Queens of a Fallen World
The Lost Women of Augustine’s Confessions
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
FINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2023
'A brilliant new take' Janina Ramirez, author of Femina
'A masterpiece of the historian's art' Peter Brown, author of Augustine of Hippo
The powerful and surprising story of the four remarkable women who changed Augustine's life - and history - forever.
While many know of St Augustine and the Confessions, few know of the women whose hopes and dreams shaped his early life: his mother, Monnica of Thagaste; his lover; his fiancée; and Justina, the troubled empress of ancient Rome. Drawing upon their depictions in the Confessions, historian Kate Cooper skilfully reconstructs their lives against the backdrop of the late Roman Empire to paint a vivid portrait of the turbulent society they and Augustine moved through. She shows how despite their often precarious position, these women tried in their different ways to influence the world around them and argues that Augustine did not end his engagement because he was called by God, but because he considered the potential marriage to be an unforgiveable betrayal of his lover.
Vividly written and drawing on extensive new research, Queens of a Fallen World is essential reading for those looking for a new understanding not only of Augustine, but also of the women who shaped his life with consequences that were to change Christianity for centuries to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
