DE CORONA

 1. Proxime factum est. Liberalitas praestantissimoram imperatorum expungebatur in castris, milites laureati adibant. Adhibetur quidam illic magis Dei

 2. Neminem dico fidelium coronam capite nosse alias, extra tempus temptationis eiusmodi. Omnes ita obseruant a catechumenis usque ad confessores et ma

 3. Et quamdiu per hanc lineam serram reciprocabimus, habentes obseruationem inueteratam, quae praeueniendo statum fecit ? Hanc si nulla scriptura dete

 4. Harum et aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules, scripturarum nullam leges. Traditio tibi praetendetur auctrix et consuetudo confirmatr

 5. Maior efficitur ratio christianarum obseruationum, cum illas etiam natura defendit, quae prima omnium disciplina est. Ideoque haec prima praescribi

 6. Quaeres igitur Dei legem ? Habes communem istam in publico mundi, in naturalibus tabulis ad quas et apostolus solet prouocare, ut cum in uelamine f

 7. Proinde coronarii isti agnoscant interim naturae auctoritatem communis sapientiae nomine, qua homines, sed propriae religionis pignore, qua Deum na

 8. Tene interim hunc finem, dum incursum quaestionis excutio. Iam enim audio dici et alia multa, ab eis prolata quos saeculum deos credidit, tamen et

 9. Quis denique patriarches, quis prophetes, quis leuites aut sacerdos aut archon, quis uel postea apostolus aut euangelizator aut episcopus inuenitur

 10. Ita cum idcirco proponis deorum saecularium commenta etiam apud Deum deprehendi, ut inter haec coronam quoque capitis communi usui uindices, ipse

 11. Etenim, ut ipsam causam coronae militaris aggrediar, puto prius conquirendum an in totum christianis militia conueniat. Quale est alioquin de acci

 12. Sed et de corona prius dicamus. Laurea ista Apollini uel Libero sacra est, illi ut deo telorum, huic ut deo triumphorum. Sic docet Claudius, cum e

 13. Coronant et publicos ordines laureis publicae causae, magistratus uero insuper aureis, ut Athenis, ut Romae. Superferuntur etiam illis Etruscae. H

 14. Tanto abest ut capiti suo munus inferat idololatriae, immo iam dixerim Christo, siquidem caput uiri Christus est : tam liberum quam et Christus, n

 15. Serua Deo rem suam intaminatam. Ille eam, si uolet, coronabit. Immo et uult, denique inuitat : « Qui uicerit, inquit, dabo ei coronam uitae. » Est

Chapter XII.

But I first say a word also about the crown itself. This laurel one is sacred to Apollo or Bacchus—to the former as the god of archery, to the latter as the god of triumphs. In like manner Claudius teaches; when he tells us that soldiers are wont too to be wreathed in myrtle. For the myrtle belongs to Venus, the mother of the Æneadæ, the mistress also of the god of war, who, through Ilia and the Romuli is Roman.  But I do not believe that Venus is Roman as well as Mars, because of the vexation the concubine gave her.43    i.e., Ilia. When military service again is crowned with olive, the idolatry has respect to Minerva, who is equally the goddess of arms—but got a crown of the tree referred to, because of the peace she made with Neptune. In these respects, the superstition of the military garland will be everywhere defiled and all-defiling. And it is further defiled, I should think, also in the grounds of it. Lo the yearly public pronouncing of vows, what does that bear on its face to be?  It takes place first in the part of the camp where the general’s tent is, and then in the temples. In addition to the places, observe the words also:  “We vow that you, O Jupiter, will then have an ox with gold-decorated horns.” What does the utterance mean? Without a doubt the denial (of Christ). Albeit the Christian says nothing in these places with the mouth, he makes his response by having the crown on his head. The laurel is likewise commanded (to be used) at the distribution of the largess. So you see idolatry is not without its gain, selling, as it does, Christ for pieces of gold, as Judas did for pieces of silver. Will it be “Ye cannot serve God and mammon”44    Matt. vi. 24. to devote your energies to mammon, and to depart from God? Will it be “Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s,”45    Matt. xxii. 21. not only not to render the human being to God, but even to take the denarius from Cæsar? Is the laurel of the triumph made of leaves, or of corpses? Is it adorned with ribbons, or with tombs? Is it bedewed with ointments, or with the tears of wives and mothers? It may be of some Christians too;46    [Such considerations may account for our author’s abandonment of what he says in the Apology; which compare in capp. xlii. and xxxix.] for Christ is also among the barbarians.47    [Et apud barbaros enim Christus. See Kaye’s argument, p. 87.] Has not he who has carried (a crown for) this cause on his head, fought even against himself?  Another son of service belongs to the royal guards. And indeed crowns are called (Castrenses), as belonging to the camp; Munificæ likewise, from the Cæsarean functions they perform. But even then you are still the soldier and the servant of another; and if of two masters, of God and Cæsar: but assuredly then not of Cæsar, when you owe yourself to God, as having higher claims, I should think, even in matters in which both have an interest.

12. Sed et de corona prius dicamus. Laurea ista Apollini uel Libero sacra est, illi ut deo telorum, huic ut deo triumphorum. Sic docet Claudius, cum et myrto ait milites redimiri solere: Veneris enim myrtus, matris Aeneadarum, etiam amiculae Martis, per Iliam et Romulos Romanae. Sed ego Venerem non credo ex hac parte cum Marte Romanam, qua pelicis dolor est. Cum et olea militia coronatur, ad Mineruam est idololatria, armorum aeque deam, sed et pace cum Neptuno inita ex hac arbore coronatam. In his erit serti militaris superstitio, ubique polluta et polluens omnia. Quae iam polluantur et causis. Ecce annua uotorum nuncupatio : quid uidetur ? Prima in principiis, secunda in capitoliis. Accipe, post loca, et uerba : « Tunc tibi, Iuppiter, bouem cornibus auro decoratis uouemus esse futurum. » Cuius sententiae uox est ? Vtique negationis. Etiam si tacet illic christianus ore, coronatus capite respondit. Eadem laurea in donatiui dispensationem denuntiatur. Plane non gratuita idololatria, aliquibus aureis uenditans Christum, ut argenteis Iudas. Hoc erit « Non potestis Deo seruire et mammonae », mammonae manum tradere et Deo absistere ? Hoc erit « Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari et quae Dei Deo », nec hominem Deo reddere et denarium Caesari auferre ? Triumphi laurea foliis struitur an cadaueribus ? lemniscis ornatur an bustis ? unguentis delibuitur an lacrimis coniugum et matrum? Fortasse quorundam et christianorum : et apud barbaros enim Christus. Qui hanc portauerit in capite causam, nonne et ipse pugnauit ? Est et alia militia, regiarum familiarum. Nam et castrenses appellantur, munificae et ipsae sollemnium Caesarianorum. Sed et tu proinde miles ac seruus alterius, et si duorum, Dei et Caesaris, certe tunc non Caesaris, cum te Deo debes, etiam in communibus, credo, potiori.