Octavius 5.6

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

Summary: If we must speculate about the heavens, let us at least avoid frightening superstitions.

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Latin text · CSEL 2:7

sed quatenus indulgentes insano atque inepto labori ultra humilitatis nostrae terminos euagamur et in terram proiecti caelum ipsum et ipsa sidera audaci cupiditate transcendimus, uel hunc errorem saltem non uanis et formidulosis opinionibus implicemus.

English · Claude translation

But since, indulging in an insane and foolish labour, we wander beyond the bounds of our lowliness, and, cast down upon the earth, we climb with bold desire beyond heaven itself and the stars themselves, let us at least not entangle this error with vain and fearful opinions.

About this passage

Source: CSEL 2:7 · 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. 5.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/5/6/).

Plain text

Minucius Felix, Oct. 5.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/5/6/).

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