c. A.D. 250 – c. 325

Lactantius

Worth knowing

A North African teacher of rhetoric whom the emperor Diocletian appointed to teach Latin at Nicomedia. He lost the post when the Great Persecution began in 303.
His Divine Institutes was the first full account of the Christian faith written in Latin for educated pagans. It answers them out of their own authors, especially Cicero.
Late in life he tutored Crispus, the son of Constantine.

In Scholar’s Dream, Lactantius has one book

Divine InstitutesLactantius, Divinae InstitutionesRationalityHistory

Lactantius’s quotes in the game

Every quotation from Lactantius that a player meets in Scholar’s Dream, attached to the move that says it. Or see them as a plain list →

In Scholar’s Dream, books argue with each other, and each thing a book can do in a debate is called a move. Every quote below is spoken by one of those moves. Open “How it works in the game” under a quote to see the move, which books learn it, and which arguments it answers best.

“That is not to be deemed true religion, because it instructs and improves men by no precepts of righteousness and virtue. Thus philosophy, inasmuch as it does not possess true religion, that is, the highest piety, is not true wisdom.”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes 4.3 (trans. William Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain).public domain

How it works in the game: the move Wisdom and Religion

RationalityArgument · power 66 · 100% accurate

In the gamePhilosophy without worship has nothing to obey; worship without philosophy has nothing to think. Lactantius takes seven books to argue they were never two subjects.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 1)

Passages you can read in the game

Longer excerpts the Scriptorium holds on screen for a player to sit and read, word for word.

“I have believed that these errors should be encountered, that both the learned may be directed to true wisdom, and the unlearned to true religion.”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes, preface (trans. Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain, lightly modernized).

from Divine Institutes

“…in this government of the affairs of nature, unless there shall be one to whom the care of the whole is referred, all things will be dissolved and fall to decay.”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes 1.3 (trans. Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain, lightly modernized).

from Divine Institutes

“Thus philosophy, inasmuch as it does not possess true religion, that is, the highest piety, is not true wisdom.”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes 4.3, the chapter he headed “Wisdom and Religion Cannot Be Separated” (trans. Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain).

from Divine Institutes

“For when the people see that men are lacerated by various kinds of tortures, and that they retain their patience unsubdued while the executioners are wearied…”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes 5.13 (trans. Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain, lightly modernized).

from Divine Institutes

“Justice by its own nature has a certain appearance of folly.”
Lactantius, Divine Institutes 5.15 (trans. Fletcher, ANF 7, public domain).

from Divine Institutes

Words Lactantius’s books borrow from others

Moves these books can learn whose quotation comes from somebody else. The citation on each one names who actually said it.

“As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’”
Acts 17:28 (WEB), Paul before the Areopagus.

How it works in the game: the move Their Own Poets

RationalityArgument · power 65 · 100% accurate

In the gamePaul on Mars Hill: quote their poets, then preach the risen Christ.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 9)

Strong against

×2Platoa book · why?

Paul did not argue the Athenians out of their poets. He quoted them, agreed with them, and then said the one thing the poets had never reached.

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being. As some of your own poets have said.”
Acts 17:28 (WEB) — Paul at the Areopagus, quoting the Athenians’ own poets back to them.

How it works in the game: the move Affirm

Status

In the gamePick the part of the opponent’s case that is true and affirm it. That point can no longer be used against you, and the opponent’s Defend falls sharply. It deals no damage. Affirm something false and you have only agreed with an error.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 10)

“The bees have one king; the flocks one leader; among the herds there is one ruler. Can you believe that in heaven there is a division of the supreme power, and that the whole authority of that true and divine empire is broken apart, when it is plain that God, the Parent of all, has neither beginning nor end?”
Minucius Felix, Octavius 18 (trans. Wallis, ANF 4, public domain, lightly modernized).public domain

How it works in the game: the move One Ruler

Natural TheologyArgument · power 55 · 100% accurate

In the gameThe argument from monarchy: every ordered thing in nature answers to one head, and the world is the most ordered thing there is. Octavius reasons up from the hive to the throne of heaven.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 16)

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
James 1:19 (WEB).

How it works in the game: the move Steelman

RationalityType shift

In the gameRestate the foe’s position in its strongest form — exposing its true weak point. Lowers the foe’s Defend. Always fair; never a bad move to use.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 24)

“Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
Martyrdom of Polycarp 9 (public domain trans.).public domain

How it works in the game: the move Martyr’s Resolve

EthicsArgument · power 50 · 100% accurate

In the game"Eighty and six years…" Strikes half again as hard when the book is nearly spent.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 28)

“At noon Elijah mocked them, ‘Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.’”
1 Kings 18:27 (NET) — the oldest sarcasm in the canon, and the warrant for every apologist who has used it since.

How it works in the game: the move Sarcasm

RationalityArgument · power 60 · 95% accurate

In the gameSay the argument back to it, straight-faced and in full, until the shape of it does the refuting. Often finds the telling stroke — and occasionally goes too far and misses.

Learned byDivine Institutes (Lv 36)

Who else was alive

Lactantius against everyone else in the game.

A.D. 1A.D. 50A.D. 100A.D. 150A.D. 200A.D. 250A.D. 300A.D. 350A.D. 400A.D. 450

Matthew Paul John Mark Pliny the Elder Clement of Rome Ignatius An early Christian community Polycarp Claudius Ptolemy Hermas Justin Martyr Aristides Quadratus Melito Unknown authors writing under borrowed names Irenaeus The author of the Epistle to Diognetus Athenagoras Clement of Alexandria Tertullian Marcus Minucius Felix Origen Cyprian Plotinus Lactantius Eusebius Athanasius Eustathius of Sebaste Apollinaris of Laodicea Cyril of Jerusalem Epiphanius of Salamis Gregory of Nazianzus Basil of Caesarea Eunomius of Cyzicus Gregory of Nyssa Ambrose of Milan Jovinian Augustine The Macedonians Helvidius

Solid bar = firm dates · faded = approximate61 authors sit outside this window