# Book XV: The Progress of the Two Cities explained — The City of God

> Chapter companion for The City of God by Augustine of Hippo.

## What happens

Augustine explains the growth and progress of the earthly and heavenly cities from Cain and Abel to the deluge, using the allegory of Abraham's two sons to illustrate the distinction between the children of the flesh and the children of promise, and contrasting the fratricide of Cain with that of Romulus.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Two Cities

Augustine distinguishes the earthly city (Cain, Romulus) from the heavenly city (Abel, Isaac), tracing their origins and progress through biblical history.

### Sin, Grace, and Redemption

The fall of humanity through Adam's sin, the condemnation of the mass, and the grace that redeems some to become citizens of the heavenly city.

### Peace, Justice, and the Order of Love

The contrast between the earthly city's lust for dominion (fratricide) and the heavenly city's peace through grace and charity.

## Character check-ins

### Augustine

Author and narrator, explaining the origin and progress of the two cities.

### Cain

Firstborn son of Adam, founder of the earthly city, and a fratricide who killed his brother Abel.

### Abel

Second son of Adam, a sojourner on earth and citizen of the heavenly city, killed by his brother Cain.

### Abraham

Father of two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, who allegorically represent the two covenants and the two cities.

### Romulus

Founder of Rome, who committed fratricide by killing his brother Remus, mirroring Cain's crime.

### Paul

Apostle whose writings (e.g., to the Galatians) are cited to interpret the allegory of Abraham's sons and the two covenants.

### Sarah

Free wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, representing the heavenly city and the covenant of promise.

### Isaac

Son of Abraham and Sarah, born according to the promise, a type of the children of the free woman.

## Key lines

> Thus the founder of the earthly city was a fratricide. Overcome with envy, he slew his own brother, a citizen of the eternal city, and a sojourner on earth.

Cain, the first builder of a city, killed his brother Abel out of envy, showing the pattern of the earthly city.

_Augustine draws a parallel between Cain's murder of Abel and Romulus's murder of Remus._

> For the city of the saints is above, although here below it begets citizens, in whom it sojourns till the time of its reign arrives, when it shall gather together all in the day of the resurrection; and then shall the promised kingdom be given to them, in which they shall reign with their Prince, the King of the ages, time without end.

The heavenly city exists in heaven but produces citizens on earth who live as pilgrims until the resurrection, when they will reign with Christ forever.

_Augustine explains the pilgrim nature of the city of God on earth._

> Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.

Paul interprets Abraham's two sons as an allegory of the two covenants: Hagar represents the old covenant of bondage, Sarah the new covenant of freedom.

_Augustine uses Paul's allegorical reading to connect the two cities to the two covenants._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-book-xv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters