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Römische Historische Mitteilungen 65/2023
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Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
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Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3420, Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400 https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at, e-mail: verlag@oeaw.ac.at |
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Römische Historische Mitteilungen 66/2024, pp. 91-106, 2025/09/25
By using Augustine of Hippo as an example, this essay aims to demonstrate that the practice of the Christian faith and the everyday existence of a member of the upper class in the Roman Empire are not incompatible. The orthodox rhetorical education they received ensured that this elite, regardless of religious affiliation, ex-perienced the same worldview. However, even before Christianity was recognized as a legitimate religion, there existed diverse interpretations of Christianity that sought to distinguish themselves, such as distinct forms of asceticism or martyrdom. Augustine’s life reflects both ways of life: at first, he strove by all means to achieve a brilliant career in the world, but then he turned his back on it and concentrated on an ascetic-philosophical distance from his own ambitions. In the end, as a bishop, he was placed in the service of people before God and, precisely as a judge and arbitrator, bore responsibility for society.