Maternus Julius Firmicus

FIRMICUS, MATERNUS JULIUS, a Latin writer, who lived in the reign of Constantine. His De erroribus pro f anarum religionum, written c. 346 and still extant, attacks the false objects of worship among the Oriental cults and discusses a number of formulae and rites connected with the mysteries. Its declamatory tone contrasts with his eight books on astronomy (Libri VIII. Matheseos) written c. 336.

The best editions of the

De Erroribus are those by C. Bursian (Leipzig, 1856) ; by C. Halm, in his Minucius Felix (Corp. Scr. Eccl. Lat. li.) (Vienna, 1867) ; and by K. Zeigler (19o7). The astronomical work was first printed at Venice in 1499, the last edition being by W. Kroll and F. Skutsch (Leipzig, 1897-1913) . See G. Ebert, Gesch. der chr. let. Litt. (ed. 1889) ; 0. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (ed. 19o1) .