The Importance of Roman History in the City of God

Augustine's overview of Roman history in the city of God was written to puncture the age-old balloon of Roman exceptionalism. Christian churchmen of Augustine's generation had become adept at just this sort of iconoclasm, he says. For Augustine then, being irreverent toward the old Roman myths wasn't just done in the service of piety toward Christian narratives; it was also done to curry favor with congregations.