St. Augustine and the Abduction

Chapter One

“The end of life puts the longest life on a par with the shortest....Death

becomes evil by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are

destined to die need not inquire about what death they are to die, but into

what place death will usher them....”

--Aurelius Augustine, The City of God

“For what is easier to believe than that a man, born to die, should

in fact,  have died..”  --Aurelius Augustine, in a letter to the Patriarch Atticus

Hippo Regius, 430 A.D.

The “rosy fingers of the dawn” crept over the eastern horizon of the North African seaport known from its Numidian roots as Hippo Regius. Built on two hills on the Seybouse River, this relatively small city contained impressive Roman monuments such as its famous theater seating 5,000, perhaps the largest in North Africa. Nearer the harbor was the Christian quarter dominated by its Basilica, baptistery, a chapel and the house of the Bishop with its gardens and possibly a monastery.

Much scurrying around is apparent at the Bishop’s house as on this August morning the greatly loved Bishop, Aurelius Augustine is critically ill.

Well into his seventy sixth year, Augustine had maintained a high profile by his preaching, episcopal oversight and theological acumen. He had carefully re-read all of his voluminous writings and issued a volume entitled Retractiones in which he sought to nuance and correct any ideas which now seemed inappropriate or unbalanced (finished in 427). He had been ordained as a priest in 391 to assist the then aged Bishop Valerius. He established monastic communities in one of which he himself resided and was consecrated Bishop in 395 on the death of Valerius. His flock of thirty five years hung on every report of his waning strength in the stifling August heat as emissaries from the Bishop’s house ran back and forth to the city square.

Inside servants and as