Divinae Institutiones

E374134

Divinae Institutiones is an early 4th-century Christian apologetic work by Lactantius that systematically presents and defends Christian doctrine to a Roman audience.

All labels observed (11)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian apologetic work
theological treatise
approximateDate c. 303–311
associatedPerson Constantine the Great
linked to: Constantine I
author Lactantius
book1Title De falsa religione (On False Religion)
book2Title De origine erroris (On the Origin of Error)
book3Title De falsa sapientia (On False Wisdom)
book4Title De vera sapientia et religione (On True Wisdom and Religion)
book5Title De iustitia (On Justice)
book6Title De vero cultu (On True Worship)
book7Title De vita beata (On the Blessed Life)
linked to: De Vita Beata
bookCount 7
circulation known in the Middle Ages
read in late antiquity
dateWritten early 4th century
genre apologetics
geographicContext Western Roman Empire
hasEnglishTitle The Divine Institutes
historicalSignificance important source for early 4th-century Christian apologetics
one of the earliest systematic Latin presentations of Christian doctrine
intendedAudience Roman pagans
educated Roman elite
keyConcept Christian moral teaching
critique of pagan philosophy
true religion contrasted with superstition
language Latin
literaryForm prose
manuscriptTradition medieval Latin manuscripts
originalTitleLanguage Latin
philosophicalInfluence Cicero
Middle Platonism
Stoicism
purpose to defend Christianity against pagan criticism
to present Christian doctrine systematically
to show the superiority of Christian religion over pagan religions
relatedWork Epitome Divinarum Institutionum
religiousTradition Christianity
setting period of Diocletianic persecution and Constantinian transition
structure seven books
theologicalTheme Christian ethics and justice
critique of pagan religion
defense of monotheism
the blessed life and immortality
true worship of God

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (21)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Divine Institutes titleInLatin Divinae Institutiones
De Opificio Dei relatedWorkByAuthor Divinae Institutiones
Divinae Institutiones hasEnglishTitle The Divine Institutes
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book I (Divine Institutes) workTitle Liber Primus (Divinae Institutiones)
subject linked to: Book I
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book III (Divine Institutes) follows Book II (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book III
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book V (Divine Institutes) precedes Book VI (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book V
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book V (Divine Institutes) follows Book IV (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book V
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book V (Divine Institutes) partOfWorkByAuthor Lactantius’s Divine Institutes
subject linked to: Book V
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Divine Institutes hasPart Book VI (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VI
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Lactantius authorOf Book VI (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VI
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book VII (Divine Institutes) relatedWork Book I (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VII
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book VII (Divine Institutes) relatedWork Book IV (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VII
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book VII (Divine Institutes) relatedWork Book V (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VII
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book VII (Divine Institutes) relatedWork Book VI (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book VII
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) titleOfLargerWork Divinae Institutiones
subject linked to: Book IV
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book I (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book II (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book III (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book V (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book VI (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones
Book IV (Divine Institutes) associatedWork Book VII (Divine Institutes)
subject linked to: Book IV
linked to: Divinae Institutiones