The City of Rome was sacked by Alaric and the Goths in 410 A.D. After three days he left the city with many dead and much destruction. The pagans blamed the Christians because Alaric was a Christian and because the Christians failed to worship the gods of Rome. To answer these charges Augustine, then Bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa, began to write his monumental work City of God.

Augustine pointed out to them that history records wars and calamities of all kinds took place before the coming of Christ, and their gods did not protect them. Secondly, Alaric spared all Romans who took refuge in Christians Churches. In the past, pagans who had taken refuge in their temples of the gods were killed by their conquerors. If they had any sense, Augustine comments, "they would see that that the hardships and cruelties they endured from the enemy came from Divine Providence who makes use of war to reform the corrupt lives of men." 48 He also refutes those who claimed that the greatness of the Roman Empire was due to fortune of fate. By fortune they meant events without cause or rational explanation and fate, to most people, meant the ruling power of the stars. Again, the truth is that Divine providence alone is responsible for the establishment of kingdoms among men. Others could not see why the good were punished with the wicked. Augustine points out that "Both are scourged, not because both lead a bad life, but because both love an earthly life...." (p. 48)

In this great work Augustine contrasts the kingdoms of this world with the Kingdom of God. They both have their origin in Adam but from the beginning they parted. Cain established the City of Man and Abel belonged to the City of God. Culture and civilization is good because it seeks justice and peace but it is often torn apart by internal strife and wars. The city of Rome itself was founded Remus who killed his brother Romulus in order to be its sole founder. (p. 328) The glory of pagan Rome was achieved by Romans who stove for the common good and this was the reward God gave them, but they only sought human glory. They failed to seek the glory of God.

Augustine traces the earthly dimension of the City of God from Adam to Noah, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, king David and finally Christ.

In chapter XIX, Augustine launches into the discovery of the ultimate good of man, that which will make man completely happy. Marcus Varro, On Philosophy had explored 288 opinions on this subject and had concluded that man would be completely happy when he enjoyed absolutely all goods of soul and body. Rome tried to bring order and peace by imposing its Law and Language and had established the Pax Romana for 27 B.C. to 180 A.D., but at the cost of wars and tremendous slaughtering of men. "The earthly city which does not live by faith seeks only an earthly peace and limits the goal of its peace...." (p. 464)

Augustine points to the peace in eternal life as follows:

We will be transformed into his very image

to Fire of Hell