The octavius of minucius felix chapter 1 155888 antenicene fathers vol. Full text of the octavius of minucius felix internet archive. After a visit to churches in greece and asia minor. The name minucius felix has been found on inscriptions at tebessa and carthage cor. The decision to announce the fundamentals of the christian faith through the argument was based on minuciuss belief that the christian truth was able to understand and to be understood the choice of argument then is to agree to deal with each other, catch the provocation that could have come from the pagan world. Minucius felix, marcus article about minucius felix. Though tertullian is the founder of latin christianity, his contemporary minucius felix gives to christian thought its earliest clothing in latinity. The octavius, which is here translated, is a supposed argument between the heathen caecilius and the christian. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. His octavius has numerous points of agreement with the apologeticum of tertullian, similarities that have been explained by the theory of a common source an apology written in latin, and which is supposed to have disappeared without leaving any trace, not. In his work octavius the conversation is recorded between two christian converts, octavius and minucius, and the pagan lawyer caecilius. Lust gratifies its flames in the chambers of the sacristans more often than in the houses of illfame. Minucius felix serves as moderator and narrator of the dialogue. Christian apologist, flourished between 160 and 300.
Minucius felix was a very early christian apologist. We also have many ebooks and user guide is also related with 39 the octavius of marcus minucius felix pdf, include. Liinuciusfelix,marcusofthedialogue,isfirstmentioned bylactantiusinstit. Getitelte obroschur, papier nachgedunkelt, sauberes exemplar. Of the literary character of the dialogue, it is sufficient to quote the testimony of the late dean milman. The octavius takes the form of a threesided debate. The conversation takes place on the beach of ostia, and a. Lateinischer text, erlauterungen im anhang in deutscher sprache. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. Polytheism,initscosmopolitandevelop ments,passedsentenceonitself. The author, marcus minucius felix, we are told by jerome ep. In it a pagan and a christian discuss the merits of christian life. It is written in the form of a dialogue between the pagan caecilius natalis and the christian octavius januarius, a provincial lawyer, the friend and fellowstudent of the author.
Minucius felix the center for early african christianity. This short apology, or defense of the christian faith, is the sole surviving work of marcus minucius felix. The octavius of minucius felix by minucius felix, marcus. Minucius, felix octavius, text ebook pdf text ebook pdf. Iv, minucius felix the octavius of minucius felix minucius felix robert ernest wallis. Minucius felix 3rd century ad there are some women who, by drinking medical preparations, extinguish the source of the future man in their very bowels, and thus commit a parricide before they bring forth.
Nov 26, 2012 the octavius of minucius felix chapter 1 155888 antenicene fathers vol. Marcus minucius felix, one of the earliest christian apologists to write in latin. The octavius of minucius felix is a defence of christianity demonstrating that the faith is reasonable. Caecilius natalis, on the validity and merits of pagan and christian beliefs. The volume is completed with a latin text and pleasant english translation of the octavius of minucius felix. Minucius felix octavius university of wales trinity saint david. Written for educated nonchristians, the arguments are borrowed chiefly from.
Adolf ebert in his paper, tertullians verhaltniss zu minucius felix, leipzig, 1868. Very little is known about the christian author minucius felix. He is known as the author of the octavius, a latin treatise refuting the common pagan charges against christianity, arguing for monotheism and providence, and attacking mythology. Like justin martyr, marcus minucius felix did not have a leadership role in the church.
Antenicene fathersvolume ivminucius felixthe octavius. Why, you ask, would i put such a squib online, considering that the eb1911 entry was copied by wikipedia and updated, and from there it spread. No one knows whether the octavius is fiction or nonfiction. Minucius felix encyclopedia volume catholic online. Minucius felix, marcus, octavius, chapter 1, section 1. Christian apologist of the 3rd or perhaps 2nd cent. And these things assuredly come done from the teaching of your gods. The octavius by the roman lawyer, marcus minucius felix, is an apology for christianity in the form of a dialogue between the christian octavius and the pagan caecilius on a trip from rome to ostia. Jahrhunderts1 mit dem octavius eine stilistisch wie inhaltlich besonders unterhaltsame variation christlicher apologetik geschaffen. The octavius of minucius felix early christian writings. Lust gratifies its flames in the chambers of the sacristans more often than in. The action by the latter of reverencing a statue of. A commentary on selected sections of the octavius of minucius felix the purpose of this study is to consider, in lemmatic commentary form, some of the objections to christian belief raised by the pagan, caecilius and the corresponding responses and counterarguments adduced by octavius, the christian, in the octavius of minucius felix. Either way, minucius felix, an otherwise unknown christian from the 2nd or early 3rd century, ably defends christianity against roman arguments, superstition, and rumors.
