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Confessions
9.5Augustine of Hippo
The first true autobiography in Western literature — Augustine invented the modern interior life in 397 AD, and every memoir since has worked in the form he created.
GBM Assessment (Score: 9.5/10)
Augustine's Confessions is the first great autobiography in Western literature and a revolutionary act of literary introspection. By turning inward to examine his own spiritual and intellectual journey, Augustine invented a new mode of self-examination that would shape Western thought from Descartes to Rousseau. The work also established foundational Christian doctrines of original sin and divine grace.
Begun in Roman North Africa during the declining years of the Western Empire, the Confessions traces Augustine's conversion from a life of worldly ambition and sensual indulgence to Christian faith. The narrative shaped all of Western Christianity, decisively influencing Martin Luther, René Descartes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.'s theology department and Oxford's divinity school.
The Fall of Rome, c. 397-524 AD
The Roman Empire disintegrates. Visigoths sack Rome (410). Christianity becomes the dominant intellectual force. Augustine synthesizes Christian theology with classical philosophy, inventing autobiography. Germanic kingdoms replace Roman provinces. Boethius writes philosophy while awaiting execution. The classical world ends; the medieval world is born.
Awards & Adaptations
First autobiography. Core at Princeton theology/Oxford divinity.
Recommended Edition
F.J. Sheed (1943); W. Watts (Loeb 1912)
