Theseven books of the
Diuinae institutiones
, the most important work by Lactantius, the Christian author and contemporary of Constantine the Great, are an apologetic treatise that includes a defense of Christianity and a criticism of pagan religion, philosophy and morals. The third fascicle, consisting of books V and VI (Christian ethics, views on the state and religion), continues the critical edition of this work, of whichfascicle 1, containing books I and II as well as a praefatio, was published in 2005, andfascicle 2 with books III and IV in 2007. Book VII and indices will comprise a fourth fascicle, planned for 2011.