The City of God · Chapter
XXIV explained
Augustine contrasts the virtue of Regulus with that of Cato, arguing that Christians, like the saintly Job, endure suffering rather than commit suicide.
What happens
Augustine contrasts the virtue of Regulus with that of Cato, arguing that Christians, like the saintly Job, endure suffering rather than commit suicide. He praises Regulus for his patient endurance of captivity and his refusal to take his own life, even when facing torture, and uses this to argue that Christians, who worship the true God and aspire to a heavenly citizenship, should likewise shrink from suicide when delivered into enemy hands for divine testing or correction.
Themes in this chapter
Morality and Virtue vs. Pagan Corruption
Augustine contrasts pagan virtue (Cato's suicide) with Christian virtue (Job's endurance) and highlights Regulus as a model of moral integrity.
Divine Providence and History
Christians delivered into enemy hands are seen as under God's providence for testing or correction.
True Worship and the One God
Christians are distinguished as worshippers of the true God, aspiring to a heavenly citizenship, which forbids suicide.
Characters to notice
- Marcus Attilius Regulus
Praised as a Roman hero who endured captivity and torture rather than commit suicide, setting an example of virtue.
- Marcus Cato
Contrasted unfavorably with Regulus; Cato committed suicide to avoid submission to Caesar.
- Job
Cited as a saintly example who endured dreadful bodily evils rather than take his own life.
- Augustine
Author of the chapter, arguing for Christian forbearance against suicide.
Key passages
“Our opponents are offended at our preferring to Cato the saintly Job, who endured dreadful evils in his body rather than deliver himself from all torment by self-inflicted death; or other saints, of whom it is recorded in our authoritative and trustworthy books that they bore captivity and the oppression of their enemies rather than commit suicide.”
Critics object that we honor Job and other saints who suffered torture and captivity instead of killing themselves, rather than praising Cato.
Augustine defends Christian preference for patient endurance over suicide.
“But their own books authorize us to prefer to Marcus Cato, Marcus Regulus.”
Even Roman records show that Regulus is a better example than Cato.
Augustine uses Roman history to support his argument.
“Having such a contempt of life, and preferring to end it by whatever torments excited enemies might contrive, rather than terminate it by his own hand, he could not more distinctly have declared how great a crime he judged suicide to be.”
Regulus showed his disdain for life by choosing to face torture rather than kill himself, proving he considered suicide a serious sin.
Augustine interprets Regulus's actions as a condemnation of suicide.