Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans

work by Orosius

Also known as: “Historiarum adversus paganos libri VII”

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July 13, 2026

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Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans is a world history written by Paulus Orosius, a priest and theologian who lived in the 5th century CE. He composed this work around 416 CE at the request of St. Augustine.1

The book chronicles world history from creation up to 417 CE, with a particular focus on the history of Rome. Orosius aimed to counter the argument that the calamities befalling the Roman Empire were a result of its conversion to Christianity. He presented a narrative of historical catastrophes that occurred before Christianity, suggesting that such disasters were not unique to the Christian era. While the book was popular in the Middle Ages, only the sections covering events after 378 CE are considered valuable by modern scholars.1

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Paulus Orosius
Raymond, Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans). This book chronicles the history of the world from its creation through the founding and history of Rome up until ad 417. In it Orosius describes the catastrophes that befell mankind before Christianity, arguing against the contention that…
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Raymond, Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans). This book chronicles the history of the world from its creation through the founding and history of Rome up until ad 417. In it Orosius describes the catastrophes that befell mankind before Christianity, arguing against the contention that…
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Alfred
…English historian Bede, and the Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans, by Paulus Orosius, a 5th-century theologian—neither of which was translated by Alfred himself, though they have been credited to him—revealed the divine purpose in history. Alfred’s translation of the Pastoral Care of St. Gregory I, the great 6th-century…
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…English historian Bede, and the Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans, by Paulus Orosius, a 5th-century theologian—neither of which was translated by Alfred himself, though they have been credited to him—revealed the divine purpose in history. Alfred’s translation of the Pastoral Care of St. Gregory I, the great 6th-century…
Read More