This episode presents an introductory overview and the first book of Saint Augustine’s seminal work, The City of God, edited by Marcus Dods. Writing in the aftermath of the Gothic sack of Rome in 410 A.D., Augustine defends Christianity against pagan accusations that the desertion of ancient gods caused the empire’s downfall. He argues that temporal disasters befall the righteous and the wicked alike, asserting that earthly suffering serves to either correct or prove the faithful. A significant portion of the text addresses the moral integrity of Christian women violated during the war, maintaining that purity resides in the will rather than the body. Augustine further explores the illegitimacy of suicide, using the examples of Lucretia and Cato to show that self-destruction is a sign of weakness rather than true virtue. Ultimately, he contrasts the decaying earthly city with the eternal City of God, providing a foundational Christian philosophy of history and providence.