The memory of Octavius and his winning of Caecilius

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Marcus, the narrator, opens the dialogue by recalling his dear friend Octavius and the debate in which Octavius converted Caecilius to true religion.

As I was thinking and going over in my mind the memory of Octavius, my good and most faithful companion, such sweetness and affection for the man clung to me that I seemed in some way to return to the past, not merely to call back by recollection things already finished and run their course.

His image, the more it has been withdrawn from my eyes, the more it is entwined with my heart and almost with my innermost feelings.

And not without reason did that extraordinary and holy man, when he departed, leave behind an immense longing for himself in us, since he himself always burned with so great a love for us that in both playful and serious matters he agreed with me in equal desire, wanting and not wanting the same things: you would have believed one mind had been divided in two.

He alone was the confidant in my loves, the companion in my errors; and when the fog was scattered and I was emerging from the depths of darkness into the light of wisdom and truth, he did not refuse to be my companion, but, what is more glorious, he ran on ahead.

And so, as my thought wandered through the whole span of our life together and our friendship, my mind's attention settled especially on that discourse of his by which he converted Caecilius, who was still clinging to superstitious vanities, to true religion by a most weighty disputation.

Latin

Cogitanti mihi et cum animo meo Octaui boni et fidelissimi contubernalis memoriam recensenti tanta dulcedo et adfectio hominis inhaesit, ut ipse quodammodo mihi uiderer in praeterita redire, non ea quae iam transacta et decursa sunt, recordatione reuocare:

ita eius contemplatio quantum subtracta est oculis, tantum pectori meo ac paene intimis sensibus inplicata est.

nec inmerito decedens uir eximius et sanctus inmensum sui desiderium nobis reliquit, utpote cum et ipse tanto nostri semper amore flagrauerit, ut et in ludicris et seriis pari mecum uoluntate concineret eadem uelle uel nolle: crederes unam mentem in duobus fuisse diuisam.

sic solus in amoribus conscius, ipse socius in erroribus: et cum discussa caligine de tenebrarum profundo in lucem sapientiae et ueritatis emergerem, non respuit comitem, sed quod est gloriosius, praecucurrit.

itaque cum per uniuersam conuictus nostri et familiaritatis aetatem mea cogitatio uolueretur, m illo praecipue sermone eius mentis meae resedit intentio, quo Caecilium superstitiosis uanitatibus etiamnunc inhaerentem disputatione grauissima ad ueram religionem reformauit.

About this text

A Latin dialogue set at Ostia: the pagan Caecilius and the Christian Octavius debate the old gods and the Christian faith.

Minucius Felix (fl. c. 200) was a Roman lawyer and Christian apologist who wrote in Latin. His only known work is the dialogue Octavius, composed in the Roman Empire as a defense of Christianity against pagan philosophy and skepticism. He wrote it to persuade educated non-Christians by presenting a reasoned debate between a pagan and a Christian.

The dialogue is framed as the author's recollection of a visit to Ostia with his friends Octavius and Caecilius. When Caecilius, a pagan, kisses a statue of Serapis, Octavius reproaches him, and Caecilius proposes a formal debate about pagan religion and Christianity, with the author as judge. The internal audience is Marcus, the narrator.

Caecilius first argues that human knowledge is uncertain, that Rome owes its greatness to traditional worship of the gods, and that Christians are a depraved secret society deserving punishment. Octavius replies that the order of the universe proves one creator God, that the pagan gods were merely deified humans and their myths are immoral, and that demons inspire pagan oracles and slanders against Christians. He defends Christian morals, worship, and hope of resurrection, and argues that Christian endurance under suffering shows God's power. Caecilius concedes defeat, acknowledges providence and the Christian God, and the friends depart joyfully. A reader should know that 'superstition' means false or excessive religious practice, 'religion' means proper worship, 'demons' are impure spirits that deceive humans, 'providence' is God's ordering and care of the universe, 'fate' is blind chance or destiny, 'resurrection' is the Christian hope of bodily restoration after death, 'idol' is an image of a pagan god, 'deity' is divine power, 'wisdom' is true wisdom available to all through reason, 'truth' is the truth about God and religion, 'incest' is alleged sexual immorality, 'sacrilege' is violation of what is sacred, 'spirit' is used of God's nature and of impure spirits, 'mind' is reason identified with God's nature, and 'reason' is rational order in the universe and human understanding of God.

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

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 2 (1867) (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.