ThisisthefirstnewrendditionforagenerationofTheCityofGod.thefirstmajorintelectualachievementofLatinChristianityandoneoftheclassictextsofWesterncivilisation.WhenhebegantowriteTheCityofGodin413,StAugustine`sintentionwastodefendtheChristianChurchagainstthechargeofhavingbroughtabouttheSackofRomein410.Ourgrowingthisinitialpurpose,thewordevolvedintoadetailedcritiqueofthepoliticalandmoraltraditionofRomeandasynthesisofPlatonismandChristianitywhichmusystandasoneofthemostsignificantachievementsinWesternintellectualhistory.Apartfromitsintrinsicinterest,theChristianaccountofsocialandpoliticalrelationswhichAugustinegiveswastofurnishoneofthemostfertilesourcesofmaterialforthecontroversialliterantureintheMiddleAges.R.W.Dysonhasproducedacomplete,accurate,authoritativeandfluenttranslationofTheCityofGod,editedtogetherwithfullbiographicalnotes,aconciseintroduction,bibliographicalnoteandchronogyofAugustine`slife.TheresultisoneofthemostimportantsinglecontributionstotheCambridgeTextsseriesyetpublished,ofinteresttostudentsofecclesiasticalhistory,thehistoryofpoliticalthought,theology,philosophyandlateantiquity.