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.