The octavius of minucius felix to seek the fair land. Minucius felix, marcus article about minucius felix, marcus. Marcus minucius felix christian apologist britannica. His octavius agrees at numerous points with the apologeticum of tertullian. His octavius has numerous points of agreement with the apologeticum of tertullian, similarities that have been explained by the theory of a common source an apology written in latin, and which is supposed to have disappeared without leaving any trace, not even in the name of its author. And thus, while we were all engaged in the enjoyment of this spectacle, caecilius was paying no attention, nor laughing at the contest. Discourse on the extinction of primitive races, 18001930 which also explores related themes of how colonial hegemonycultural domination purposes to extinguish what it sees as lesser cultures. The story starts off with the three strolling along the beach at ostia on i imagine just such a day as todaybright, windy, cool, sparklingblue. The narrator, minucius felix, recounts a dialogue between his dear friend octavius who is a christian, and another friend caecilius natalis, a pagan.
Like lactantius, minucius was a convert to christianity. Minucius felix was a roman advocate, rhetorician, and christian apologist. Nothing is known of his personal history, and even the date at which he wrote can be only approximately ascertained as between ad 150 and 270. Minucius, felix octavius, text ebook pdf aschendorff verlag. What is known about minucius felix and the preservation of the octavius the existence of minucius felix as an author and his work were. A roman lawyer, he wrote the octavius, a dialogue on providence and christianity in general, between the skeptic pagan caecilius natalis and the christian octavius januarius, minucius friend. Written roughly around the year 200, the essay is framed around two friendsofafriend arguing the relative merits of paganism and christianity while they sit by the sea. This last work deserves to be better known than it is.
Perhaps no late work, either pagan or christian, reminds us of the golden days of latin prose so much as the octavius of minucius felix. Either tertullian dependend on this apology, making it perhaps the earliest piece of extant christian latin literature, or the author of this apology depended on tertullian. Minucius felix, marcus, author of the dialogue octavius, which, in spite of its lack of originality, and profound theological intuition, occupies a prominent place among the ancient apologies of the latin church, both on account of its genuine enthusiasm and elegant form, and on account of the clear and pointed manner in which it presents and refutes all the various objections to. The arrival of octavius at rome during the time of the public holidays was very agreeable to minucius. The octavius explores the relationship between the author, minucius felix and two friends, octavius, and caecilius who are culturally worlds apart. What is known about minucius felix and the preservation of the octavius the existence of minucius felix as an author and his work were only known through some very brief references in a few church fathers, until 1560, when francois baudouin of france showed that octavius had been mistakenly preserved as an eighth book appended to.
Octavius is an early writing in defense of christianity by marcus minucius felix. At rome he became a learned and militant christian. A commentary on selected sections of the octavius of. This book describes the dynamic relationship between these three men, two of whom hailed from a native culture which was seen as the bane of civilization, progress, and all that the empire. Cogitanti mihi et cum animo meo octavi boni et fidelissimi contubernalis memoriam recensenti tanta dulcedo et adfectio hominis inhaesit, ut ipse quodammodo mihi viderer in praeterita redire, non ea quae iam transacta et decursa sunt, recordatione revocare. Tout ce quon sait sur marcus minucius felix, cest quil etait ne en afrique, sur. A commentary on selected sections of the octavius of minucius. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Preserved by the slenderest of threads, the little book describes three friends walking along the beach at ostia, and then holding a ciceronian debate about the truth or falsehood. I had purchased felix s the octavius alongside a work by patrick brantlinger entitled dark vanishings.
Minucius felix, christian apologist, flourished between 160 and 300. It is not the part of a good man, my brother marcus, so to desert a man who abides by your side at home and abroad, in this blindness of vulgar ignorance, as that you should suffer him in such broad daylight as this to give himself up to stones, however they may be carved into images, anointed and crowned. His only known work, the dialogue octavius, is one of the earliest examples of latin apologetics. Either tertullian dependend on this apology, making it perhaps the earliest piece of. Roman lawyer, he wrote the octavius, a dialogue on providence and christianity in general, between the skeptic pagan caecilius natalis and the christian octavius januarius, minucius friend. Nov 07, 2014 like justin martyr, marcus minucius felix did not have a leadership role in the church. Introduction to the apologetic dialogue octavius octavius is the main character in a short christian apologetic work in latin by minucius felix. He wrote octavius, a dialogue between a christian octavius januarius and a pagan caecilius natalis. The octavius by minucius felix is an apology for the christian religion. Antenicene fathersvolume ivminucius felixthe octavius of. Minucius felix internet encyclopedia of philosophy. But the references in lactantius and jerome see 2 to a certain minucius felix, who had written a treatise called octavius, and the subjectmatter of the socalled. Initsattempted amalgamationofdeities,syncretism,sofarfromre conciling. Publication date 1919 topics apologetics history early church, ca.