---
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: 9 of 177
url: https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/9/
cite: "Paulus Orosius, tr. S. Alexander Laurent (AI-assisted, 2026), Seven Books of History against the Pagans, section 9. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/9/"
---

# 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.

## 9. Book 1 · Chapter 6

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/9/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/orosius-historiae/9/#p-N

[¶0] So now, if they please, let these men who, as far as in them lies, spit at Christ — whom we have shown to be the judge of the ages — distinguish the causes of Sodom and of Rome and compare their punishments. I need not go over them again, chiefly because they are known to all.

> Latin: 1 Itaque nunc si placet hi, qui in Christum, quem nos iudicem saeculorum ostendimus, quantum in ipsis est sputa coniciunt, inter Sodomam et Romam discernant causas et conferant poenas; quae a me uel maxime ob hoc retractandae non sunt, quia omnibus notae sunt.

[¶1] And yet how gladly I would accept their judgements, if only they would confess faithfully what they really feel!

> Latin: 2 et tamen quam libenter sententias eorum acciperem, si illi fideliter ita ut sentiunt faterentur.

[¶2] Though since they are few who murmur about the Christian times, and that in corners, I should not think it a matter to take so very hard, when the feeling and the speech of the whole Roman people have been made known with one voice and with one judgement.

> Latin: 3 quamquam quia de temporibus Christianis rari et hoc in angulis murmurent, non usque adeo moleste accipiendum putem, cum totius populi Romani consona uoce parique iudicio sensus ac sermo sit cognitus.

[¶3] So small and slight, as it has testified beyond all doubt, was the disturbance by which its customary pleasures were briefly checked, that it cried out freely: “If I get the circus back, nothing has happened to me!” — that is, the swords of the Goths have done nothing at Rome, provided the Romans are allowed to watch the races.

> Latin: 4 adeo autem paruo quodam et leui motu haesitasse erga se parumper consuetudinem uoluptatum indubitatissime contestatus est, ut libere conclamaret, Si reciperet circum, nihil esse sibi factum, hoc est, nihil egisse Romae Gothorum enses, si concedatur Romanis spectare circenses.

[¶4] Unless perhaps — as is the case with very many, especially at this time, who after long repose think even a small anxiety that springs up an intolerable hardship — they rate these most merciful warnings, by which we are all touched at times, as heavier than the punishments of others that they have heard and read about.

> Latin: 5 nisi forte, ut se habet apud plerosque hoc praecipue tempore, qui ex longa requie uel paruam obortam sollicitudinem intolerabilem laborem putant, hasce clementissimas admonitiones quibus omnes aliquando perstringimur aliorum punitionibus auditis lectisque praeponunt.

[¶5] These, at least, I urge to look at this very end of the Sodomites and Gomorrhaeans, so that they may learn and understand how God has punished sinners, how he can punish them, and how he will punish them.

> Latin: 6 quos saltem de hoc ipso exitu Sodomorum et Gomorraeorum moneo, ut discere atque intellegere queant, qualiter Deus peccatores punierit, qualiter punire possit, qualiter puniturus sit.