- Marcus Minucius Felix
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Marcus Minucius Felix was one of the earliest of the Latin apologists for Christianity.
Of his personal history nothing is known, and even the date at which he wrote can be only approximately ascertained as between 150-270 AD. Jerome's De Viris Illustribus #58 speaks of him as "Romae insignis causidicus," but in that he is probably only improving on the expression of Lactantius[1] who speaks of him as "non ignobilis inter causidicos loci."
He is now exclusively known by his Octavius, a dialogue on Christianity between the pagan Caecilius Natalis and the Christian Octavius Januarius.
The Octavius is admittedly earlier than Cyprian's Quod idola dei non sint, which borrows from it; how much earlier can be determined only by settling the relation in which it stands to Tertullian's Apologeticum.[citation needed]
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Notes
- ^ Institionum divinarum v. 1.
External links
- Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes
- "Minucius Felix". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
Categories:- Post–Silver Age Latin writers
- Latin-language writers
- Ancient Roman writers
- Late Antique writers
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