“Where fear is present, wisdom cannot be.”— Lactantius
Obviously false (for reasons mentioned here).
Note: Lactantius was an advisor to Constantine and partly responsible in that capacity for the destruction of pagan religions and the imperial corruption of Christianity. He also wrote with scorn against people propagating the “ridiculous” idea “that the world is round like a ball,” writing about such fools that he was “at a loss what to say respecting those who, when they have once erred, consistently persevere in their folly, and defend one vain thing by another; but that I sometimes imagine that they either discuss philosophy for the sake of a jest, or purposely and knowingly undertake to defend falsehoods, as if to exercise or display their talents on false subjects.” (link)
The quote about fear (link) is attributed to Lactantius in the Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations, but I can’t find any specifics there or elsewhere about where Lactantius wrote this. I’d appreciate further authentication of the quote from anyone.
