Octavius 18.5

Minucius Felix · Octavius · ca. 197–250 · Rome · Read in context

Summary: Earthly kingdoms help show whether heaven is ruled by one or many.

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Latin text · CSEL 2:23–24

ni forte, quoniam de prouidentia nulla dubitatio est, inquirendum putas, utrum unius imperio an arbitrio plurimorum caeleste regnum gubernetur; quod ipsum non est multi laboris aperire cogitanti imperia terrena, quibus exempla utique de caelo.

English · Claude translation

Unless perhaps, since there is no doubt about providence, you think it must be asked whether the heavenly kingdom is governed by the command of one or the will of many; and this itself is no great labour to make plain for one who considers earthly empires, for which the examples surely come from heaven.

About this passage

Source: CSEL 2:23–24 · Karl Halm, ed., M. Minucii Felicis Octavius; Iulii Firmici Materni Liber de errore profanarum religionum, CSEL 2 (Vienna: Gerold, 1867), 1–56 · Latin text: K. Halm (CSEL 2, 1867), digitized by Open Greek and Latin, University of Leipzig (csel-dev), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text: As printed in CSEL 2. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation: Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Latin text of CSEL 2; made independently of existing English translations.
Compare: Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made) · Divided there by chapter only.

Cite this passage

Minucius Felix, Oct. 18.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/18/5/).

Plain text

Minucius Felix, Oct. 18.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/18/5/).

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