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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 7

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 VII.—Argument: That the Roman Auspices and Auguries Have Been Neglected with Ill Consequences, But Have Been Observed with Good Fortune.

“Nor yet by chance (for I

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would

venture

in

the

meantime

even

to

take

for

granted

the

point

in

debate

,

and

so

to

err

on

the

safe

side

)

have

our

ancestors

succeeded

in

their

undertakings

either

by

the

observance

of

auguries

,

or

by

consulting

the

entrails

,

or

by

the

institution

of

sacred

rites

,

or

by

the

dedication

of

temples

.

Consider

what

is

the

record

of

books

.

You

will

at

once

discover

that

they

have

inaugurated

the

rites

of

all

kinds

of

religions

,

either

that

the

divine

indulgence

might

be

rewarded

,

or

that

the

threatening

anger

might

be

averted

,

or

that

the

wrath

already

swelling

and

raging

might

be

appeased

.

Witness

the

Idæan

mother

,

who

at

her

arrival

both

approved

the

chastity

of

the

matron

,

and

delivered

the

city

from

the

fear

of

the

enemy

.

Witness

the

statues

of

the

equestrian

brothers

,

consecrated

even

as

they

had

showed

themselves

on

the

lake

,

who

,

with

horses

breathless

,

foaming

,

and

smoking

,

announced

the

victory

over

the

Persian

on

the

same

day

on

which

they

had

gained

it

.

Witness

the

renewal

of

the

games

of

the

offended

Jupiter

,

on

account

of

the

dream

of

a

man

of

the

people

.

And

an

acknowledged

witness

is

the

devotion

of

the

Decii

.

Witness

also

Curtius

,

who

filled

up

the

opening

of

the

profound

chasm

either

with

the

mass

,

or

with

the

glory

of

his

knighthood

.

Moreover

,

more

frequently

than

we

wished

have

the

auguries

,

when

despised

,

borne

witness

to

the

presence

of

the

gods

:

thus

Allia

is

an

unlucky

name

;

thus

the

battle

of

Claudius

and

Junius

is

not

a

battle

against

the

Carthaginians

,

but

a

fatal

shipwreck

.

Thus

,

that

Thrasymenus

might

be

both

swollen

and

discoloured

with

the

blood

of

the

Romans

,

Flaminius

despised

the

auguries

;

and

that

we

might

again

demand

our

standards

from

the

Parthians

,

Crassus

both

deserved

and

scoffed

at

the

imprecations

of

the

terrible

sisters

.

I

omit

the

old

stories

,

which

are

many

,

and

I

pass

by

the

songs

of

the

poets

about

the

births

,

and

the

gifts

,

and

the

rewards

of

the

gods

.

Moreover

,

I

hasten

over

the

fates

predicted

by

the

oracles

,

lest

antiquity

should

appear

to

you

excessively

fabulous

.

Look

at

the

temples

and

lanes

of

the

gods

by

which

the

Roman

city

is

both

protected

and

armed

:

they

are

more

august

by

the

deities

which

are

their

inhabitants

,

who

are

present

and

constantly

dwelling

in

them

,

than

opulent

by

the

ensigns

and

gifts

of

worship

.

Thence

therefore

the

prophets

,

filled

with

the

god

,

and

mingled

with

him

,

collect

futurity

beforehand

,

give

caution

for

dangers

,

medicine

for

diseases

,

hope

for

the

afflicted

,

help

to

the

wretched

,

solace

to

calamities

,

alleviation

to

labours

.

Even

in

our

repose

we

see

,

we

hear

,

we

acknowledge

the

gods

,

whom

in

the

day

-

time

we

impiously

deny

,

refuse

,

and

abjure

.

Notes

1
Otherwise, “the goddess mother.”
2
Scil. Castor and Pollux.
3
Otherwise, “who breathless with horses foaming,” etc.
4
Otherwise, “the offence of Jupiter, the renewal of the games,” etc.