augustine

Relationships

• wroteOn the Fair and Fit

  description

  Augustine recounts writing a philosophical work titled 'On the Fair and Fit' in two or three books.

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  I wrote "on the fair and fit," I think, two or three books.

• dedicatedOn the Fair and Fit

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  Augustine dedicated his philosophical work 'On the Fair and Fit' to Hierius, an orator of Rome.

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  to dedicate these books unto Hierius

• lovedBeauty

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  Augustine acknowledges his past love for 'lower beauties' and his intellectual inquiry into the nature of beauty.

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  I loved these lower beauties, and I was sinking to the very depths, and to my friends I said, "Do we love any thing but the beautiful? What then is the beautiful? and what is beauty? What is it that attracts and wins us to the things we

• conceived_asMonad

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  Augustine conceived the rational soul, the nature of truth, and the chief good as a unified entity, which he called a Monad.

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  that first I called a Monad, as it had been a soul without

• imagined_asDuad

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  Augustine imagined an unknown substance of irrational life and the chief evil as a divided entity, which he called a Duad.

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  but the latter a Duad;--anger, in deeds of violence, and in flagitiousness, lust; not knowing whereof I spake.

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  2026-03-02T21:55:17.270Z

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• is_son_ofMonica

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  Augustine is the son of Monica, whose conversion to Catholicism was her greatest desire.

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• becameCatholic Christian

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  Augustine fulfilled his mother's desire by becoming a Catholic Christian, a state she rejoiced in seeing.

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  My God hath done this for me more abundantly, that I should now see thee withal, despising earthly happiness, become His servant: what

• closed_eyes_ofMonica

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  Augustine performed the final act of closing his mother's eyes after she had breathed her last.

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  I closed her eyes; and there flowed withal a mighty sorrow into my heart, which was overflowing into tears;

• experiencedgrief

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  Augustine felt a mighty sorrow and a fresh wound due to the sudden wrench of the custom of living with his mother.

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  I closed her eyes; and there flowed withal a mighty sorrow into my heart, which was overflowing into tears; mine eyes at the same time, by the violent command of my mind, drank up their fountain wholly dry; and woe was me in such a strife!

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  2026-03-02T21:55:17.507Z

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• struggles withManichees

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  Augustine initially found nothing could be said against the Manichees' objections but later sought to convict them of falsehood.

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  nothing could be said against the Manichees' objections

• considersCatholic Faith

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  Augustine began to think that the Catholic faith could be maintained without shamelessness, despite his earlier doubts.

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  the Catholic faith, for which I had thought nothing could be said against the Manichees' objections, I now thought might be maintained without shamelessness

• struggles to conceiveSpiritual Substance

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  Augustine found himself unable to conceive of a spiritual substance, which was a barrier to fully refuting the Manichees.

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  Could I once have conceived a spiritual substance, all their strongholds had been beaten down, and cast utterly out of my mind; but I could not

• adopts manner ofAcademics (Philosophical School)

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  Augustine, in his period of doubt, adopted the skeptical approach of the Academics.

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  after the manner of the Academics (as they are supposed) doubting of every thing

• abandonsManichees

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  Augustine decided to abandon the Manichean sect, preferring some philosophers to them even while still doubting.

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  the Manichees were to be abandoned

• prefers toAcademics (Philosophical School)

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  Augustine, while doubting, preferred some philosophers over the Manichean sect.

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  I already preferred some of the philosophers

• becomesCatechumen

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  Augustine determined to be a Catechumen in the Catholic Church until he found certainty.

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  I determined therefore so long to be a Catechumen in the Catholic Church

• is commended toCatholic Church

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  Augustine had been commended to the Catholic Church by his parents.

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  to which I had been commended by my parents

• informsMonnica

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  Augustine disclosed to his mother that he was no longer a Manichee, though not yet a Catholic Christian.

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  when I had discovered to her that I was now no longer a Manichee, though not yet a Catholic Christian

• perceivesCelibacy

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  Augustine considered Ambrose's celibacy to be a painful course, despite esteeming him as a happy man.

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  only his celibacy seemed to me a painful course

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  2026-03-02T21:55:20.541Z

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