Augustine of Hippo

Common questions

Who was Augustine of Hippo?

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) — Bishop of Hippo and the most influential Latin Father. Author of Confessions, City of God, On the Trinity, and the anti-Pelagian works.

Who taught Augustine of Hippo?

Ambrose of Milan and Monica.

Who did Augustine of Hippo teach?

Possidius of Calama.

Who did Augustine of Hippo correspond with?

Jerome, Paulinus of Nola, Prosper of Aquitaine, and Cyril of Alexandria.

Who did Augustine of Hippo meet?

Alypius of Thagaste and Melania the Younger.

Who did Augustine of Hippo oppose?

Pelagius, Julian of Eclanum, Caelestius, and Vincent of Lérins.

Who baptized Augustine of Hippo?

Ambrose of Milan.

Works

• Confessionsc. 400

  Spiritual autobiography in thirteen books — the founding text of introspective Christian writing.

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• City of Godc. 426

  Twenty-two books defending Christianity after the sack of Rome and articulating the two-cities theology of history.

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• On Christian Doctrinec. 397

  Manual of biblical interpretation and Christian rhetoric, foundational for medieval education.

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• On the Trinityc. 419

  Fifteen-book systematic treatment of the Triune God, framing Western Trinitarian theology for a millennium.

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Sources for biography

• Augustine, Confessiones primary
• Augustine, Retractationes primary
• Possidius, Vita Augustini primary

documented connections(24)

• baptized by Ambrose of Milan
  Ambrose baptized Augustine and Alypius at Milan during the Easter Vigil of 387.
  Augustine, Confessions 9.6
• taught by Ambrose of Milan
  Augustine attended Ambrose's preaching at Milan and credits him with his conversion.
  Augustine, Confessions 5.13-14, 6.3-4
• taught by Monica
  Augustine credits his mother Monica with persistent influence toward his conversion.
  Augustine, Confessions 3.11-12, 9.8-13
• met (incoming) Alypius of Thagaste
  Lifelong friendship from Thagaste through Carthage, Rome, Milan and back to Africa.
  Augustine, Confessions 6.7-10, 8.6, 9.6
• taught by (incoming) Possidius of Calama
  Possidius lived in Augustine's monastic community at Hippo and wrote his Vita.
  Possidius, Vita Augustini (preface)
• knew of Marius Victorinus
  Augustine was deeply moved by hearing of the conversion of Marius Victorinus.
  Augustine, Confessions 8.2-5
• corresponded Jerome
  Extensive (often acrimonious) correspondence over Galatians and the Hebrew text of the OT.
  Augustine, Epistulae 28, 40, 71, 82 · Jerome, Epistulae 102, 105, 112, 115
• opposed Pelagius
  The Pelagian controversy occupied Augustine's last two decades.
  Augustine, De Gestis Pelagii · Augustine, De Natura et Gratia
• opposed Julian of Eclanum
  Augustine wrote six books Contra Julianum and the unfinished Opus Imperfectum.
  Augustine, Contra Julianum
• opposed Caelestius
  Augustine wrote against Caelestius alongside Pelagius.
  Augustine, De Gratia Christi et de Peccato Originali
• corresponded (incoming) Paulinus of Nola
  Lengthy correspondence preserved on both sides.
  Augustine, Epistulae 24-27, 30-32 · Paulinus of Nola, Epistulae 4, 6, 45-50
• corresponded (incoming) Prosper of Aquitaine
  Prosper consulted Augustine on the rise of semi-Pelagianism in southern Gaul.
  Augustine, Epistula 225 (Prosper to Augustine)
• cited (incoming) Prosper of Aquitaine
  Prosper systematically defended Augustine's doctrine of grace.
  Prosper, Pro Augustino Responsiones; Contra Collatorem
• knew of (incoming) Ambrose of Milan
  Ambrose received Monica's commendation regarding Augustine.
  Augustine, Confessions 6.1-2
• cited (incoming) Pope Gregory I (the Great)
  Gregory draws constantly on Augustine's exegesis and theology in the Moralia and Regula Pastoralis.
  Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job, passim · Markus, Gregory the Great and his World, ch. 3
• cited (incoming) Fulgentius of Ruspe
  Fulgentius is the most thorough sixth-century Augustinian, citing him constantly in De Fide and the anti-Arian/anti-Pelagian works.
  Fulgentius, De Fide ad Petrum · Fulgentius, Contra Fabianum
• cited (incoming) Caesarius of Arles
  The Council of Orange (529) under Caesarius drew its canons largely from Augustinian florilegia compiled by Prosper.
  Council of Orange (529), Canones · Caesarius, Sermones
• cited (incoming) Bede the Venerable
  Bede draws on Augustine throughout his commentaries; his exegetical method is fundamentally Augustinian.
  Bede, In Genesim, In Lucam, etc. · Bede, Retractatio in Acta Apostolorum, prologue
• cited (incoming) Boethius
  Boethius cites Augustine as authority in De Trinitate and follows Augustinian Trinitarian formulations.
  Boethius, De Trinitate, prologue
• cited (incoming) Cassiodorus
  Cassiodorus' Expositio Psalmorum is built on Augustine's Enarrationes in Psalmos.
  Cassiodorus, Expositio Psalmorum, praefatio
• cited (incoming) Gregory of Tours
  Gregory cites Augustine's De civitate Dei and Augustine's exegesis at several points in his Histories and miracle books.
  Gregory of Tours, Hist. Franc. 1 prologue · Heinzelmann, Gregory of Tours: History and Society in the Sixth Century (CUP 2001), pp. 110-114
• cited Perpetua of Carthage
  Augustine preached three surviving sermons (280-282) on the feast of Perpetua and Felicity at Carthage and Hippo.
  Augustine, Sermons 280, 281, 282
• cited Felicity of Carthage
  Augustine's sermons 280-282 commemorate Felicity jointly with Perpetua.
  Augustine, Sermons 280, 281, 282
• met (incoming) Melania the Younger
  Gerontius's Vita records Melania and Pinianus residing near Hippo c. 410-417 and meeting Augustine and Alypius; Augustine's Letter 124 is addressed to them.
  Gerontius, Vita Melaniae Iunioris 20-21 · Augustine, Epistula 124

tradition connections(2)

• corresponded Cyril of Alexandria
  Cyril sent Augustine documents on the Nestorian controversy shortly before Augustine's death.
  Augustine, Epistula 4* (Divjak)
• cited (incoming) Venantius Fortunatus
  Fortunatus draws on Augustinian theology and language across his hymns and prose Lives; the dependence is acknowledged by modern editors though no explicit citation formula appears.
  George, Venantius Fortunatus: A Latin Poet in Merovingian Gaul (Oxford 1992), pp. 105-125

disputed connections(1)

• opposed (incoming) Vincent of Lérins
  Vincent's Commonitorium is widely (though disputedly) read as a critique of Augustinian predestinarianism.
  Vincent, Commonitorium 26