To Florus 6.28
What, finally, will be said about the serpent itself? Do you think that curse punished the devil or this ordinary crawling animal? The pronouncement says to the serpent: ‘You are cursed beyond all cattle and all beasts upon the earth. You shall go upon your breast and belly and eat earth all the days of your life’ (Genesis 3:14). Do you think it was fulfilled in the devil’s punishment, or in the beast that spring warmth draws out of its holes?
If in this serpent, whose form stretches into a body without joints, and if you say that fault’s desert made it an earth-eater, then inherited iniquity burdens all beasts too. You think such transmission can occur only through the desire of those coupling. It follows that you must assert the devil planted the desire of serpents and hence of irrational animals. With your position exposed, you will blare Mani’s tune at us.
But if you acknowledge that everything said to the serpent was fulfilled spiritually in the devil, you will undoubtedly agree that the punishment spoken there neither proves present-day serpents guilty nor means the devil bodily eats earth. Even if he then enlisted the serpent’s service, and fatherly severity afterward broke it like the weapon he had used to wound humanity, sin still remained solely in the agent’s will.
Foods, thorns, and sweat were first established naturally, afterward increased judicially in certain cases, and have reached our own age [without that sin itself being passed on]. These matters are so plain that they require no lengthy defense.
Latin
Quid postremo de ipso serpente dicetur? Diabolum maledictione illa punitum, an hoc commune reptile animal opinaris? Id est, illam sententiam quae ait ad serpentem: Maledictus tu ab omnibus pecoribus, et ab omnibus bestiis quae sunt super terram; super pectus et ventrem tuum ambulabis, et terram manducabis omnibus diebus vitae tuae [n178] , in diaboli supplicio, an bestiae huius quae vernis caloribus educitur de cavernis, arbitraris impletam? Si in huius serpentis, cuius species in corpus enode porrigitur atque ob illius culpae meritum dicas eam factam esse terrifagam; ergo et omnibus bestiis tradux iniquitatis incumbit, quam putas nisi per libidinem coeuntium non posse deduci; fitque ut etiam serpentum libidinem, iamque inde irrationabilium animantium, asseras a diabolo fuisse plantatam, retectaque sententia Manichaei nobis carmen inclangas. Sin autem quidquid ad serpentem dicitur, intellegibiliter in diabolo profitearis impletum; annues sine dubio, nec hoc quod ibi pro ultione profertur, indicium nunc reorum esse serpentum, nec diabolum terram edere corporaliter; sed etsi tunc ministerium draconis arripuit, atque hoc quasi telum, quo ad vulnerandum hominem usus fuerat, severitas postea paterna confregit; tamen peccatum in solius agentis voluntate resedisse. Cibos autem et spinas et sudores primo fuisse naturaliter instituta, post in aliquibus aucta iudicialiter, ad nostram vero aetatem sine peccati illius admiratione venisse; res tam apertae sunt, ut longiore penitus assertione non egeant.
About this text
Julian’s six preserved books to Florus, quoted section by section in Augustine’s unfinished reply. Augustine’s refutations are omitted. Latin of Julian’s words is on each section.
Julian’s own books do not survive as a separate manuscript. English follows his words as Augustine quotes them in the Unfinished Work Against Julian. Augustine’s replies are omitted. We do not restore a Julian text independent of Augustine.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Augustine, Unfinished Work Against Julian (Latin · Julian’s words as quoted, Books 1–6)
- Checked print Augustinus.it Latin of the Unfinished Work (Latin · Same work)
- Checked print Migne PL 45 (Latin · Hard cases)
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.