View source for Arnobius

{{short description|Christian apologist}}
{{distinguish|Arnobius the Younger}}
{{Infobox philosopher
| name        = Arnobius
| image       = Арнобий Старший -Arnobius of Sicca.jpg
| image_size  =
| alt         =
| caption     =
| other_names = Arnobius the Elder, Arnobius Afer, Arnobius of Sicca
| birth_name  =
| birth_date  = 
| birth_place = 
| death_date  = c. 330
| death_place = [[Ancient Rome]]
| nationality = [[Roman people|Roman]]
| education   =
| occupation  = [[Theologian]], [[writer]]
| region = [[Western philosophy]]
| era = [[Roman philosophy]]
| notable_ideas  = Early form of the [[Pascal's Wager]]
| notable_works  = ''Adversus nationes''
| main_interests = {{flatlist|
* [[Apologetics]]
* [[Rhetoric]]
* [[Theology]]
}}
}}
'''Arnobius'''{{efn|To distinguish him from a later Arnobius ([[Arnobius the Younger]]), of the fifth century, he is sometimes called '''Arnobius the Elder''', '''Arnobius Afer''', or '''Arnobius of Sicca'''.}} (died c. 330) was an early [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] of [[Berbers|Berber]] origin<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2JkJAQAAIAAJ|title=Histoire de la Tunisie: depuis les origines jusqu'a nos jours|last=Pellegrin|first=Arthur|date=1944-01-01|publisher=La Rapide|pages=69|language=fr}}</ref> during the reign of [[Diocletian]] (284–305). 

According to [[Jerome]]'s ''Chronicle,'' Arnobius, before his conversion, was a distinguished [[Numidia]]n rhetorician at [[Sicca Veneria]] ([[El Kef]], Tunisia), a major Christian center in Proconsular [[Africa (province)|Africa]], and owed his conversion to a premonitory dream.<ref name="EB1911" /> However, Arnobius writes dismissively of dreams in his surviving book.

According to Jerome, to overcome the doubts of the local [[bishop]] as to the earnestness of his Christian belief he wrote (c. 303, from evidence in IV:36) an apologetic work in seven books, which St. Jerome calls<ref>''[[De Viris Illustribus (Jerome)|De Viris Illustribus]]'', lxxix.</ref> {{lang|la|Adversus gentes}} but which is entitled {{lang|la|Adversus nationes}} in the only (9th-century) manuscript that has survived. Jerome's reference, his remark that [[Lactantius]] was a pupil of Arnobius<ref>Jerome, ''Epistle'' 70.5. Arnobius' and Lactantius' readings of the classical pagan authors are compared in G. L. Ellspermann, ''The Attitude of the Early Christian Writers to Pagan Literature and Learning'' (Washington) 1949:56-50, 72-77.</ref> and the surviving treatise are the only known facts about Arnobius that have been transmitted.

=={{lang|la|Adversus nationes}}==
{{lang|la|Adversus nationes}} was composed in response to arguments justifying [[Diocletian]]'s persecution of Christians by claiming that Christians had brought the wrath of the gods on [[Ancient Rome]].<ref name="YoungEdwards2006">{{cite book|author1=F. Young|author2=M. Edwards|author3=[[Paul M. Parvis]]|title=Historica, Biblica, Ascetica Et Hagiographica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y21eT9dhxkoC&pg=PA33|access-date=11 March 2013|year=2006|publisher=Peeters Publishers|isbn=978-90-429-1882-5|pages=33–}}</ref>  

Arnobius, whom Revilo P. Oliver describes as "a practitioner of the turgid and coarse style that is called African",<ref>Revilo P. Oliver, reviewing George E. McCracken (tr.), ''Arnobius of Sicca: The Case Against the Pagans'' (Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press) 1949, ''[[Classical Journal]]'' '''46'''.4 (January 1951:201).</ref> is a vigorous apologist for Christianity. He holds the heathen gods to be real beings, but subordinate to the supreme Christian [[God]]. He also affirms that the human [[Soul (spirit)|soul]] (Book II, 14 - 62) is not the work of God, but of an intermediate being, and is not immortal by nature, but capable of putting on immortality as a [[divine grace|grace]]. Arnobius argues that a belief in the soul's immortality would tend to remove moral restraint, and have a prejudicial effect on human life.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Arnobius (writer)|display=Arnobius|volume=2|page=632}}</ref> 

Never specifically identifying his pagan adversaries, some of whom may be [[straw men]], set up to be demolished,<ref>"Arnobius Adversus Genera: 'Arnobius on the Genders'" ''The Classical Journal'' '''42'''.8 (May 1947:474-476) p. 474.</ref> Arnobius argues in defence of [[monotheism]], [[Christianity]] ({{lang|la|deus princeps, deus summus}}), and the divinity of Christ. He praises Christianity's rapid diffusion, credits it with civilizing [[barbarians]], and describes it as being in consonance with [[Platonism]].

