Key Arguments

• He describes his motive in rhetorical study as ‘damnable and conceited’, aimed at delight in human vanity: "I wanted to distinguish myself as an orator for a damnable and conceited purpose, namely delight in human vanity."
• Within this curriculum, he encountered Cicero’s Hortensius, admired for its language: "Following the usual curriculum I had already come across a book by a certain Cicero,10 whose language (but not his heart) almost everyone admires. That book of his contains an exhortation to study philosophy and is entitled Hortensius.11"
• He states that the book ‘changed’ his feelings and reoriented his prayers toward God, altering his scale of values: "The book changed my feelings. It altered my prayers, Lord, to be towards you yourself. It gave me different values and priorities."
• He reports that it made all his former hopes seem empty and stirred an incredible ardour for immortal wisdom: "Suddenly every vain hope became empty to me, and I longed for the immortality of wisdom with an incredible ardour in my heart. I began to rise up to return to you."
• He insists he read it for content, not stylistic polish, despite being in rhetorical training supported by his mother: "For I did not read the book for a sharpening of my style, which was what I was buying with my mother’s financial support now that I was 18 years old and my father had been dead for two years. I was impressed not by the book’s refining effect on my style and literary expression but by the content."
• He explains that the book kindled his love of wisdom (philosophia), while warning that some misuse philosophy to lead astray, a danger already refuted in Hortensius: "‘Love of wisdom’ is the meaning of the Greek word philosophia.13 This book kindled my love for it. There are some people who use philosophy to lead people astray. They lend colour to their errors and paint them over by using a great and acceptable and honourable name. Almost all those who in the author’s times and earlier behaved in this way are noted in that book and refuted."
• He connects this with Paul’s admonition against ‘philosophy and vain seduction’, noting that although he then did not know the apostolic text, Hortensius exemplified its warning: "That text is a clear demonstration of the salutary admonition given by your Spirit through your good and devoted servant (Paul): ‘see that none deceives you by philosophy and vain seduction following human tradition; following the elements of this world and not following Christ; in him dwells all the fullness of divinity in bodily form’ (Col. 2: 8–9). At that time, as you know, light of my heart, I did not yet know these words of the apostle."
• He singles out as most delightful the exhortation to seek wisdom itself rather than attach to a particular sect: "the one thing that delighted me in Cicero’s exhortation was the advice ‘not to study one particular sect but to love and seek and pursue and hold fast and strongly embrace wisdom itself, wherever found’."
• He notes his intense enthusiasm was ‘braked’ by the absence of Christ’s name, which he had interiorly cherished since infancy through his mother: "One thing alone put a brake on my intense enthusiasm—that the name of Christ was not contained in the book. This name, by your mercy Lord (Ps. 24: 7), this name of my Saviour your Son, my infant heart had piously drunk in with my mother’s milk, and at a deep level I retained the memory. Any book which lacked this name, however well written or polished or true, could not entirely grip me."

Source Quotes

Following the usual curriculum I had already come across a book by a certain Cicero,10 whose language (but not his heart) almost everyone admires. That book of his contains an exhortation to study philosophy and is entitled Hortensius.11 The book changed my feelings. It altered my prayers, Lord, to be towards you yourself. It gave me different values and priorities. Suddenly every vain hope became empty to me, and I longed for the immortality of wisdom with an incredible ardour in my heart.

It gave me different values and priorities. Suddenly every vain hope became empty to me, and I longed for the immortality of wisdom with an incredible ardour in my heart. I began to rise up to return to you. For I did not read the book for a sharpening of my style, which was what I was buying with my mother’s financial support now that I was 18 years old and my father had been dead for two years.

For I did not read the book for a sharpening of my style, which was what I was buying with my mother’s financial support now that I was 18 years old and my father had been dead for two years. I was impressed not by the book’s refining effect on my style and literary expression but by the content.12 (8) My God, how I burned, how I burned with longing to leave earthly things and fly back to you. I did not know what you were doing with me.

For ‘with you is wisdom’ (Job 12: 13, 16). ‘Love of wisdom’ is the meaning of the Greek word philosophia.13 This book kindled my love for it. There are some people who use philosophy to lead people astray.

At that time, as you know, light of my heart, I did not yet know these words of the apostle. Nevertheless, the one thing that delighted me in Cicero’s exhortation was the advice ‘not to study one particular sect but to love and seek and pursue and hold fast and strongly embrace wisdom itself, wherever found’. One thing alone put a brake on my intense enthusiasm—that the name of Christ was not contained in the book.

Nevertheless, the one thing that delighted me in Cicero’s exhortation was the advice ‘not to study one particular sect but to love and seek and pursue and hold fast and strongly embrace wisdom itself, wherever found’. One thing alone put a brake on my intense enthusiasm—that the name of Christ was not contained in the book. This name, by your mercy Lord (Ps.

24: 7), this name of my Saviour your Son, my infant heart had piously drunk in with my mother’s milk, and at a deep level I retained the memory. Any book which lacked this name, however well written or polished or true, could not entirely grip me. v (9) I therefore decided to give attention to the holy scriptures and to find out what they were like. And this is what met me: something neither open to the proud nor laid bare to mere children; a text lowly to the beginner but, on further reading, of mountainous difficulty and enveloped in mysteries.

Key Concepts

• The book changed my feelings. It altered my prayers, Lord, to be towards you yourself. It gave me different values and priorities.
• Suddenly every vain hope became empty to me, and I longed for the immortality of wisdom with an incredible ardour in my heart. I began to rise up to return to you.
• I was impressed not by the book’s refining effect on my style and literary expression but by the content.
• This book kindled my love for it.
• the advice ‘not to study one particular sect but to love and seek and pursue and hold fast and strongly embrace wisdom itself, wherever found’.
• One thing alone put a brake on my intense enthusiasm—that the name of Christ was not contained in the book.
• Any book which lacked this name, however well written or polished or true, could not entirely grip me.

Context

Book III, sections iv–v (7–8): Augustine narrates how reading Cicero’s Hortensius reoriented his desires from rhetorical glory to wisdom and toward God, while also revealing an early, implicit Christocentrism that prevented him from being fully satisfied with a Christ‑less philosophy.