1.1 Erat there was Nicomēdīae at Nicomedia iūdex a judge quīdam a certain nōmine by name Mārcellīnus Marcellinus vir a man iūstus just et and integer upright quī who per for multōs many annōs years causās cases inter between cīvēs citizens iūdicāverat had judged
1.2 Nēmō no one eum him corrumpere to corrupt poterat was able nūllum no dōnum gift accēpit did he accept nūllīus no one’s potentiam power timuit did he fear sed but lēgem the law sōlam alone sequēbātur he would follow et and cōnscientiam his conscience suam his own
1.3 Inter among omnēs all Nicomēdiēnsēs the people of Nicomedia fāma as a reputation iūstitiae of justice celebrābātur he was celebrated et and ipsī even magistrātūs the magistrates eum him consultābant would consult quandō whenever causae cases difficilēs difficult incidēbant arose
2.1 Duo two virī men erant there were in in eādem the same urbe city quōs whom omnēs everyone nōverant knew
2.2 Ūnus the one nōmine by name Philippus Philippus pauper poor erat was sed but vir a man optimae of the best vītae life quī who panem bread suum his own cum with ēsuriēntibus the hungry dīvidēbat would divide et and vestēs his clothes cum with nūdīs the naked et and sī if quem anyone vidēret he saw oppressum oppressed prō on behalf of eō him advocātus an advocate fiēbat he would become sine without mercēde a fee
2.3 Alter the other nōmine by name Callistus Callistus dīves rich erat was et and potēns powerful sed but crūdēlis cruel quī who pauperēs the poor fraudāverat had defrauded viduās widows exspoliāverat had stripped orphanōs orphans circumvēnerat had cheated et and per through falsa false testimōnia testimonies et and corruptōs corrupted iūdicēs judges —nōn not per through Mārcellīnum Marcellinus nam for ille he incorruptus incorruptible erat— was agrōs the fields aliēnōs of others in into suam his own possessiōnem possession redēgerat had seized
2.4 Ambō both eōdem in the same annō year mortuī died sunt they did
2.5 Philippus Philippus pauper the poor man in in lectulō a small bed sordidō squalid mortuus died est he did sine without medicō a physician sine without amīcō a friend sine without lūmine a lamp
2.6 Callistus Callistus autem however dīves the rich man in in lectō a bed ēburneō of ivory mortuus died est he did circumdatus surrounded medicīs by physicians et and amīcīs friends et and candēlīs candles et and lacrimīs tears —vērīs true an or simulātīs feigned Deus God novit knows
3.1 Post after mortem the death utriusque of each causa a case ad before Mārcellīnum Marcellinus iūdicem the judge vēnit came dē concerning agrō a field quōdam a certain quī which inter between hērēdēs the heirs ambōrum of both contrōversus disputed erat was
3.2 Rēs the matter facilis was easy vidēbātur it seemed —nam for Mārcellīnus Marcellinus per through documenta documents et and testēs witnesses cognōvit discovered agrum that the field illum that ā from Callistō Callistus per through fraudem fraud Philippō from Philippus ēreptum had been seized fuisse had been
3.3 Itaque and so iūdicāvit he judged agrum that the field hērēdibus to the heirs Philippī of Philippus restituendum was to be restored esse was
3.4 Rēctē rightly iūdicāvit he judged —nēmō no one negat denies
3.5 Sed but cum when sōlus alone esset he was Mārcellīnus Marcellinus sēcum with himself cōgitāre to think coepit began et and cōgitātiō the thought eius his gravior heavier erat was quam than sententia the sentence quam which tulerat he had passed
4.1 “Agrum” the field inquit he said “restituī to be restored —bene well sed but annōs the years quibus during which Philippus Philippus sine without agrō the field suō his pauper poor vīxit lived —quis who eōs those restituet?” will restore
4.2 “Lacrimās the tears quās which Philippus Philippus fūdit shed cum when līberōs his children suōs his own ēsuriēntēs hungry vidēret he saw —quis who eās those restituet?” will restore
4.3 “Noctēs the nights quās which sine without somnō sleep trānsēgit he passed dum while dē about crāstinō the morrow dīe day sollicitus anxious est he was —quis who eās those restituet?” will restore
