Book Review: The City of God - Book 3

Ch. 1 - 5
Chapter one and two recount book two. Chapters three through five continue the argument of how the pagan gods are false, adding their capricious infliction of punishment for indiscretions. Augustine also presents the god engendered hero as a publicity act to better a town, city or nation's image.

Ch. 6 - 10
This is a slow and tiresom reading. All that Augustine appears to be saying is how false the pagan gods are.

Ch. 11 - 15
Augustine's exposition on the false nature of the pagan gods wavers to a discussion of Roman amorality going back to the founding of the city. He upholds the patricides and fratricides of the early kings, including Romulus. He also states that the deification of Romulus was to cover up not only his indescretions but also the murder of Romulus by the Senate.

Ch. 16 - 20
In these chapters, Augustine relates the damage done by the internicene struggles of the Counsels. He also shows how Rome's allys faired during various wars. Augustine shows not only the general state of disreputable dealings within Rome but also how Rome's amoral internal politics created breakdowns in foregin affairs. Augustine also presents these problems as proof to the non-existance or malevolence of the Roman gods. He takes a brief glance at the fall of Troy, the theoretical ancestory city of Rome, to show the same malevolence is a standing issue.

Augustine's argument appears to be that these gods are failing their worshippers by their apparent refusal to inerviene in the various problems or to punish the parties responcible for the transgressions theat lead to the problems. Much of Augustine's discription make me think of the current state of affairs in the politics of the United States. While we're not so corrupt as to have our political opponent executed or exiled, it is almost a duplicate of the social ailments of the Roman empire. A rather concept when one takes a hard look at it.

Ch. 21 - 25
In these chapters, Augustine continues his catalog of Roman impropriety and the mifortune that followed. Augustine also notes the apparent incongruity between professing homage to the goddess Concordia while embracing discord as their way of life.

Ch. 26 - 30
Slave's war = uprising lead by the Gladiators?

Augustine describes the various civil wars. He even compares the barbarian warfare to the Romans. The barbarians came out looking better.

Ch. 31
Augustine declares teh people who blame Christians for the past misery to be fools. He also suggests that the misfortunes are perhaps God's punishment to them.

Originally published: 8/24/06