In order to argue against [[Paganism|pagan]] and [[idolatry]], Arnobius goes into significant detail about pagan worship, drawing on sources such as [[Cornelius Labeo]]. In books III through V, he describes [[temple]]s, [[cult image|idols]], and the [[Graeco-Roman]] [[cult]] practice of his time; in books VI and VII, sacrifices and the worship of images.<ref name="EB1911"/>

In book 2 section 4 of {{lang|la|Adversus nationes}}, Arnobius gives the first known version of the argument later called [[Pascal's Wager]],<ref>J. Franklin, ''The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability Before Pascal'', Baltimore 2001, pp. 249-50.</ref> that in case of doubt about religion one should commit to it because of the rewards of doing so and risks of  not doing so. He argues:

{{quote|Since, then, the nature of the future is such that it cannot be grasped and comprehended by any anticipation, is it not more rational, of two things uncertain and hanging in doubtful suspense, rather to believe that which carries with it some hopes, than that which brings none at all? For in the one case there is no danger, if that which is said to be at hand should prove vain and groundless; in the other there is the greatest loss, even the loss of salvation, if, when the time has come, it be shown that there was nothing false in what was declared.}}

Arnobius' work appears to have been written when he was a recent convert, for he does not possess a particularly extensive knowledge of Scripture. He knows nothing of the [[Old Testament]], and in the [[New Testament|New]] only the life of Christ, though he does not quote directly from the [[Gospel]]s. He was much influenced by [[Lucretius]] and had read [[Plato]]. His statements concerning Greek and Roman mythology are based respectively on the ''[[Protrepticus (Clement)|Protrepticus]]'' of [[Clement of Alexandria]], and on [[Cornelius Labeo]], who belonged to the preceding generation and attempted to restore [[Neoplatonism]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

The {{lang|la|Adversus nationes}} survived in a single ninth-century manuscript in Paris (and a bad copy of it in Brussels).<ref>Codex Parisinus, lat. 1661. Concetto Marchesi, ''Arnobii adversus nationes libri vii'' (Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum Paravianum) Turin, 1953.</ref> The Paris manuscript also contains the ''[[Octavius (dialogue)|Octavius]]'' of [[Marcus Minucius Felix]].<ref>Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: "Modern translations of the Octavius come from a 9th century manuscript in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris which contains the seven books of Arnobius’ (284-305) Adversus Nationes along with an 8th book—the Octavius."--http://www.iep.utm.edu/minucius/</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book
| last = Borgeaud
| first = Philippe
| translator-last = Hochroth
| translator-first = Lysa
| title = Mother of the Gods: from Cybele to the Virgin Mary
| publisher = [[Johns Hopkins University]] Press
| year = 2005
| isbn = 0-8018-7985-X
}} (draws extensively on Arnobius)
* {{catholic|wstitle=Arnobius}}
*{{CathEncy
| last = Shahan
| first = Thomas J.
| wstitle = Arnobius
}}
*{{cite book
| author= Simmons, Michael Bland
| author-link= Michael Simmons (clergyman)
| title = Arnobius of Sicca: Religious Conflict and Competition in the Age of Diocletian
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]
| year = 1996
| isbn = 0-19-814913-1
}} The only modern study.

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commonscat}}
{{Portal|Christianity}}
*{{Wikisourcelang-inline|la|Scriptor:Arnobius|Arnobius}}
*{{cite book
| author = Arnobii
| year = 2002
| title = Adversus Nationes Libri VII
| editor = Blasii Amata
| edition = Latin
| publisher = [[The Latin Library]]
| url = http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/arnobius.html
}}
*{{cite book
| author = Arnobius
| year = 2003
| title = Seven Books Against the Heathens
| others = Trans. Christian Classics Ethereal Library
| edition = English
| publisher = IntraText Digital Library
| url = http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1008/
}}
*[http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/30_10_0200-0300-_Arnobius_Afrus.html Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes]
*Editio princeps: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181203055517/https://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/fs1/object/goToPage/bsb10148424.html?pageNo=7 ''Disputationum adversus gentes libri VIII : Nunc primum in lucem editi''], Rome, 1542,  Online at the [[Bavarian State Library]]. With the ''Octavius'' of [[Minucius Felix]] as ''liber octavus'' .

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:4th-century Berber people]]
[[Category:330 deaths]]
[[Category:Post–Silver Age Latin writers]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman writers]]
[[Category:Christian writers]]
[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:4th-century Christians]]
[[Category:Annihilationists]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Berber Christians]]
[[Category:4th-century writers in Latin]]