Source edition
Augustine. Sancti Aureli Augustini Opera, Sectio V, Pars III (Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Volume 41). Zycha, Joseph, editor. Prague; Vienna; Leipzig: F. Tempsky; G. Freytag, 1900.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a theological treatise that examines the nature of demonic divination and asserts the absolute supremacy of the Christian God. Prompted by a discussion during an octave festival concerning the pagan demons' prediction of the destruction of the Temple of Serapis in Alexandria, the author investigates the sources of their seemingly miraculous abilities. He argues that the divinatory powers of demons derive merely from their physical and empirical advantages, such as sensory acuity, rapid movement, and long experience, rather than any moral or spiritual superiority. Their predictions are based on natural signs, human expressions, or temporary glimpses of divine decrees, making them inherently unstable and easily overturned by God's will. Ultimately, the work demonstrates that the destruction of false gods and the salvation of nations through Christ are foretold in Scripture, concluding that Christian wisdom surpasses pagan deception.