The roman criminal law as an argument against paganism, “pius iuppiter” in “ad nationes” ii, 13, 16, by tertullian

Abstract

The present work approaches the com­plicated situation in which is the Christian society of century II d.C., when trying to define its identity in the pagan world. The one will be a Carthaginian apologist that decides to take end the defence of the Christian religion when fighting against the pagan theology and classic mythology. Its satire will also become a platform from which it sends his offensives not only against the Roman gods, but against the Roman citizens. Its more mordacious satire will go destined to the figure of the god Jupiter to emphasize the immoralities and the crimes of greatest between the gods of the Mount Olympus. The Christian moral provides demystification to us of this supreme god to the time that shows the problems to us of its time. A new Jupiter picture will keep awake therefore that was lacking until this moment of the legal opin­ion as far as a vulgar delinquent: parricide and incestuous criminal.