1.1 Praefectus a prefect quīdam a certain erat there was in in prōvinciā the province nostrā our —nōmen his name eius his tacēbō I shall not speak quia because nōn not hominem the man sed but genus the type persecūtōris of persecutor ostendere to show volō I wish
1.2 Hic this man cum when ēdictum the edict contrā against Christiānōs the Christians accēpisset he had received tam so cupidē eagerly in into crūdēlitātem cruelty sē himself dedit he gave ut that nōn not iūssa commands exsequī to carry out sed but grātiam favour apud with prīncipem the emperor inīre to enter into vidērētur he seemed
1.3 Et and nārrant they relate quī those who vīdērunt saw —nam for ego I ipse myself haec these things vīdī saw oculīs with my eyes meīs my own
2.1 Prīmum first ecclēsiam the church nostram our dēmōlītus having demolished est he did —aedificium the building pulchrum beautiful quod which in on locō a place ēminentiōre more elevated positum situated erat was —et and intra within paucās a few hōrās hours sōlō with the ground aequāvit he levelled it quod what multōrum of many annōrum years’ labor labour exstrūxerat had built
2.2 Deinde next librōs the books sacrōs sacred igne in fire combūssit he burned —et and rīdēbat he laughed dum while flammae the flames scrīptūrās the scriptures cōnsūmēbant were consuming —quasi as if vēritātem the truth igne by fire dēlēre to destroy posset he could
2.3 Posteā afterwards ad to hominēs the people ipsōs themselves sē himself convertit he turned —senēs old men et and virginēs young women et and puerōs children in into carcerem prison coniciēbat he was casting —quī those who sacrificāre to sacrifice nōlēbant refused torquēbantur were tortured —quī those who in in fidē their faith persevērābant persevered occīdēbantur were killed
3.1 Et and tamen yet prōsperābātur he prospered —honōrēs honours accēpit he received dīvitiās riches cumulāvit he heaped up domum a house magnificam magnificent exstrūxit he built
3.2 Et and dīcēbant were saying quī those who nōs us ōderant hated —”ubi where est is Deus the God Christiānōrum? of the Christians —cūr why nōn does he not dēfendit defend **eōs?” them
3.3 Et and nōs we ipsī ourselves aliquandō sometimes dubitāvimus doubted —nōn not dē about Deō God —sed but dē about nōbīs ourselves —num whether Deus God nōs us dēserēret was abandoning propter on account of peccāta the sins nostra our
3.4 Sed but patientia the patience Deī of God nōn not est is indifferentia indifference —nōn he does not ignōrat overlook sed but exspectat he waits —et and cum when exspectātiō the waiting fīnīta is finished est is iūdicium the judgement sequitur follows
4.1 Post after annum a year —ecce behold —morbus a disease eum him corripuit seized subitus sudden et and gravis severe
4.2 Prīmum first febris fever eum him vexābat tormented quae which nūllō by no medicāmine remedy sēdārī to be calmed poterat was able —deinde then ulcera sores per over tōtum his whole corpus body ērūpērunt erupted quae which foetōrem a stench tam so gravem terrible ēmittēbant gave off ut that nē not even servī his slaves quidem indeed eī him appropinquāre to approach possent were able
4.3 Medicōs doctors plūrimōs very many vocāvit he summoned —nēmō no one eum him sānāre to heal potuit was able —deōs the gods suōs his invocāvit he called upon —nēmō no one respondit answered
4.4 Quī he who Christiānōrum of the Christians precēs prayers rīserat had laughed at ipse himself precēs prayers suās his own inaudītās unheard esse to be sēnsit felt
5.1 Cum when dolor the pain crēsceret was growing furere to rage coepit he began
5.2 Clāmābat he kept crying out —”incendite burn mē me **—incendite!” burn me —quasi as if ignēs the fires quōs which Christiānīs against the Christians admōverat he had applied nunc now intus inside eum him ūrerent were burning
5.3 Et and quī those who vīdērunt saw dīcunt say eum him suīs with his own manibus hands carnem flesh ā from corpore his body suō his own dētrāxisse to have torn —et and cum when sē himself ipsum himself lacerāret he was tearing apart “Deum the God Christiānōrum” of the Christians invocāvit he called upon —quem whom anteā before nōn he had not esse to exist dīxerat he had said
6.1 Mortuus dead est he was post after diēs days multōs many dolōris of pain —morte by a death tam so miserābilī pitiable ut that nēmō no one inimīcōrum of his enemies eius his eum him tam so crūdēliter cruelly pūnīre to punish potuisset could have quam as sē himself ipsum himself pūnīvit he punished
6.2 Domus the house illa that magnifica magnificent quam which exstrūxerat he had built ā by fīliīs his sons eius his vēndita was sold est was —quī who ipsī themselves inter among sē themselves dē about hereditāte the inheritance lītigābant were quarrelling et and invicem in turn sē each other perdidērunt destroyed
6.3 Nōmen the name eius his oblitterātum blotted out est was —nēmō no one eum him honōrat honours nēmō no one commemorat commemorates nisi except in as exemplum an example iūdiciī of the judgement dīvīnī divine
7.1 Quis who ergō therefore dīcere to say audet dares Deum God nōn does not cūrāre care about rēs the affairs hūmānās? of men
7.2 Deus God videt sees —Deus God exspectat waits —Deus God iūdicat judges —et and iūdicium the judgement eius his sī if tardum slow vidētur seems nōn it is not est is tardum slow sed but certum certain
7.3 Haec these things ego I ipse myself vīdī saw —nōn not ab from aliīs others audīvī did I hear sed but oculīs with my eyes meīs my own aspexī I beheld —et and nārrō I relate ut so that posterī those who come after cognōscant may know quid what Deus God eīs against those faciat does quī who ecclēsiam the church eius his oppugnāre to attack audent dare
7.4 Persecūtōrēs the persecutors omnēs all malōs evil exitūs ends habuērunt have had —nēmō none eōrum of them in in pāce peace mortuus died est is —et and hoc this nōn is not cāsū by chance accidit happened sed but cōnsiliō by the design Deī of God
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
1.1 Praefectus quīdam erat in prōvinciā nostrā — nōmen eius tacēbō, quia nōn hominem sed genus persecūtōris ostendere volō.
