On the Divination of Demons · §1 · Augustine of Hippo

Occasion of the discussion

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Augustine is introducing the occasion: during the octave days, Christian laymen gathered with him and began discussing Christian religion against pagan claims, which led to the question about demons predicting the destruction of the temple of Serapis.

One day during the holy days of the octaves, when many lay Christian brothers had been with me in the morning and we had sat down in our usual place, a discussion arose about the Christian religion, set against the presumption and the supposedly wonderful and great knowledge of the pagans. I thought this discussion, once remembered and completed, should be committed to writing, without naming the persons who raised objections—though they were Christians and seemed to be asking, more by way of contradiction, what ought to be answered to pagans. So when the question of the divination of demons came up, and it was asserted that some person or other had predicted the overthrow of the temple of Serapis, which took place in Alexandria, I answered that it was not surprising if the demons were able both to know and to predict that this overthrow was threatening their temples and idols, just as they can know and foretell many other things, to the extent that they are permitted.

Latin

Quodam die in diebus sanctis octauarum, cum mane apud me fuissent multi fratres laici christiani et in loco solito consedissemus, ortus est sermo de religione christiana aduersus praesumptionem et tamquam miram et magnam scientiam paganorum: quem recordatum atque conpletum litteris mandandum putaui non expressis personis contradicentium, quamuis christiani essent et magis contradicendo quaerere uiderentur, quid paganis responderi oporteret. cum ergo de diuinatione daemonum quaereretur et affirmaretur praedixisse nescio quem euersionem templi Serapis, quae in Alexandria facta est, respondi non esse mirandum, si istam euersionem templis et simulacris suis inminere daemones et scire et praedicere potuerunt sicut alia multa, quantum eis nosse et praenuntiare permittitur.

About this text

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) wrote this treatise for Christian laymen and for pagan critics of the Christian religion.

The specific question was why a demon had successfully predicted the destruction of the temple of Serapis in Alexandria, which had been destroyed in 391.

Augustine argues that God permits unjust acts such as murders and thefts not because they please him but for the damnation of those who do them. He explains that demons predict the future not by divine power but by the keen senses and swiftness of their airy bodies and by long experience, and that they are often deceived. A reader will meet the pagan god Serapis, whose temple was destroyed, and will hear quotations from the Roman poet Virgil, from the prophet Zephaniah, from the Psalms, and from the apostle Paul. The Psalms are cited according to the Septuagint numbering, which differs from the Hebrew numbering used in most modern English Bibles.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 41 (1900) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.