Abstract

Orosius is generally considered Augustine’s companion in the debate with Pelagius; however, a careful analysis of his Liber Apologeticus shows that Orosius shares the main features of Jerome’s polemic against Pelagius, thus moving away from Augustine’s approach. Orosius and Jerome used the same source, unknown to Augustine. They depicted Pelagius as the heir of Christian heretics, such as Origen, Priscillian and Jovinian; they both employed offensive language; and, finally, they agreed on the main theological problems involved in the controversy. All of these issues are at odds with what Augustine believed was the right approach against Pelagius. At the end of his Palestinian experience, Orosius was no longer Augustine’s disciple, but rather Jerome’s companion in the struggle against Pelagius.