Auctor: Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius
1.1 Marcus Marcus philosophus philosopher Rōmānus Roman erat was quī who vēritātem truth per through tōtam whole vītam life quaerēbat was seeking
1.2 Multōs many librōs books Platōnis of Plato et and Cicerōnis of Cicero legerat he had read sed but animus mind eius his inquiētus restless manēbat remained
1.3 Ūnō on one diē day in into templum temple Iovis of Jupiter intrāvit he entered ut so that deō to god sacrificium sacrifice offerret he might offer
1.4 Ante before statuam statue ingentem huge genibus on knees prōcidit he fell et and auxilium help dīvīnum divine petīvit sought
1.5 Sed but statua statue tacēbat was silent et and ōra eyes lapidea of stone nihil nothing vidēbant were seeing
1.6 Subitō suddenly senex old man quīdam a certain in in umbrā shadow templī of temple appāruit appeared quī who Marcum Marcus adlocūtus having addressed est is
1.7 Cūr why inquit said he senex old man ad to lapidem stone ōrās do you pray quī which nec neither audit hears nec nor sentit feels
1.8 Hic this Iuppiter Jupiter quem whom colitis you worship rēx king hominum of men ōlim once fuit was nōn not deus god vērus true
1.9 Marcus Marcus attonitus astonished respondēre to reply nōn not poterat was able nam for verba words senīs of old man animum mind eius his turbāvērunt disturbed
1.10 Senex old man autem however benignē kindly subridens smiling dīxit said sī if vēritātem truth vēram true quaeris you seek sequere follow mē me
1.11 Per through viās streets urbis of city obscūrās dark ambulāvērunt they walked dōnec until ad to domum house parvam small pervēnērunt they arrived
1.12 Intus inside hominēs people multī many convēnerant had gathered quī who nec neither statuās statues nec nor simulācra images colēbant were worshipping
1.13 Ūnum one Deum God invocābant they were invoking quī who caelum heaven et and terram earth creāvit created et and omnia all things prōvidentiā by providence gubernat governs
1.14 Marcus Marcus prīmum at first dubitābat was doubting sed but paulātim gradually lūx light nova new in in mente mind eius his orīrī to rise coepit began
1.15 Intellēxit he understood tandem finally sapientiam wisdom sine without religiōne religion vērā true incomplētam incomplete esse to be
1.16 Nec nor religiōnem religion sine without sapientiā wisdom suscipiendam to be undertaken esse to be nam for utraque each alteram other requīrit requires
1.17 Librōs books philosophōrum of philosophers nōn not relīquit did he abandon sed but eōs them novīs with new oculīs eyes legere to read coepit he began
1.18 Vidēbat he was seeing nunc now quōmodo how Platō Plato et and Cicerō Cicero vēritātem truth glimpserant had glimpsed in in tenebrīs darkness ambulantēs walking
1.19 Quod what illī those men per through coniectūram conjecture invēnerant had found hic this man per through lūcem light dīvīnam divine clārē clearly cernēbat was discerning
1.20 Ita thus Marcus Marcus quī who ōlim once ad to lapidēs stones ōrāverat had prayed nunc now Deum God vīvum living et and vērum true colēbat was worshipping
1.1 Marcus philosophus Rōmānus erat quī vēritātem per tōtam vītam quaerēbat.
1.2 Multōs librōs Platōnis et Cicerōnis legerat sed animus eius inquiētus manēbat.
1.3 Ūnō diē in templum Iovis intrāvit ut deō sacrificium offerret.
1.4 Ante statuam ingentem genibus prōcidit et auxilium dīvīnum petīvit.
1.5 Sed statua tacēbat et ōra lapidea nihil vidēbant.
1.6 Subitō senex quīdam in umbrā templī appāruit quī Marcum adlocūtus est.
1.7 “Cūr,” inquit senex, “ad lapidem ōrās quī nec audit nec sentit?”
1.8 “Hic Iuppiter quem colitis rēx hominum ōlim fuit, nōn deus vērus.”
1.9 Marcus attonitus respondēre nōn poterat nam verba senīs animum eius turbāvērunt.
1.10 Senex autem benignē subridens dīxit: “Sī vēritātem vēram quaeris, sequere mē.”
1.11 Per viās urbis obscūrās ambulāvērunt dōnec ad domum parvam pervēnērunt.
1.12 Intus hominēs multī convēnerant quī nec statuās nec simulācra colēbant.
1.13 Ūnum Deum invocābant quī caelum et terram creāvit et omnia prōvidentiā gubernat.
1.14 Marcus prīmum dubitābat sed paulātim lūx nova in mente eius orīrī coepit.
1.15 Intellēxit tandem sapientiam sine religiōne vērā incomplētam esse.
1.16 Nec religiōnem sine sapientiā suscipiendam esse, nam utraque alteram requīrit.
1.17 Librōs philosophōrum nōn relīquit sed eōs novīs oculīs legere coepit.
1.18 Vidēbat nunc quōmodo Platō et Cicerō vēritātem glimpserant in tenebrīs ambulantēs.
1.19 Quod illī per coniectūram invēnerant, hic per lūcem dīvīnam clārē cernēbat.
1.20 Ita Marcus quī ōlim ad lapidēs ōrāverat nunc Deum vīvum et vērum colēbat.
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