Queens of a Fallen World
The Lost Women of Augustine's Confessions
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
FINALIST: THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2023
The vibrant and surprising lives of the women in Augustine's Confessions
While many know of Saint Augustine and his Confessions, few are aware of how his life and thought were influenced by women.
Queens of a Fallen World tells a story of betrayal, love, and ambition in the ancient world as seen through a woman's eyes. Historian Kate Cooper introduces us to four women whose hopes and plans collided in Augustine's early adulthood: his mother, Monnica of Thagaste; his lover; his fiancée; and Justina, the troubled empress of ancient Rome. Drawing upon their depictions in the Confessions, Cooper skilfully reconstructs their lives against the backdrop of their fourth-century society. Though they came from different walks of life, each found her own way of prevailing in a world ruled by men.
A refreshingly complex and compelling portrait of Augustine, Queens of a Fallen World is the riveting story of four remarkable women who set him on course to change history.
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In this intriguing study, historian Cooper (Band of Angels) spotlights four women mentioned in St. Augustine's Confessions: Roman empress Justina; his mother, Monnica of Thagaste; his mistress, with whom he lived for more than a decade; and his 10-year-old fiancée. Setting Augustine's brief mentions of these women against the backdrop of fourth-century North Africa and Italy, Cooper utilizes Justina's reign as empress and protector for her son, Valentinian II, to discuss the religious and political forces at play near the end of the Roman empire. Augustine's memories of his mother, Monnica, are more intimate, and reveal how Monnica's stories, particularly those involving her enslaved childhood companion, Illa, and "the awkward balance of power that had governed their relationship," helped shape his view of the world. Elsewhere, Cooper rounds out the scant mentions of Una and Tacita in the Confessions with discussions of Roman wedding customs, class hierarchies, and more. Though much remains unknown about these women, Cooper persuasively argues that they played a larger role in Augustine's life and work than has previously been understood. It's an eye-opener.
