Lactantius

The Divine Institutes of Lactantius was a vigorous riposte to the pagan criticism and persecution of Christianity that came to a head under the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century A.D. Lactantius was also concerned, however, to put forward, for the benefit of educated pagans (such as he had earlier been), the Christian position on the nature of God and man, the history of religion on earth, the beginning and end of the world, the life and mission of Christ, and ethics--for in Christian moral philosophy Lactantius was a genuine pioneer.

As both Christian apologetic and summary of Christian thought, the Divine Institutes can be seen as a predecessor of Augustine's City of God. Lactantius enjoyed a high reputation in late antiquity and in the Renaissance as apologist, rhetorician, and stylist. He earned his living as a teacher of rhetorical Latin, and Ciceronian Latin lived again through his pen, enabling his wit and empowering his argument.

This edition of the Divine Institutes has been prepared with students and scholars of intellectual history in mind, but it will appeal as well to those readers concerned with ecclesiastical history and patristics and to anyone interested in tracing the impact of classical philosophy and literature on an early Christian thinker.