Schism · Today in 410
Sack of Rome by Alaric
The sack of Rome shook the Christian imagination because Rome was supposed to be permanent. Pagan critics blamed Christianity for weakening the old gods' protection, and frightened Christians had to ask what history meant if the city fell. Augustine answered in City of God by distinguishing the earthly city from the city of God. The fall of Rome therefore became the occasion for the church's most important theology of history.
Rome can fall; the city of God cannot.
Highlights
- Rome was sacked in 410.
- Pagans blamed Christians.
- Augustine wrote City of God.
- Christian history was reimagined.
How it happened
What happened
Alaric's Goths sacked Rome, shocking Christians and pagans across the empire.
The argument
Did Christianity cause Rome's fall by abandoning the old gods, or had Christians misunderstood what earthly cities can promise?
What changed
Augustine answered the crisis with City of God, reframing history around two loves and two cities.
Why it matters
The event pushed Christian theology to explain political collapse without losing hope.
People in the story
Book of the day
City of God
Augustine of HippoA reading pick tied to today's figure, quote, era, or event. Augustine's answer to Rome's collapse: two cities, providence, empire, worship, and Christian hope.
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