This article talks about Augustine's personal life and background.
Augustine was born in Thagaste on November 13, 354 AD. When he was born, his mother was about 23 years old. She was Christian Catholic. Augustine did not know how old his father was. His father did not have any belief in any god. He was one of the ten members of the Municipal Council of Thagaste. His family was lower middle class. He has one brother and one sister; his brother was with him during the crisis time in Italy. His sister became the superior of convent of nuns in Hippo.
He started his studies in a local school in Thagaste. Between the age of eleven and twelve, his parents changed him to a better school, which had better advantages. He studied the important subjects of his time, which were Literature and Rhetoric. Later on, his father brought him back at the age of fifteen to save more money, so he could send him to the best university in Numidia, which was called the University of Carthage. He had dome difficulties in studying, especially in foreign language, like the Greek Language. He loved the Latin language that was spoken to him in many places.
He used to play games rather than study. When he was about fifteen, he was like a kind of a leader of his group. His mother Monica always taught him to love the name of God. He was blessed with the sign of the cross. He was never baptized as a child. When he was sixteen, his father died, a wealthy friend provided them with help (money). When he finished college, he went back home but his mother threw him out of the house, because he started to believe in something else. Later on, she let him in the house. She started to see things in his way.
At the university he studied law; he was also good at the study of Rhetoric. He met a girl at the first year of college. He was faithful to her for over fourteen years. He had a child with this girl; the boy’s name is Adeodatus. Augustine did not get married to the girl because she was from a different class level. After he finished his studies, he opens a school of the Rhetoric. After one year, one of his friends died, so he went back to Carthage, because of the memories. He stayed there and worked for six years. After six years, he moved to Rome.
On April 24, 387 A.D. he was baptized with his friend (Alypius) and his son (Adeodatus) in Milan. Shortly his mother felt ill and she died. He started a small community of monks in 388 in Thageste. Augustine became the bishop of Hippo in 396. He wrote some books, including one that challenged him called “The City of God”.
He wrote it between the years of 413 to 426, which took him fourteen years. The city of Hippo was surrounded and siege by the Vandals. During his time no men could enter the order of Hippo. After three months of the siege of Hippo, Augustine got sick and it was his last illness. In August 28, 430 A.D. Augustine died as he lived, a poor man of God.
The above essay was written by a college student and merely states opinions of a college student. However, if you feel strong about responding to the opinions stated, please write to articles@directorym.com and express your concerns.