Augustine, De Civitate Dei [The City of God]

David Meconi (Saint Louis University)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication 413 - 427

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Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

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Religion and Spirituality (any)
- Religious writing
Treatise

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“Where is salvation if Rome perishes?” cried St. Jerome (

epistle

123.16), thus capturing most Latins’ love of their eternal city. On August 24, 410, the Visigoth leader, Alaric, and his troops marched uncontested into Rome and plundered the great city for days. Since Rome was by then more a matter of legend and nostalgia than of political power (the imperial seat of western rule had moved to Ravenna in 402), Alaric represented a symbolic end to the

Pax Romana

. Nevertheless, his storming of the walls still caused many wealthy Romans to flee, finding safe havens in the eastern provinces as well as in Latin North Africa. There, far from sharing Jerome’s sentiment upon hearing of Rome’s collapse, Augustine preached to his congregation: “Are you astonished that the world is going…

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1180 words

Citation: Meconi, David. "De Civitate Dei". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 February 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5703, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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Augustine, De Civitate Dei [The City of God]

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