Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius was an early Christian author and apologist who became an advisor to the Roman emperor Constantine I. Born in North Africa to pagan parents, he studied rhetoric and eventually converted to Christianity. His most famous work, the 'Divinae Institutiones' (Divine Institutes), was a systematic presentation of Christian thought intended to justify Christianity to educated pagans. Often called the 'Christian Cicero' for his eloquent Latin prose, his writings provide valuable insight into the religious and intellectual shifts of the late Roman Empire.