4.4 “Et and Callistus Callistus quī who per for annōs years ex from agrō the field aliēnō of another frūctūs fruits cēpit took et and cum with gaudiō joy et and rīsū laughter vīxit lived dum while Philippus Philippus flēbat was weeping —quam what poenam punishment dabit?” will he pay
4.5 “Nūllam” none inquit he said Mārcellīnus Marcellinus sibi to himself ipse himself respondēns answering “nūllam none nam for mortuus dead est he is et and lēx the law mortuōs the dead pūnīre to punish nōn is not potest” able
4.6 Ecce behold fīnēs the limits hūmānae of human iūstitiae justice —agrum the field reddit it restores sed but lacrimās tears nōn not potest can it annōs years nōn not potest can it dolōrem suffering nōn not potest can it mortem death ipsam itself nōn not potest can it
5.1 Mārcellīnus Marcellinus autem moreover quī who philosophōs the philosophers aliquandō once lēgerat had read recordātus recalled est he did quid what illī they dē about hāc this rē matter scrīpsissent had written
5.2 Epicūrus Epicurus docuerat had taught mortem that death fīnem the end esse is omnium of all things —nec neither praemium reward post after mortem death nec nor poenam punishment —nihil nothing nisi except ātomōs atoms quae which dissolvuntur are dissolved
5.3 Sī if hoc this vērum true est is Philippus Philippus frūstrā in vain bene well vīxit lived et and Callistus Callistus impūnē with impunity male wickedly vīxit lived et and iūstitia justice nihil nothing est is nisi except nōmen a name ināne empty
5.4 Sed but Platō Plato dīversa different things docuit taught —nam for in in fīne the end Reī of the Pūblicae Republic nārrāvit he related quōmodo how vir a man quīdam a certain nōmine by name Ēr Er post after mortem death revīxerit came back to life et and vīderit saw animās the souls bonōrum of the good praemia rewards accipientēs receiving et and animās the souls malōrum of the wicked supplicia punishments patientēs suffering
5.5 Cicerō Cicero quoque also in in Somniō the Dream Scīpiōnis of Scipio scrīpsit wrote eīs that for those quī who rem the republic pūblicam the republic bene well gessissent have governed certum a certain esse there is locum a place in in caelō heaven dēfīnītum appointed ubī where beātī blessed aevō for eternity sempiterō everlasting fruantur they may enjoy
5.6 Et and Vergilius Virgil vester your in in librō the book sextō the sixth Aenēidos of the Aeneid tōtum the whole īnferōrum of the underworld ordinem order dēscrīpsit described ubī where aliī some prō for meritīs their merits in in campīs the fields beātīs of the blessed gaudent rejoice aliī others prō for sceleribus their crimes in in Tartarō in Tartarus cruciantur are tortured
5.7 Ecce behold trēs three testēs witnesses vestrī your own nōn not nostrī ours —Platō Plato Cicerō Cicero Vergilius— Virgil quī who dīcunt say post after mortem death nōn not nihilum nothing esse there is sed but iūdicium a judgment
6.1 Tunc then Mārcellīnus Marcellinus intellēxit understood —iūstitia justice hūmāna human inchoāta a thing begun est is nōn not perfecta completed
6.2 Agrum a field reddere to restore potest it can sed but vītam life reddere to restore nōn not potest can it
6.3 Dolōrem suffering compēnsāre to compensate nōn not potest can it mortem death vincere to overcome nōn not potest can it
6.4 Ideō for this reason opus there is need est is iūdice of a judge quī who et both vīvōs the living et and mortuōs the dead iūdicāre to judge possit is able quī who nōn not agrōs fields tantum only sed but animās souls ipsās themselves perscrūtētur examines quī who nōn not sōlum only praesentia present things sed but etiam also praeterita past things et and futūra future things videat sees
6.5 Hic this iūdex judge nōn not homō a man esse to be potest is able —nam for omnis every homō man mortālis mortal est is et and mortālis a mortal iūdex judge mortem death superāre to overcome nōn not potest is able
