The former bears a close affinity in style to Apuleius, or,
rather, to the movement of which Apuleius was the most
remarkable product ; the latter succeeds to QuintiUan and
his contemporaries as the second impulse of Ciceronianism.
The two opposing methods appear at their sharpest contrast
in the earliest authors of each, Tertullian and Minucius
FeUx. The vast preponderance of the former, alike in volume



VI.] Minuciiis Felix: 249

of production and fire of eloquence, offers a suggestive
parallel to the comparative importance of the two schools
in the history of ecclesiastical Latin. Throughout the
third and fourth centuries the African school continues to
predominate, but it takes upon itself more of the classical
finish, and tames the first ferocity of its early manner.
Cyprian inclines more to the style of TertuUian ; Lactantius,
"the Christian Cicero," reverts strongly towards the classical
forms : and finally, towards the end of the fourth century,
the two languages are combined by Augustine, in propor-
tions which, throughout the Middle Ages, form the accepted
type of the language of Latin Christianity.
