Concerning the City of God against the pagans ([New ed.])

The work of St Augustine of Hippo, in which he incorporated platonism (as interpreted by Plotinus) into Christianity, is one of the milestones in the history of Western thought. "City of God", as notable for its digressions as for its central theme, was inspired by Alaric's sacking of Rome in AD 410, an event which he regarded as retribution for the worship of false gods by "educated pagans".

God's real purpose in creating the world, Ausgustine maintains, was the building of the heavenly city and the events of history are mere moments on the implementation of the grand plan.Retaining the existing translation by Henry Bettenson, this revised edition contains an introduction to St Augustine and his world and an analysis of the content and influence of the book.