The octavius of minucius felix.
Chapter ii.—argument: the arrival of octavius at rome during the time of the public holidays was very agreeable to minucius. both of them were desir
Chapter iii.—argument: octavius, displeased at the act of this superstitious man, sharply reproaches minucius, on the ground that the disgrace of thi
Chapter iv.—argument: cæcilius, somewhat grieved at this kind of rebuke which for his sake minucius had had to bear from octavius, begs to argue with
Chapter v.—argument: cæcilius begins his argument first of all by reminding them that in human affairs all things are doubtful and uncertain, and tha
Chapter vi.—argument: the object of all nations, and especially of the romans, in worshipping their divinities, has been to attain for their worship
Chapter vii.—argument: that the roman auspices and auguries have been neglected with ill consequences, but have been observed with good fortune.
Chapter viii.—argument: the impious temerity of theodorus, diagoras, and protagoras is not at all to be acquiesced in, who wished either altogether t
Chapter ix.—argument: the religion of the christians is foolish, inasmuch as they worship a crucified man, and even the instrument itself of his puni
Chapter x.—argument: whatever the christians worship, they strive in every way to conceal: they have no altars, no temples, no acknowledged images.
Chapter xi.—argument: besides asserting the future conflagration of the whole world, they promise afterwards the resurrection of our bodies: and to
Chapter xii.—argument: moreover, what will happen to the christians themselves after death, may be anticipated from the fact that even now they are d
Chapter xiii.—argument: cæcilius at length concludes that the new religion is to be repudiated and that we must not rashly pronounce upon doubtful m
Chapter xiv.—argument: with something of the pride of self-satisfaction, cæcilius urges octavius to reply to his arguments and minucius with modesty
Chapter xv.—argument: cæcilius retorts upon minucius, with some little appearance of being hurt, that he is foregoing the office of a religious umpir
Chapter xvi.—argument: octavius arranges his reply, and trusts that he shall be able to dilute the bitterness of reproach with the river of truthful
Chapter xvii.—argument: man ought indeed to know himself, but this knowledge cannot be attained by him unless he first of all acknowledges the entire
Chapter xviii.—argument: moreover, god not only takes care of the universal world, but of its individual parts. that by the decree of the one god al
Chapter xix.—argument: moreover, the poets have called him the parent of gods and men, the creator of all things, and their mind and spirit. and, be
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 i
Chapter xxi.—argument: octavius attests the fact that men were adopted as gods, by the testimony of euhemerus, prodicus, persæus, and alexander the g
Chapter xxii.—argument: moreover, these fables, which at first were invented by ignorant men, were afterwards celebrated by others, and chiefly by po
Chapter xxiii.—argument: although the heathens acknowledge their kings to be mortal, yet they feign that they are gods even against their own will, n
Chapter xxiv.—argument: he briefly shows, moreover, what ridiculous, obscene, and cruel rites were observed in celebrating the mysteries of certain g
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 o
Chapter xxvi.—argument: the weapon that cæcilius had slightly brandished against him, taken from the auspices and auguries of birds, octavius retorts
Chapter xxvii.—argument: recapitulation. doubtless here is a source of error: demons lurk under the statues and images, they haunt the fanes, they
Chapter xxviii.—argument: nor is it only hatred that they arouse against the christians, but they charge against them horrid crimes, which up to this
Chapter xxix.—argument: nor is it more true that a man fastened to a cross on account of his crimes is worshipped by christians, for they believe not
Chapter xxx.—argument: the story about christians drinking the blood of an infant that they have murdered, is a barefaced calumny. but the gentiles,
Chapter xxxi.—argument: the charge of our entertainments being polluted with incest, is entirely opposed to all probability, while it is plain that g
Chapter xxxii.—argument: nor can it be said that the christians conceal what they worship because they have no temples and no altars, inasmuch as the
Chapter xxxiii.—argument: that even if god be said to have nothing availed the jews, certainly the writers of the jewish annals are the most sufficie
Chapter xxxiv.—argument: moreover, it is not at all to be wondered at if this world is to be consumed by fire, since everything which has a beginning
Chapter xxxv.—argument: righteous and pious men shall be rewarded with never-ending felicity, but unrighteous men shall be visited with eternal punis
Chapter xxxvi.—argument: fate is nothing, except so far as fate is god. man’s mind is free, and therefore so is his action: his birth is not brough
Chapter xxxvii.—argument: tortures most unjustly inflicted for the confession of christ’s name are spectacles worthy of god. a comparison instituted
Chapter xxxviii.—argument: christians abstain from things connected with idol sacrifices, lest any one should think either that they yield to demons,
Chapter xxxix.—argument: when octavius had finished this address, minucius and cæcilius sate for some time in attentive and silent wonder. and minuc
Chapter xl.—argument: then cæcilius exclaims that he is vanquished by octavius and that, being now conqueror over error, he professes the christian
Chapter xli.—argument: finally, all are pleased, and joyfully depart: cæcilius, that he had believed octavius, that he had conquered and minucius,
MARCI MINUCII FELICIS OCTAVIUS.
