Augustine of Hippo and the Political Figures of His Time: Aspects of Relationships

This article, devoted to the analysis of the correspondence of Augustine of Hippo (354—430), aims to identify the main aspects of the bishop’s interaction with senior officials: the master of the offices Olympius, the tribune and notary Marcellinus, the vicar Macedonius, the count of Africa Boniface, and others. Based on the diverse content of the letters, these contacts of Augustine can be divided into three groups depending on the type of appeals and the bishop’s goals: 1) requests and intercession; 2) the restoration of church unity and, above all, the application of the anti-Donatist legislation; 3) pastoral and intellectual issues. Further study of the correspondence showed that the three specified aspects of the relationship were closely intertwined. This was due to the emphasis that both sides placed on the religious component of communication, the connection between the pastor and the flock. However, the inevitable consequence of this was that the bishop acquired a new dominant position in the dialogue with the “powers that be”.