“Succurrendum esse his erroribus credidi...” “I believed that these errors must be opposed...”
A tale of persecution, providence, and the fall of the proud— in the manner of De Mortibus Persecutorum
2.1 Ferunt they report imperātōrem emperor quendam a certain crūdēlem cruel ōlim once in in prōvinciīs provinces Orientis of the East rēgnāvisse to have reigned quī who Christianōs Christians ōderat hated
2.2 Hic this man tyrannus tyrant superbiā with pride īnflātus puffed up sē himself deum god esse to be crēdēbat believed et and ab by hominibus men adorārī to be worshipped volēbat wished
2.3 Ēdictum edict crūdēle cruel per through tōtam all prōvinciam province mīsit he sent ut that omnēs all Christiānī Christians aut either dīs to gods sacrificārent should sacrifice aut or morte by death perīrent should perish
2.4 Inter among Christiānōs Christians autem however vir man quidam a certain nōmine by name Lūcius Lucius erat was quī who sapientiā in wisdom et and religiōne religion excellēbat excelled
2.5 Hic this man bene well intellegēbat understood neque neither sapientiam wisdom sine without religiōne religion neque nor religiōnem religion sine without sapientiā wisdom suscipī to be undertaken posse to be able
2.6 Cum when mīlitēs soldiers tyrannī of tyrant Lūcium Lucius ad to iūdicium judgment dūxissent had led tyrannus tyrant eum him īrātīs with angry oculīs eyes intuēbātur was gazing upon
2.7 Cūr why inquit he said dīs to gods immortālibus immortal sacrificāre to sacrifice recūsās do you refuse quī who imperium empire nostrum our tuentur protect
2.8 Lūcius Lucius autem however tranquillā with calm vōce voice respondit replied sē himself ūnum one tantum only Deum God verum true cognōscere to know quī who caelum heaven et and terram earth creāverit created
2.9 Dī gods vestrī your inquit he said hominēs men fuērunt were quī who ōlim once rēgnābant reigned et and post after mortem death falsō falsely in into numerum number deōrum of gods receptī received sunt are
2.10 Iuppiter Jupiter ipse himself in in Crētā Crete sepultus buried iacet lies ut as vestrī your auctōrēs authors testantur testify quōmodo how igitur therefore deus god esse to be potest is able quī who mortem death expertus having experienced est is
2.11 Tyrannus tyrant hīs by these verbīs words audītīs having been heard furōre with fury correptus seized est was et and Lūcium Lucius in into carcerem prison teterrimum most foul coniciī to be thrown iussit ordered
2.12 Trēs three diēs days et and trēs three noctēs nights Lūcius Lucius in in tenebrīs darkness sine without cibō food manēbat remained sed but animō in spirit numquam never dēficiēbat failed
2.13 Quartā on fourth nocte night lūx light mīra wondrous subitō suddenly carcerem prison implēvit filled et and angelus angel Dominī of Lord Lūciō to Lucius appāruit appeared
2.14 Nōlī do not wish timēre to fear inquit said angelus angel Deus God enim for quī who iūstōs righteous amat loves nōn not sinit permits improbōs wicked semper always impiīs impious factīs deeds triumphāre to triumph
2.15 Eādem on same nocte night tyrannus tyrant in in lectō bed suō his subitō suddenly morbō by disease gravissimō most severe correptus seized est was
2.16 Corpus body eius his vermibus with worms scatēre to swarm coepit began et and foetor stench intolerandus unbearable tōtam whole domum house implēbat was filling
2.17 Medicī physicians quī who convocātī summoned erant were nihil nothing efficere to accomplish poterant were able et and morbus disease in into diēs days ingravēscēbat was growing worse
2.18 Tandem finally tyrannus tyrant dolōribus by pains victus overcome Deum God Christiānōrum of Christians invocāre to call upon coepit began et and veniam pardon petere to seek
2.19 Sed but sērō too late haec these things faciēbat he was doing nam for Deus God quī who patientissimus most patient est is tamen nevertheless impietātem impiety perseverantem persisting nōn not sine without poenā punishment relinquit leaves
2.20 Paucīs within few diēbus days tyrannus tyrant miserrimā most wretched morte by death periit perished et and imperium rule eius his ad to aliōs others trānsiit passed
2.21 Lūcius Lucius autem however ē from carcere prison līberātus freed per through multōs many annōs years vēritātem truth docēbat was teaching et and multōs many ad to lūcem light vērae of true religiōnis religion addūcēbat was leading
2.22 Ita thus Deus God ostendit showed sē himself persecūtōribus to persecutors suīs his īrāscī to be angry et and superbiam pride hominum of men quī who sē themselves deōs gods esse to be putant think semper always dēicere to cast down
2.23 Haec these things nōbīs for us exemplō as example sint may be ut that intellegāmus we may understand ūnum one Deum God verum true esse to be colendum to be worshipped in in quō whom sapientia wisdom et and religiō religion coniūnctae joined sunt are
Ferunt imperātōrem quendam crūdēlem ōlim in prōvinciīs Orientis rēgnāvisse quī Christianōs ōderat.
