were

worshipped

by

the

nations

:

for

against

their

own

people

neither

did

the

Thracian

Mars

,

nor

the

Cretan

Jupiter

,

nor

Juno

,

now

of

Argos

,

now

of

Samos

,

now

of

Carthage

,

nor

Diana

of

Tauris

,

nor

the

Idæan

Mother

,

nor

those

Egyptian

—

not

deities

,

but

monstrosities

—

assist

them

;

unless

perchance

among

the

Romans

the

chastity

of

virgins

was

greater

,

or

the

religion

of

the

priests

more

holy

:

though

absolutely

among

very

many

of

the

virgins

unchastity

was

punished

,

in

that

they

,

doubtless

without

the

knowledge

of

Vesta

,

had

intercourse

too

carelessly

with

men

;

and

for

the

rest

their

impunity

arose

not

from

the

better

protection

of

their

chastity

,

but

from

the

better

fortune

of

their

immodesty

.

And

where

are

adulteries

better

arranged

by

the

priests

than

among

the

very

altars

and

shrines

?

where

are

more

panderings

debated

,

or

more

acts

of

violence

concerted

?

Finally

,

burning

lust

is

more

frequently

gratified

in

the

little

chambers

of

the

keepers

of

the

temple

,

than

in

the

brothels

themselves

.

And

still

,

long

before

the

Romans

,

by

the

ordering

of

God

,

the

Assyrians

held

dominion

,

the

Medes

,

the

Persians

,

the

Greeks

also

,

and

the

Egyptians

,

although

they

had

not

any

Pontiffs

,

nor

Arvales

,

nor

Salii

,

nor

Vestals

,

nor

Augurs

,

nor

chickens

shut

up

in

a

coop

,

by

whose

feeding

or

abstinence

the

highest

concerns

of

the

state

were

to

be

governed

.

Notes

1
Parricidium.
2
Virg., Æneid, viii. 635.
3
Some read “probra” for “morbos,” scil. “reproaches.”