Augustine of Hippo, St. (actually, Aurelius Augustinus)

Augustine of Hippo, St. (actually, Aurelius Augustinus), great Christian church father; b. Tagaste, Numidia, Nov. 13, 354; d. Hippo, Aug. 28, 430. He was educated in Carthage. In 387 he was baptized a Christian by St. Ambrose in Milan, and then returned to Tagaste as a proselyte of his new faith. In 391 he settled in Hippo as assistant to the bishop, Valerius, whom he succeeded in 395. Augustine had a great love for music, which is reflected in his valuable treatise De musica (387–91). It is notable for its discussion of rhythm and the theological and philosophical import of the study of music. For a modern ed. of his treatise, see R. Taliaferro, ed. and tr., “On Music: De musica,” The Fathers of the Church, a New Translation: Writings of St. A. (Vol. II, N.Y., 1947).

Bibliography

A. Vincent, Analyse du traité de métrique et de rhyth-mique de S. A. intitulé “De musica” (Paris, 1849); J. Huré, S. A. musicien (Paris, 1924); F. Amerio, II “De musica” di S. A. (Turin, 1929); G. Borhezio, La musica in S. A. (Rome, 1931); H. Davenson, Traité de la musique selon l’esprit de S. A. (Neuchâtel, 1944); F. van der Meer, A.us de zielzorger: Een studie over de praktijk van een kerkvader (Utrecht, 1947; Eng. tr., 1961); G. Bonner, S. A. of Hippo: Life and Controversies (Philadelphia, 1963); J. O’Donnell, A. (Boston, 1985).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire