Octavius 6.3

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

Summary: Roman religion grows more venerable with age.

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Latin text · CSEL 2:10

sic dum uniuersarum gentium sacra suscipiunt, etiam regna meruerunt. hinc perpetuus uenerationis tenor mansit, quae longa aetate non infringitur, sed augetur: quippe antiquitas caerimoniis atque fanis tantum sanctitatis tribuere consueuit quantum adstruxerit uetustatis.

English · Claude translation

So, while they took up the sacred rites of all nations, they also won kingdoms. Hence the unbroken course of veneration has remained, which is not weakened by long ages but increased; for antiquity is accustomed to attribute to ceremonies and temples as much sanctity as it has added of age.

About this passage

Source: CSEL 2:10 · 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. 6.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/6/3/).

Plain text

Minucius Felix, Oct. 6.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/6/3/).

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