'And When Rome Falls, Falls the World': The Fall of Rome and Western Esotericism
The sacking of Rome by Alaric and his Visigoths in the year 410 was an ideologically-charged event that left a permanent imprint on the culture of the west. We discuss two contemporary readings of what this event meant – one a polytheist and one a Christian – and, starting from these case-studies, a
Primary Sources
The Works of Virgil
The Works of Virgil stands as a monumental pillar of Western literature, weaving together didactic agricultural wisdom and high-stakes heroic myth. Virgil masterfully transitions from the 'humble' subjects of bee-keeping and animal husbandry to the harrowing survival of the Trojan people, positing t
De Civitate Dei
On the Dream of Scipio; The Saturnalia
Macrobius delivers a unique time capsule from the fifth century. He frames his work as a series of lively, high-stakes banquets where Roman intellectuals dissect everything from the calendar to the mechanics of the human stomach. The book argues that all gods ultimately point to the sun and that gre
The Collected Works of Macrobius
Macrobius offers a breathtaking Neoplatonic synthesis that transforms the study of literature, science, and ethics into a spiritual pilgrimage. By providing a technical commentary on Cicero’s 'Dream of Scipio' and a sweeping encyclopedic dialogue in the 'Saturnalia,' he argues that the universe is g
On Nature and Grace and On the Spirit and the Letter
In this definitive defense of Divine Grace, Augustine of Hippo confronts the bold Pelagian claim that human nature is inherently capable of sinlessness. He argues that while humanity was created good, original sin has left the race as a 'mass of perdition,' unable to achieve righteousness without th
De spiritu et litera liber unus
On Faith and Works
In 'De fide et operibus' (On Faith and Works), Aurelius Augustine confronts a controversy that remains strikingly modern: the tension between the grace of baptism and the necessity of moral transformation. He vigorously refutes the notion that the sacrament serves as a 'get out of hell free' card fo
The Chaldean Oracles
This text offers a rare, syncretic exploration of Zoroastrian oracles interpreted through the lens of Neoplatonic and Christian thought. It presents a universe structured in three distinct parts—the eternal, the immortal but generated, and the decaying—and positions the human soul as a mediator 'glu
Commentary on the Dream of Scipio and the Saturnalia
Macrobius’s writings represent the ultimate synthesis of Late Antique wisdom, bridging the gap between the classical past and the medieval future. In his 'Commentary on the Dream of Scipio,' he offers a radical Neoplatonic vision of the soul's descent from the stars, arguing that our physical life i
Philosophical Magic: The Chaldean Oracles
This text provides a bridge between ancient pagan theology and the Christian era by asserting that the oldest sages were actually practitioners of a high, holy religion. Patrizi challenges the Aristotelian status quo of his time by arguing that philosophy is inherently tied to theurgy and the animat
The Roman History
This history is the final major account of the Roman Empire written by a contemporary witness. Ammianus writes with the precision of a soldier and the cynicism of a man who survived multiple political purges. He makes bold claims about the moral decay of the Roman aristocracy and the destructive pow
Lives of the Sophists and Fragments of the Histories
Eunapius of Sardis provides a defiant look at the fourth century through the lives of men he considers divine. He presents philosophers not as mere academics but as wonder-workers and living libraries who bridged the gap between humanity and the gods. The text combines intimate biographical details
Works (Opera)
This text operates as an intellectual banquet where Roman scholars debate the meaning of their own traditions. Macrobius argues that all classical deities act as mere masks for the singular power of the Sun. He rejects blind superstition in favor of natural philosophy, aiming to harmonize myth with
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol. 1 (Augustine: Confessions, Letters)
Philip Schaff compiles an essential record of the early Church through the eyes of Eusebius, the man who first mapped out Christian history. The text tackles the messy reality of the Arian controversy and the precarious rise of Constantine. It forces you to confront the divide between a faith under
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol. 2 (Augustine: City of God, Christian Doctrine)
This volume presents the definitive ecclesiastical histories of Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen, documenting how Christianity transformed from a persecuted sect into an imperial power. Readers follow the turbulent Arian controversy, where theological debates over the divinity of the Son served as
On the Chaldean Oracles
In 'De oraculis Chaldaicis', Wilhelm Kroll performs a masterclass in philological detective work, reconstructing the lost fragments of a text that Neoplatonists like Proclus considered more authoritative than Plato himself. This work navigates the high-stakes tension between rigorous historical crit
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol. 7 (Augustine: Gospel and Epistle of John)
This collection brings together the primary voices of a Church under siege by internal division and external political pressure. It records the gritty, practical struggle to define what it means to be a Christian through the Sacraments and the Nicene Creed. You will read the actual instructions give
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol. 10 (Ambrose: Select Works and Letters)
This volume presents the core teachings of a man who famously told an emperor that his palaces belonged to him, but the churches belonged to God. Ambrose redefines the Roman concept of duty, stripping away pagan vanity to replace it with a disciplined pursuit of eternal life. He treats the clergy as
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol. 3 (Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, Rufinus)
The text presents a visceral look at a Church struggling to maintain orthodoxy under the weight of political interference and internal division. It chronicles the life of Theodoret of Cyrus, a figure caught between the competing powers of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome. Through dialogues and personal
The Chaldaean Oracles
G.R.S. Mead brings to life one of the most mysterious and influential texts of late antiquity, bridging the gap between Hellenic philosophy and Eastern mysticism. Through his unique Gnostic-leaning perspective, Mead decodes the cryptic Oracles to describe a universe governed by 'Iynges' (divine whir
Letters (Epistulae)
These letters track Augustine as he navigates the collapse of the Roman world and the rise of a new spiritual order. He does not just explain theology; he actively defends his vision of grace against rivals who emphasize human effort. His writing is sharp, urgent, and deeply confrontational. He refu
Seven Books of History Against the Pagans
Orosius crafts a direct response to the pagan claim that Rome fell because it abandoned its ancient gods. He argues that human history is a relentless cycle of suffering, bloodshed, and moral decay that began with original sin long before Rome was founded. By framing the Roman Empire as a tool of di