6.6 Sōlus only Deus God hic this iūdex judge esse to be potest is able quī who nec neither moritur dies nec nor fallitur is deceived nec nor corrumpitur is corrupted nec nor ullā by any potentiā power terrētur is frightened
6.7 Itaque and so quī those who immortālitātem immortality animae of the soul negant deny iūstitiam justice quoque also negant deny etsī even though nōn they do not intellegant realize —nam for sī if nūlla no vīta life est there is post after mortem death nūlla no iūstitia justice est there is post after mortem death et and sī if nūlla no iūstitia justice est there is post after mortem death nūlla no iūstitia justice umquam ever fuit was —nam for quae what iūstitia justice est is quae which morte by death vincitur? is defeated
7.1 Mārcellīnus Marcellinus ergō therefore nōn not cathedram the chair iūdicis of the judge relīquit left —nam for in in eā it bene well sedēbat— he sat sed but intellēxit he understood cathedram that the chair suam his umbram the shadow esse is māiōris of a greater cathedrae chair
7.2 Quod what ipse he himself imperfectē imperfectly faciēbat was doing —iūstitiam justice inter between hominēs— men Deus God perfectē perfectly faciet will do inter between animās souls
7.3 Et and tunc then Philippus Philippus nōn not agrum a field tantum only sed but praemium the reward aeternum eternal accipiet will receive prō for lacrimīs the tears quās which fūdit he shed et and prō for pātientiā the patience quam which tulit he bore
7.4 Et and Callistus Callistus nōn not agrum a field tantum only sed but iūdicium a judgment aeternum eternal accipiet will receive prō for lacrimīs the tears quās which aliīs to others intulit he caused et and prō for iniūriā the injustice quam which fēcit he committed
7.5 Haec this est is iūstitia the justice vēra true quam which philosophī the philosophers quaesiērunt sought et and nōn did not invēnērunt find quia because eam it in in terrā the earth sōlā alone quaerēbant they were seeking ubī where esse to be nōn it cannot potest be
7.6 Nec nor is sapientia wisdom ūlla any sine without religiōne religion probanda to be approved nec nor religiō religion ūlla any sine without sapientiā wisdom suscipienda to be undertaken
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1.1 Erat Nicomēdīae iūdex quīdam nōmine Mārcellīnus, vir iūstus et integer, quī per multōs annōs causās inter cīvēs iūdicāverat.
1.2 Nēmō eum corrumpere poterat; nūllum dōnum accēpit, nūllīus potentiam timuit, sed lēgem sōlam sequēbātur et cōnscientiam suam.
1.3 Inter omnēs Nicomēdiēnsēs fāmā iūstitiae celebrābātur, et ipsī magistrātūs eum consultābant quandō causae difficilēs incidēbant.
2.1 Duo virī erant in eādem urbe quōs omnēs nōverant.
2.2 Ūnus nōmine Philippus pauper erat sed vir optimae vītae, quī panem suum cum ēsuriēntibus dīvidēbat et vestēs cum nūdīs, et sī quem vidēret oppressum, prō eō advocātus fiēbat sine mercēde.
2.3 Alter nōmine Callistus dīves erat et potēns sed crūdēlis, quī pauperēs fraudāverat, viduās exspoliāverat, orphanōs circumvēnerat, et per falsa testimōnia et corruptōs iūdicēs — nōn per Mārcellīnum, nam ille incorruptus erat — agrōs aliēnōs in suam possessiōnem redēgerat.
2.4 Ambō eōdem annō mortuī sunt.
2.5 Philippus pauper in lectulō sordidō mortuus est, sine medicō, sine amīcō, sine lūmine.
2.6 Callistus autem dīves in lectō ēburneō mortuus est, circumdatus medicīs et amīcīs et candēlīs et lacrimīs — vērīs an simulātīs Deus novit.
3.1 Post mortem utriusque causa ad Mārcellīnum iūdicem vēnit dē agrō quōdam quī inter hērēdēs ambōrum contrōversus erat.
3.2 Rēs facilis vidēbātur — nam Mārcellīnus per documenta et testēs cognōvit agrum illum ā Callistō per fraudem Philippō ēreptum fuisse.
3.3 Itaque iūdicāvit agrum hērēdibus Philippī restituendum esse.
3.4 Rēctē iūdicāvit — nēmō negat.
3.5 Sed cum sōlus esset, Mārcellīnus sēcum cōgitāre coepit, et cōgitātiō eius gravior erat quam sententia quam tulerat.
4.1 “Agrum restituī — bene. Sed annōs quibus Philippus sine agrō suō pauper vīxit — quis eōs restituet?”
