Augustine made the voyage to Rome. He got there in 383 and he had high hopes for Rome but when he got there he found it much more of a difficult place to fit in.

He was used to Carthage. He had friends. Even the pro-consul who governed

all of Carthage was one who looked after Augustine. But in Rome, he was one among a few million.

And so after a few months there,

he decided he would try his hand at some other place.

And so he traveled far north to the beautiful Italian city of Milan.

He got there in 384 and so far we've been talking about the places that have shaped Augustine's life, his hometown

of theghast, his study at Madara, his time in Carthage, that cauldron, and we've also mentioned

Rome. And now at Milan we need to talk about the people

that will be an influence and have influenced Augustine's life. One is his friend

Philippius. They have been friends since Carthage and they made that

voyage together along with another friend Nabridius. There is also his

mistress back in Carthage. There is also his mistress.

Back in Carthage, Augustine took a mistress.

He would have this mistress for 15 years of his life and when he was converted he dismissed her. There's a lot of discussion around that most think that it had something to do with her

Social standing and that it wasn't an appropriate relationship together. They had a son, Adiodontus. And this

mistress meant a great deal to Augustine. In fact, in the confessions, he does not

name her. It's as if he can't bring himself to put her name on paper.

There was another very close friend to Augustus and he doesn't give him a name either.

Those are the only two people in the whole book that we don't know their names, his mistress and this close friend.

Well, in addition to these friends, there was also Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan.

Back at Carthage and even at Madora,

...