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The City of God

Chapter 5.--Of the Fratricidal Act of the Founder of the Earthly City, and the Corresponding Crime of the Founder of Rome.

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. So that we cannot be surprised that this first specimen, or, as the Greeks say, archetype of crime, should, long afterwards, find a corresponding crime at the foundation of that city which was destined to reign over so many nations, and be the head of this earthly city of which we speak. For of that city also, as one of their poets has mentioned, "the first walls were stained with a brother's blood," ¹ or, as Roman history records, Remus was slain by his brother Romulus. And thus there is no difference between the foundation of this city and of the earthly city, unless it be that Romulus and Remus were both citizens of the earthly city. Both desired to have the glory of founding the Roman republic, but both could not have as much glory as if one only claimed it; for he who wished to have the glory of ruling would certainly rule less if his power were shared by a living consort. In order, therefore, that the whole glory might be enjoyed by one, his consort was removed; and by this crime the empire was made larger indeed, but inferior, while otherwise it would have been less, but better. Now these brothers, Cain and Abel, were not both animated by the same earthly desires, nor did the murderer envy the other because he feared that, by both ruling, his own dominion would be curtailed,--for Abel was not solicitous to rule in that city which his brother built,--he was moved by that diabolical, envious hatred with which the evil regard the good, for no other reason than because they are good while themselves are evil. For the possession of goodness is by no means diminished by being shared with a partner either permanent or temporarily assumed; on the contrary, the possession of goodness is increased in proportion to the concord and charity of each of those who share it. In short, he who is unwilling to share this possession cannot have it; and he who is most willing to admit others to a share of it will have the greatest abundance to himself. The quarrel, then, between Romulus and Remus shows how the earthly city is divided against itself; that which fell out between Cain and Abel illustrated the hatred that subsists between the two cities, that of God and that of men. The wicked war with the wicked; the good also war with the wicked. But with the good, good men, or at least perfectly good men, cannot war; though, while only going on towards perfection, they war to this extent, that every good man resists others in those points in which he resists himself. And in each individual "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." ² This spiritual lusting, therefore, can be at war with the carnal lust of another man; or carnal lust may be at war with the spiritual desires of another, in some such way as good and wicked men are at war; or, still more certainly, the carnal lusts of two men, good but not yet perfect, contend together, just as the wicked contend with the wicked, until the health of those who are under the treatment of grace attains final victory.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput V: De primo terrenae ciuitatis auctore fratricida, cuius inpietati Romanae urbis conditor germani caede responderit.

Primus itaque fuit terrenae ciuitatis conditor fratricida; nam suum fratrem ciuem ciuitatis aeternae in hac terra peregrinantem inuidentia uictus occidit. unde mirandum non est, quod tanto post in ea ciuitate condenda, quae fuerat huius terrenae ciuitatis, de qua loquimur, caput futura et tam multis gentibus regnatura, huic primo exemplo et, ut Graeci appellant, ἀρχετύπῳ quaedam sui generis imago respondit. nam et illic, sicut ipsum facinus quidam poeta commemorauit illorum, fraterno primi maduerunt sanguine muri. sic enim condita est Roma, quando occisum Remum a fratre Romulo Romana testatur historia; nisi quod isti terrenae ciuitatis ambo ciues erant. ambo gloriam de Romanae reipublicae institutione quaerebant, sed ambo eam tantam, quantam, ni unus esset, habere non poterant. qui enim uolebat dominando gloriari, minus utique dominaretur, si eius potestas uiuo consorte minueretur. ut ergo totam dominationem haberet unus, ablatus est socius, et scelere creuit in peius, quod innocentia minus esset et melius. hi autem fratres Cain et Abel non habebant ambo inter se similem rerum terrenarum cupiditatem, nec in hoc alter alteri inuidit, quod eius dominatus fieret angustior, qui alterum occidit, si ambo dominarentur - Abel quippe non quaerebat dominationem in ea ciuitate, quae condebatur a fratre - , sed inuidentia illa diabolica, qua inuident bonis mali, nulla alia causa, nisi quia illi boni sunt, illi mali. nullo enim modo fit minor accedente seu permanente consorte possessio bonitatis, immo possessio bonitas, quam tanto latius, quanto concordius indiuidua sociorum possidet caritas. non habebit denique istam possessionem, qui eam uoluerit habere communem, et tanto eam reperiet ampliorem, quanto amplius ibi potuerit amare consortem. illud igitur, quod inter Remum et Romulum exortum est, quemadmodum aduersus se ipsam terrena ciuitas diuidatur, ostendit; quod autem inter Cain et Abel, inter duas ipsas ciuitates, dei et hominum, inimicitias demonstrauit. pugnant ergo inter se mali et mali; item pugnant inter se mali et boni: boni uero et boni, si perfecti sunt, inter se pugnare non possunt. proficientes autem nondumque perfecti ita possunt, ut bonus quisque ex ea parte pugnet contra alterum, qua etiam contra se met ipsum; et in uno quippe homine caro concupiscit aduersus spiritum et spiritus aduersus carnem. concupiscentia ergo spiritalis contra alterius potest pugnare carnalem uel concupiscentia carnalis contra alterius spiritalem, sicut inter se pugnant boni et mali; uel certe ipsae concupiscentiae carnales inter se duorum bonorum, nondum utique perfectorum, sicut inter se pugnant mali et mali, donec eorum, qui curantur, ad ultimam uictoriam sanitas perducatur.