Secondary sourceBookwritten AD 303-311; this manuscript copy c. 1420-1430

The Divine Institutes

Lactantius · written AD 303-311; this manuscript copy c. 1420-1430

A Latin theological defence of Christianity written by Lactantius, dedicated in part to Constantine, shown here in an illuminated Renaissance manuscript copy.

Lactantius dedicated this defence of Christianity to Constantine, showing the Christian scholars who gathered around his court.

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Illuminated manuscript page with a red-ink title at top reading Firmiani Lactantii Divinarum Institutionum adversus gentes liber primus, a decorated initial with a small animal, a black-and-red script text block, and a green and gold wreath at the bottom. Caption reads MS 1369. — Lactantius, The Divine Institutes, written AD 303-311. Renaissance manuscript copy, Florence, c. 1420-1430 (Schøyen Collection, MS 1369).

About this source

What it is

The Divine Institutes is a theological work by the Christian writer Lactantius, composed in the early 4th century. It is a systematic defence of Christianity written in Latin to persuade educated pagans that Christian teaching was reasonable. The copy shown here is a later illuminated manuscript made in Florence in the 1400s, now held in a private manuscript collection.

Why it matters

Lactantius addressed dedications of this work to Constantine, which places him among the Christian scholars connected to Constantine's court. The text shows how Christian intellectuals tried to argue their faith's case to a wider Roman audience at a time when Christianity was gaining imperial favour under Constantine.

Look closer

Why might a Christian writer want to dedicate his work to the emperor?
What does the decoration of this later copy tell us about how valued the text remained centuries after it was written?
What can and can't a written defence of a religion tell us about how ordinary people actually believed or practised it?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Constantine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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