LACTANTIUS [with] TERTULLIAN

The handsome binding was made in central-northern Italy. It resembles a Bolognese binding in de Marinis II, 1270 bis. Very good, well-margined editions of these milestones of early Christian apologetics, edited by the monk and humanist Onorato Fascitello (1502-64). Born in Numidia, Lactantius (c.250-325AD) moved to Greece where he taught rhetoric and converted to Christianity. After resigning his post to escape Diocletian s religious persecutions, he lived in poverty until he became advisor to Emperor Constantine. The main focus of his works is the criticism of pagan cults and the formulation of a coherent Christian theology. Institutiones divinae was the first attempt at a large-scale theorisation of Christianity in Latin; it was later turned into an Epitome . The owner of this copy was interested in Book I on false religions. He highlighted sections on pagan deities and demi-gods in Greek and Egyptian cults e.g., Mercury (or Thoth), the Sibyls, Hercules Africanus, Apollo and Jupiter and on Euhemeristic theories explaining why pagan gods were rather posthumously deified humans. Lactantius conceived De opificio Dei as a defence of Christian truth during Diocletian s persecutions, and wrote De ira Dei against Epicurean and Stoic beliefs. The poems Phoenix , Carmen de Dominica Resurrectione and Carmen de Passione Domini are no longer attributed to Lactantius; the first inspired the famous, namesake Anglo-Saxon poem. Tertullian (155-240AD), of whom little is known, was born in Carthage and was probably a lawyer and priest. He became one of the earliest defenders of Christianity against pagan cults like Gnosticism; he was also the first writer in Latin to use the word trinity . Tertullian s Apologeticus discussed key theological questions like the nature of Christ and the devil, the kingdom of God, the Roman religion, and why pagan deities should not be considered gods . This Aldine work only appeared, very appropriately, bound with Lactantius s critique of paganism. Unlike in the first Aldine edition of 1515, it is here recorded in the initial t-p and its pagination integrated in the register.