Tempo e spazio del santo nelle Confessioni

Of the various elements that shape any narrative, space and time are arguably the ones to which Augustine devotes the greatest attention in his Confessions. This paper focuses on the second part of Book IX, which marks the point of transition between the two sections of the work. The analysis will be conducted at two levels: that of the diegesis and that of the meta-diegesis, which may occasionally mirror the former. The representation of spatial and temporal elements in the narrative and their reflection in the meta-narrative will be examined. Three episodes, in particular, will be considered: Ambrose’s discovery and translation of the relics of Gervasius and Protasius in IX 7, 16; Augustine’s and Monica’s ecstatic experience at Ostia in IX 10, 23-26; the recollection of Monica’s death and of the arrangements for her burial in IX 11, 27-28.