Eroi antichi e martiri cristiani: exempla di morale e santità nel De civitate Dei

Augustine’s attitude towards the past is essentially that of a rhetorician and apologist,
who also assesses events, historical moments, and figures with precise and reasoned adherence
to the classical cultural and literary tradition. This article aims to explore a particular
theme in this regard, examining passages in which Augustine recovers exemplary figures and
moments of greatness in the history of Rome and evaluates them in the light of clear ethical
and behavioural models. These models allow for a comparison between the heroism of the ancient
historiographic tradition and that of the Christian martyrs. Both are ideals of heroism and
‘holiness’, which allow us to deepen Augustine’s apologetic ideology and document the richness
of cues and orientations that characterise his vision of Rome’s history and the subsequent
recovery of antiquity in a distinctly Christian perspective.