Augustine of Hippo: City of God (413–426)
The City of God (or, in the original Latin, De civitate Dei) is a theological work that Saint Augustine of Hippo (a city in present-day Algeria) began writing in 413. The City of God is perhaps the most famous among the scores of books that flowed from Augustine’s pen, books that made him one of the preeminent theologians and fathers of the early Christian church.
In the early years of the fifth century, the Roman Empire was unraveling as it succumbed to attacks from northern European tribes. In 400, the Visigoths invaded and captured much of southern Italy. In 406 the Vandals attacked Gaul, and in 409 they entered Spain. Then, in 410, a key event occurred: under the leadership of their king, Alaric, the Vandals invaded and sacked Rome, the “Eternal City.” The people of Rome were shaken and rightly so, for by the end of the century, the Roman Empire would pass into the dustbin of history.
Meanwhile, Romans were uncertain about what to believe in. The pantheon of Roman...