4.2 “Lacrimās quās Philippus fūdit cum līberōs suōs ēsuriēntēs vidēret — quis eās restituet?”
4.3 “Noctēs quās sine somnō trānsēgit dum dē crāstinō diē sollicitus est — quis eās restituet?”
4.4 “Et Callistus quī per annōs ex agrō aliēnō frūctūs cēpit et cum gaudiō et rīsū vīxit dum Philippus flēbat — quam poenam dabit?”
4.5 “Nūllam,” inquit Mārcellīnus sibi ipse respondēns, “nūllam; nam mortuus est, et lēx mortuōs pūnīre nōn potest.”
4.6 Ecce fīnēs hūmānae iūstitiae — agrum reddit, sed lacrimās nōn potest, annōs nōn potest, dolōrem nōn potest, mortem ipsam nōn potest.
5.1 Mārcellīnus autem quī philosophōs aliquandō lēgerat recordātus est quid illī dē hāc rē scrīpsissent.
5.2 Epicūrus docuerat mortem fīnem esse omnium — nec praemium post mortem nec poenam — nihil nisi ātomōs quae dissolvuntur.
5.3 Sī hoc vērum est, Philippus frūstrā bene vīxit et Callistus impūnē male vīxit, et iūstitia nihil est nisi nōmen ināne.
5.4 Sed Platō dīversa docuit — nam in fīne Reī Pūblicae nārrāvit quōmodo vir quīdam nōmine Ēr post mortem revīxerit et vīderit animās bonōrum praemia accipientēs et animās malōrum supplicia patientēs.
5.5 Cicerō quoque in Somniō Scīpiōnis scrīpsit eīs quī rem pūblicam bene gessissent certum esse locum in caelō dēfīnītum ubī beātī aevō sempiternō fruantur.
5.6 Et Vergilius vester in librō sextō Aenēidos tōtum īnferōrum ordinem dēscrīpsit, ubī aliī prō meritīs in campīs beātīs gaudent, aliī prō sceleribus in Tartarō cruciantur.
5.7 Ecce trēs testēs vestrī, nōn nostrī — Platō, Cicerō, Vergilius — quī dīcunt post mortem nōn nihilum esse sed iūdicium.
6.1 Tunc Mārcellīnus intellēxit — iūstitia hūmāna inchoāta est, nōn perfecta.
6.2 Agrum reddere potest, sed vītam reddere nōn potest.
6.3 Dolōrem compēnsāre nōn potest, mortem vincere nōn potest.
6.4 Ideō opus est iūdice quī et vīvōs et mortuōs iūdicāre possit, quī nōn agrōs tantum sed animās ipsās perscrūtētur, quī nōn sōlum praesentia sed etiam praeterita et futūra videat.
6.5 Hic iūdex nōn homō esse potest — nam omnis homō mortālis est, et mortālis iūdex mortem superāre nōn potest.
6.6 Sōlus Deus hic iūdex esse potest, quī nec moritur nec fallitur nec corrumpitur nec ullā potentiā terrētur.
6.7 Itaque quī immortālitātem animae negant iūstitiam quoque negant, etsī nōn intellegant — nam sī nūlla vīta est post mortem, nūlla iūstitia est post mortem; et sī nūlla iūstitia est post mortem, nūlla iūstitia umquam fuit — nam quae iūstitia est quae morte vincitur?
7.1 Mārcellīnus ergō nōn cathedram iūdicis relīquit — nam in eā bene sedēbat — sed intellēxit cathedram suam umbram esse māiōris cathedrae.
7.2 Quod ipse imperfectē faciēbat — iūstitiam inter hominēs — Deus perfectē faciet inter animās.
7.3 Et tunc Philippus nōn agrum tantum sed praemium aeternum accipiet prō lacrimīs quās fūdit et prō pātientiā quam tulit.
7.4 Et Callistus nōn agrum tantum sed iūdicium aeternum accipiet prō lacrimīs quās aliīs intulit et prō iniūriā quam fēcit.
7.5 Haec est iūstitia vēra quam philosophī quaesiērunt et nōn invēnērunt, quia eam in terrā sōlā quaerēbant, ubī esse nōn potest.
7.6 Nec sapientia ūlla sine religiōne probanda, nec religiō ūlla sine sapientiā suscipienda.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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