On the Nature of the Gods
Also known as: De Natura Deorum, On the Nature of the Gods (Cicero)
Cicero stages an Academic Skeptic’s inquiry into theology through Epicurean, Stoic, and skeptical arguments about the gods’ existence, nature, and providence. The dialogue surveys Roman and Greek divinities while probing natural theology, superstition, and the limits of human reason.
Description
Set as a conversation at the house of Gaius Cotta, the work presents three systematic positions: the Epicurean account of blissful, non-providential gods; the Stoic defense of divine providence, design, and rational order; and the Academic critique that methodically tests each claim. Along the way, Cicero catalogs traditional Roman and Greek gods, civic cults, and allegorical interpretations, weighing them against philosophical criteria for coherence and plausibility. The dialogue became a key conduit for Hellenistic theological debate into Latin, shaping later Christian engagements with pagan theology and providing a rare, comprehensive Roman treatment of religion and nature.
Historiography
Transmitted through a late-antique and medieval manuscript tradition, the dialogue likely remained complete but with textual issues typical of Cicero’s philosophical corpus. It was excerpted and debated by early Christian authors, notably Lactantius and Augustine, who criticized or repurposed its arguments. Renaissance humanists revived the text via new editions and translations, cementing its role in early modern natural theology and the study of Roman religion. Modern scholarship treats it as a central Latin witness to Epicurean and Stoic theology and to Academic method.
Date Notes
Composed in 45 BCE during Cicero’s late philosophical period; no distinct prior oral phase is attested for this dialogue.
Major Characters
- Cicero
- Cotta
- Velleius
- Balbus
Myths
- Genealogy of the Gods (Doxography)
- Epicurean Gods and Ataraxia
- Stoic Providence and Cosmic Fire
- Skeptical Critique of Theology
Facts
- Structured in three books presenting Epicurean, Stoic, and Academic Skeptic positions in turn.
- Principal speakers are Velleius (Epicurean), Balbus (Stoic), and Cotta (Academic Skeptic), with Cicero as narrator-arranger.
- Composed in 45 BCE amid Cicero’s intensive philosophical output after his political career waned.
- A major Latin source for Hellenistic theological arguments and terminology.
- Extensively cited and contested by early Christian authors, especially Lactantius and Augustine.
- Surveys traditional Roman and Greek divinities alongside allegorical and naturalistic interpretations.
- Book II contains the Stoic teleological argument from design; Book I expounds Epicurean non-providential gods.
- The Academic critique in Book III tests coherence, evidence, and practical implications of rival theologies.
- Influenced Renaissance and early modern debates on natural theology and the critique of superstition.
- Often studied with Cicero’s ‘On Divination’ and ‘On Fate’ as a theological-philosophical triad.