The City of God, Volume I

"The City of God, Volume I" by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine is a theological treatise written in the early 5th century. This work is an apology for Christianity following the fall of Rome, addressing the criticisms levied against Christians by pagans who attributed the calamities of the world to their religion. Augustine aims to defend the Christian faith and argue that true prosperity and virtue come from Christ, not from the worship of the Roman gods. The opening of "The City of God" details Augustine's response to pagan accusations that the sack of Rome by the Goths was a result of the Christian prohibition of idol worship. Augustine contends that the calamities experienced by Rome and its populace can be attributed instead to moral corruption and the failings of the pagan gods, drawing on historical examples to bolster his argument. He notes that many who have mocked Christians owe their very lives to the sanctuaries of Christianity during the siege, suggesting that those who survived did so not due to pagan deities but because of divine mercy. The tone of Augustine’s writing is both defensive and instructional, setting the stage for a rigorous philosophical and theological discourse throughout the rest of the volume.