Hic tyrannus superbiā īnflātus sē deum esse crēdēbat et ab hominibus adorārī volēbat.
Ēdictum crūdēle per tōtam prōvinciam mīsit ut omnēs Christiānī aut dīs sacrificārent aut morte perīrent.
Inter Christiānōs autem vir quidam nōmine Lūcius erat quī sapientiā et religiōne excellēbat.
Hic bene intellegēbat neque sapientiam sine religiōne neque religiōnem sine sapientiā suscipī posse.
Cum mīlitēs tyrannī Lūcium ad iūdicium dūxissent tyrannus eum īrātīs oculīs intuēbātur.
Cūr inquit dīs immortālibus sacrificāre recūsās quī imperium nostrum tuentur.
Lūcius autem tranquillā vōce respondit sē ūnum tantum Deum verum cognōscere quī caelum et terram creāverit.
Dī vestrī inquit hominēs fuērunt quī ōlim rēgnābant et post mortem falsō in numerum deōrum receptī sunt.
Iuppiter ipse in Crētā sepultus iacet ut vestrī auctōrēs testantur quōmodo igitur deus esse potest quī mortem expertus est.
Tyrannus hīs verbīs audītīs furōre correptus est et Lūcium in carcerem teterrimum coniciī iussit.
Trēs diēs et trēs noctēs Lūcius in tenebrīs sine cibō manēbat sed animō numquam dēficiēbat.
Quartā nocte lūx mīra subitō carcerem implēvit et angelus Dominī Lūciō appāruit.
Nōlī timēre inquit angelus Deus enim quī iūstōs amat nōn sinit improbōs semper impiīs factīs triumphāre.
Eādem nocte tyrannus in lectō suō subitō morbō gravissimō correptus est.
Corpus eius vermibus scatēre coepit et foetor intolerandus tōtam domum implēbat.
Medicī quī convocātī erant nihil efficere poterant et morbus in diēs ingravēscēbat.
Tandem tyrannus dolōribus victus Deum Christiānōrum invocāre coepit et veniam petere.
Sed sērō haec faciēbat nam Deus quī patientissimus est tamen impietātem perseverantem nōn sine poenā relinquit.
Paucīs diēbus tyrannus miserrimā morte periit et imperium eius ad aliōs trānsiit.
Lūcius autem ē carcere līberātus per multōs annōs vēritātem docēbat et multōs ad lūcem vērae religiōnis addūcēbat.
Ita Deus ostendit sē persecūtōribus suīs īrāscī et superbiam hominum quī sē deōs esse putant semper dēicere.
Haec nōbīs exemplō sint ut intellegāmus ūnum Deum verum esse colendum in quō sapientia et religiō coniūnctae sunt.
They report that a certain cruel emperor once reigned in the provinces of the East who hated Christians.
This tyrant, puffed up with pride, believed himself to be a god and wished to be worshipped by men.
He sent a cruel edict through the entire province that all Christians should either sacrifice to the gods or perish by death.
Among the Christians, however, there was a certain man named Lucius who excelled in wisdom and religion.
This man understood well that neither wisdom without religion nor religion without wisdom could be undertaken.
When the soldiers of the tyrant had led Lucius to judgment, the tyrant was gazing upon him with angry eyes.
“Why,” he said, “do you refuse to sacrifice to the immortal gods who protect our empire?”
Lucius, however, replied with a calm voice that he knew only one true God who created heaven and earth.
“Your gods,” he said, “were men who once reigned and after death were falsely received into the number of gods.”
“Jupiter himself lies buried in Crete, as your own authors testify—how therefore can he be a god who has experienced death?”
The tyrant, having heard these words, was seized with fury and ordered Lucius to be thrown into a most foul prison.
Three days and three nights Lucius remained in darkness without food, but he never failed in spirit.
On the fourth night, a wondrous light suddenly filled the prison and an angel of the Lord appeared to Lucius.
“Do not fear,” said the angel, “for God who loves the righteous does not permit the wicked always to triumph in impious deeds.”
On the same night, the tyrant was suddenly seized in his bed by a most severe disease.
His body began to swarm with worms and an unbearable stench was filling the whole house.
The physicians who had been summoned were able to accomplish nothing, and the disease was growing worse by the day.
Finally the tyrant, overcome by pains, began to call upon the God of the Christians and to seek pardon.
But he was doing these things too late, for God, who is most patient, nevertheless does not leave persistent impiety without punishment.
Within a few days the tyrant perished by a most wretched death and his rule passed to others.
Lucius, however, having been freed from prison, was teaching the truth for many years and was leading many to the light of true religion.
Thus God showed that he is angry at his persecutors and always casts down the pride of men who think themselves to be gods.
May these things be an example for us, that we may understand that one true God is to be worshipped, in whom wisdom and religion are joined.
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“Neque enim aut religiō ūlla sine sapientiā suscipienda est, aut ūlla sine religiōne probanda sapientia.”
“For neither is any religion to be undertaken without wisdom, nor any wisdom to be approved without religion.”
— Lactantius, Divinae Institutiones I.1
◊ᴸᴬᶜᵀᴬᴺᵀᴵᵁˢ⁻ᴰᴼᴿᴹᴵᵀ
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