1.2 Hic cum ēdictum contrā Christiānōs accēpisset, tam cupidē in crūdēlitātem sē dedit ut nōn iūssa exsequī sed grātiam apud prīncipem inīre vidērētur.
1.3 Et nārrant quī vīdērunt — nam ego ipse haec vīdī oculīs meīs.
2.1 Prīmum ecclēsiam nostram dēmōlītus est — aedificium pulchrum quod in locō ēminentiōre positum erat — et intra paucās hōrās sōlō aequāvit quod multōrum annōrum labor exstrūxerat.
2.2 Deinde librōs sacrōs igne combūssit — et rīdēbat dum flammae scrīptūrās cōnsūmēbant — quasi vēritātem igne dēlēre posset.
2.3 Posteā ad hominēs ipsōs sē convertit — senēs et virginēs et puerōs in carcerem coniciēbat — quī sacrificāre nōlēbant torquēbantur — quī in fidē persevērābant occīdēbantur.
3.1 Et tamen prōsperābātur — honōrēs accēpit, dīvitiās cumulāvit, domum magnificam exstrūxit.
3.2 Et dīcēbant quī nōs ōderant: “Ubī est Deus Christiānōrum? — cūr nōn dēfendit eōs?”
3.3 Et nōs ipsī aliquandō dubitāvimus — nōn dē Deō — sed dē nōbīs — num Deus nōs dēserēret propter peccāta nostra.
3.4 Sed patientia Deī nōn est indifferentia — nōn ignōrat sed exspectat — et cum exspectātiō fīnīta est, iūdicium sequitur.
4.1 Post annum — ecce — morbus eum corripuit subitus et gravis.
4.2 Prīmum febris eum vexābat quae nūllō medicāmine sēdārī poterat — deinde ulcera per tōtum corpus ērūpērunt quae foetōrem tam gravem ēmittēbant ut nē servī quidem eī appropinquāre possent.
4.3 Medicōs plūrimōs vocāvit — nēmō eum sānāre potuit — deōs suōs invocāvit — nēmō respondit.
4.4 Quī Christiānōrum precēs rīserat, ipse precēs suās inaudītās esse sēnsit.
5.1 Cum dolor crēsceret, furere coepit.
5.2 Clāmābat: “Incendite mē — incendite!” — quasi ignēs quōs Christiānīs admōverat nunc intus eum ūrerent.
5.3 Et quī vīdērunt dīcunt eum suīs manibus carnem ā corpore suō dētrāxisse — et cum sē ipsum lacerāret, “Deum Christiānōrum” invocāvit — quem anteā nōn esse dīxerat.
6.1 Mortuus est post diēs multōs dolōris — morte tam miserābilī ut nēmō inimīcōrum eius eum tam crūdēliter pūnīre potuisset quam sē ipsum pūnīvit.
6.2 Domus illa magnifica quam exstrūxerat ā fīliīs eius vēndita est — quī ipsī inter sē dē hereditāte lītigābant et invicem sē perdidērunt.
6.3 Nōmen eius oblitterātum est — nēmō eum honōrat, nēmō commemorat nisi in exemplum iūdiciī dīvīnī.
7.1 Quis ergō dīcere audet Deum nōn cūrāre rēs hūmānās?
7.2 Deus videt — Deus exspectat — Deus iūdicat — et iūdicium eius, sī tardum vidētur, nōn est tardum sed certum.
7.3 Haec ego ipse vīdī — nōn ab aliīs audīvī sed oculīs meīs aspexī — et nārrō ut posterī cognōscant quid Deus eīs faciat quī ecclēsiam eius oppugnāre audent.
7.4 Persecūtōrēs omnēs malōs exitūs habuērunt — nēmō eōrum in pāce mortuus est — et hoc nōn cāsū accidit sed cōnsiliō Deī.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
---