---
title: "Seven Books of History against the Pagans"
author: "Paulus Orosius"
translator: "S. Alexander Laurent (AI-assisted, 2026)"
title_ru: "История против язычников"
title_fr: "Histoires contre les païens"
title_de: "Sieben Bücher Geschichte gegen die Heiden"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Church Fathers"
section: 50 of 177
url: https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/50/
cite: "Paulus Orosius, tr. S. Alexander Laurent (AI-assisted, 2026), Seven Books of History against the Pagans, section 50. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/50/"
---

# Seven Books of History against the Pagans

*Paulus Orosius, tr. S. Alexander Laurent (AI-assisted, 2026)*

Russian: История против язычников · French: Histoires contre les païens · German: Sieben Bücher Geschichte gegen die Heiden

Augustine's pupil tells the whole of world history to prove that the Christian times are not the worst.

## 50. Book 3 · Chapter 9

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/50/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/50/#p-N

[¶0] So, in the year 409 from the founding of the City, in the consulship of Manlius Torquatus and Decius Mus, the Romans made war on the Latins, who had rebelled. In this war one consul was killed, and the other became a parricide.

> Latin: 1 Igitur anno ab urbe condita CCCCVIIII Romani bellum Latinis rebellantibus intulerunt Manlio Torquato et Decio Mure consulibus. in quo bello unus consul interfectus est, alter exstitit parricida.

[¶1] For Manlius Torquatus put to death his own son, a young man, a victor, the slayer of Maecius of Tusculum, a noble horseman and at that time an enemy who was especially provoking and taunting them.

> Latin: 2 Manlius enim Torquatus filium suum, iuuenem, uictorem, interfectoremque Maecii Tusculani, nobilis equitis et tum praecipue prouocantis atque insultantis hostis, occidit.

[¶2] The other consul, when in a renewed engagement he saw the wing he commanded being slaughtered and crushed, rushed of his own accord into the thickest of the enemy and fell.

> Latin: 3 alius uero consul cum iterato conflictu illud cornu, cui praeerat, caedi atque adfligi uideret, in confertissimos hostes sponte prolapsus occubuit.

[¶3] Manlius, though the victor, did not earn — a parricide in triumph — the procession of the noble Roman youths coming out to meet him, which is customarily offered.

> Latin: 4 Manlius quamuis uictor occursum tamen nobilium iuuenum Romanorum, qui legitime exhiberi solet, triumphans parricida non meruit.

[¶4] In the year following this, Minucia, a Vestal Virgin, was condemned for having committed unchastity and was buried alive in the field that is now called the Accursed Field.

> Latin: 5 Anno autem post hunc subsequente Minucia uirgo Vestalis ob admissum incestum damnata est uiuaque obruta in campo, qui nunc sceleratus uocatur.