The Life of Augustine of Hippo
Part Three: The Pelagian Crisis (411–430)
Edited By Frederick Van Fleteren
Article 347: Boniface and Darius
Extract
ARTICLE 347
Boniface and Darius
Count Boniface had unfortunately formed an alliance with the Vandals to conserve his temporal fortunes. God was content to execute through his evil will the indictment pronounced by divine justice against Africa. God had mercy on Boniface and gave him the means to repair the damage of his sins to some extent by reconciliation with the empire. Ancient authors do not say how this reconciliation occurred. The African bishops on the voyage from which Augustine asked news from Quoduultdeus may have been sent to deal with this matter.1 It would have apparently taken an important occasion for Alypius at his age to travel to Rome a third time upon which occasion he sent Augustine Julian’s works in 428. Alypius and the others could have been deputized by the African bishops at the news of the Vandals’ arrival in Africa. Surely these bishops were deputized by an African council. Augustine had been at Carthage during that time because of the Leporius affair. Procopius attributed Boniface’s reconciliation to his friends at Rome.2 They thought he was incapable of revolting because of personal ambition and found what he did surprisingly incomprehensible. Some of these friends went to Carthage, expressly at Placidia’s order, to ascertain the reason for his problem. They conferred with Boniface and found Aetius’ letters forcing Boniface to take up arms against his own inclination. They returned promptly to Rome to assure Placidia of the status of things and Boniface’s disposition for...
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