Porphyry (philosopher) - Philosophy From Oracles (De Philosophia Ex Oraculis Haurienda)

Philosophy From Oracles (De Philosophia Ex Oraculis Haurienda)

Porphyry is also known as an opponent of Christianity and defender of Paganism; his defense of traditional religion, Philosophy from Oracles, written before the persecutions of Christians under Diocletian and Galerius, set out the basis for them:

"How can these people be thought worthy of forbearance? They have not only turned away from those who from earliest time have been thought of as divine among all Greeks and barbarians... but by emperors, law-givers and philosophers— all of a given mind. But also, in choosing impieties and atheism, they have preferred their fellow creatures. And to what sort of penalties might they not be subjected who... are fugitives from the things of their Fathers?"

Whether or not Porphyry was the pagan philosopher opponent in Lactantius' Divine Institutes, written at the time of the persecutions, has long been discussed. A Christian version of Philosophy from Oracles has been attributed to Porphyry. The attribution was accepted by Eusebius and appealed to by apologists like Theodoret. Scholars have identified that epigrams from this work are scattered throughout the works of St. Augustine. Dr Nathaniel Lardner rejected the attribution in the 18th century.