Sophia Scriptura

Octavius 23.8

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

Summary: Children raised on myths grow old in error, though truth is available to seekers.

Latin text · CSEL 2:33

his atque huiusmodi figmentis et mendaciis dulcioribus corrumpuntur ingenia puerorum et isdem fabulis inhaerentibus adusque summae aetatis robur adolescunt et in isdem opinionibus miseri consenescunt, cum sit ueritas obuia, sed requirentibus.

English · Claude translation

By these and similar fictions, and by sweeter lies, the minds of boys are corrupted; and with the same fables clinging to them they grow up to the full strength of mature age, and in the same opinions the wretches grow old, though the truth is ready at hand, but for those who seek it.

About this passage

Source
CSEL 2:33 · 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.

Notes

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR: "n" for "ii".): mendacns → mendaciis.

Cite this passage

Minucius Felix, Oct. 23.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/23/8/).

Plain text
Minucius Felix, Oct. 23.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/23/8/).

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