Augustine’s City of God- historical anecdotes
St. Augustine often used historical anecdotes taken from both Roman and Biblical sources to illustrate the points he was making. Analyze his use of historical anecdotes in both his sermons and in City of God, discussing how Augustine used the past to make his rhetorical points.
Augustine censures the pagans who contributed to the predicaments of the world, for example, the recent group of Rome by the Goths, to all the Christian religions. This prohibits the worship of gods, as he believes in the blessings and the ills of life that happened to good and bad men. He also rebukes the shamelessness of the individuals who rejected Christians claiming that the soldiers had harassed women. Augustine declares, “The glorious city of God is the theme of his work”. He believes that he has undertaken the defense of the city base d on the factors that he views as still lives of faith by fleeting in the course of time and the sojourning of the strangers in the midst of the ungodly individuals. The righteous are depicted to dwell on the fixed stability of the eternal seat that illustrates the patience of the righteous as they wait for the return of judgment. The ability to requisite the proud individuals depends on their virtue of humility and human ignorance and arrogance. The scriptures announced to the people that the divine laws in the following words, “God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble”. God is prerogative through the inflation of the proud spirit that affects all the relatives and associates of a certain individual. The plan of the work undertaken requires an official offer that helps individuals to speak about the mistresses of the entire world and eventually rules the lust of the rule.
The adversaries of the barbarians based on the sake of Jesus Christ are spared when the city is stormed. This has been noticed in the earthly cities that belong to the enemies that are defended by the city of God. Majority of the individuals have reclaimed that their ungodly errors have sufficiently accredited to the citizens of the city. The redeemers of the signal benefits are forgotten that would have prejudice and are not evident in the sacred places. According to Augustine, the barbarians through their respect for Christ spare the Romans they eventually become enemies of Christ. The reliquaries of the martyrs and the churches have had apostles bear witness the sacks of the city’s open sanctuary without the determination of whether they are Christians or pagans. Augustine explains that the attribute of the Christian period which contrast to the custom of the wars of the bloodthirsty barbarians, and they happened to be spared through the mercies of Christ. Majority of the Christians escaped destruction and slaughter as they pretended to be the servants of Christ. The pride and impious madness put many at the risk of encountering a punishment of eternal darkness in which they would perversely oppose the opinion of the individuals who protected themselves deceptively for the sake of utilizing the light chances offered to them.
Augustine explained that there was a contrast in the implications of the war and the victors were expected to be vanquished through the mercies of their gods. The histories of the unlimited wars had an impact in the construction of Rome during its rise and the extension of its dominions. This ensures that the foreigners and the victors are spread through the general barbarian gave general orders that no one was expected to lower the sword that had been found on the temple. It was evident that Troy had fire and a sword that aided in the beheading of Priam as he fled from the alter. The Romans did not portray their normal reasonableness, as they trusted that this issue did not benefit the Gods, as they were unable to protect Troy. The gods had the initiative of protecting the Romans as they delighted in the entrusting their cities. They also enraged while unfolding about their gods. The prudent men were entrusted with the defense of Rome as they aimed at conquering their gods. If the gods were conquered, they would not evade the wrath unless they were under the protection of man. This meant that Rome had fallen in a great calamity, as they had not perished previously; this deployed their preservation for as long as they would vanquish their enemies.
According to Augustine, the unrighteous men would not be spared in spite of their wickedness, as they do not condone the problems condoned. They resided in the places that consecrated to Christ, as this was how they would claim to belong to the lineage of God. Their enemies were determined to injure them as they restrained their tongues so that they would maintain a peaceful atmosphere. According to the arguments of Augustine, the places of worship of Rome were concrete by goddesses, as they were held captive so that they would be immured. The asylum was compared to the ordinary god; the churches were built in the memory of the apostles who had been assassinated. This ensured that they were remembered in the history. Christians suffer from the calamitous period in which they do not yield adequate profit that is considered as sins that provoke God. Several immoral and evil men do not judge themselves but are very glad to see other suffer from all sorts of temporal ills and misfortunes. These individuals should be shunned from the religion.
Work cited
Figgis, John N. The Political Aspects of S. Augustine’s “city of God”. Gloucester, Mass: Peter Smith, 1963. Print.
O’Daly, Gerard J. P. Augustine’s City of God: A Reader’s Guide. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999. Print.
Augustine, , and R W. Dyson. The City of God against the Pagans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print.
Oort, J . Jerusalem and Babylon: A Study into Augustine’s City of God and the Sources of His Doctrine of the Two Cities. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1991. Print.
