Early Apologists
Octavius
Minucius Felix · c. 180 – 250
Historical Context
A Latin dialogue set on the beach at Ostia between the Christian Octavius and the pagan Caecilius, with Minucius Felix as arbiter.
Summary
The earliest surviving Latin apology, elegant and philosophical, answering the standard slanders (secret rites, worship of a criminal, atheism) with appeals to natural theology and Roman virtue rather than direct citation of scripture.
Major Themes
- Natural theology
- Latin apologetics
- Refutation of slander
- Providence
Important Quotations
“We do not speak great things, we live them.”— Octavius 38
Related Doctrines
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- G. W. Clarke, The Octavius of Marcus Minucius Felix