Letters, Volume 6 (1*–29*)

Letter 25

LETTER 25* Introduction This briefest of notes commends the bearer, the priest, Mascelio, otherwise unknown, to the hospitality of those to whom the letter is addressed. It simply lets them know that Augustine had returned to Hippo safely and in good health. Date Because of the addressees, notably Deogratias, Theodorus, Comes and Titianus, this letter is associated with ep. I73A of the corpus of letters. Ep. I73A is a short letter on the suqject of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. In dosing, Augustine recommends that they read a work of his which will soon be available for more information on the same topic. This is, of course, his De Trinitate. I Ep. I73A in turn is linked to ep. 174 addressed to bishop Aurelius of Carthage, announcing the completion of his long-running work on the Trinity: "In my youth, I began a work on the Trinity; ... I have finished it in myoid age." The dates of epp. 173A and 174 then are obviously dearly tied to the date for the completion of the De Trinitate. The Fathers of the Church edition (1955), the Italian edition in the Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana (1969) and Divjak himself all date these letters to 416. But French scholars like Mellet and Camelot (1955) who have entered into a detailed discussion of the dates for the De Trinitate find that these letters should be placed in the year 419. PCBE follows the latter date, as does La Bonnardiere in her Recherches de chronologie augustinienne, p. 86 (1965). The letter itself mentions some names that are known from other sources, especially Deogratias and Quodvultdeus, both ofwhom later became bishops of Carthage. The much less well-known Quintianus also seems to be associated with Carthage. Our note, then, seems to indicate that Augustine had been in Carthage and was writing to inform his friends that he had arrived safely. That does not necessarily mean that the priest Mascelio made the long trip to Carthage, a journey of nearly 125 miles, simply to deliver this note. He may have had another, more significant letter to deliver of which this was the 1. See M. Mellet and T. Camelot, edd., La Trinite, BA 15.557-566 for commentary. 175 176 SAINT AUGUSTINE covering note. (Though it probably was not epp. 173A or 174, which are dated to early and mid-419 respectively.) Or Mascelio may simply have been going to Carthage on business of his own. In any event, a further remark in the letter indicates that his congregation was not pleased with his long absence. Augustine travelled to Carthage with some frequency for councils among other business. This mayor may not have been an unusually long stay but it came after extended absences over a period of several consecutive years. This could indicate the year 419. According to Perler's detailed study of Augustine'S travels (1969), Augustine left Hippo for Carthage in early April and did not return until December. This certainly qualifies as a longer than normal absence. But we now know from ep. 23*A that Augustine returned to Hippo on September 11 in 419. A further detail of the letter mentions that upon his return, Augustine celebrated "the solemnity of the most blessed martyr." The sermons of Augustine show him celebrating the feasts of many martyrs throughout the liturgical year.2 In Africa, Cyprian (+ 258) stood out as the most revered martyr. But in 419, Augustine returned to Hippo just in time to celebrate his feast (Sept. 14). What about the previous years? In 416, Augustine was also absent for a time. In June (?) 416, he attended the council of Numidian bishops at Milevis which reaffirmed the earlier African condemnation of Pelagius (ep. 176). According to Perler's analysis, he was in Carthage in September 416 (for the feast ofCyprian), returning to Hippo at an uncertain date in the fall. This appears to be a shorter absence than that of 419, especially since he was probably in Hippo from the end of the council of Milevis until his departure for Carthage. The next year also saw a stay in Carthage for about the same period. Both years he probably preached at the shrine of Cyprian in Carthage. (Cf. se?"m. 131 and Enar?". in Ps. 86.) The years 416 and 417, then, show shorter periods ofabsence than the year 419. But the year 418 also saw an absence ofgreater duration. He was in Carthage from May until the end of July when he...