However, this idea is flawed as authors writing immediately after Orosius ’ s death use the name Paulus.

In fact, even Casimiro Torres Rodríguez, one of the main scholars of Orosius ’ s life, indicates that Paulus might be his Christian name and Orosius his native name, a theory that cannot be entirely dismissed.

This idea is supported by Orosius ’ s own works and two letters written by Saint Augustine, the 166th and the 169th.

In any case, any discussion of Orosius ’ s youth is pure speculation and conjecture because, as discussed above, there is little knowledge regarding this period of his life.

The visit to Palestine had a double purpose: Orosius wanted to discuss a number of theological topics with Saint Jerome, particularly those relating to the soul ’ s origins, and Saint Augustine wanted closer ties with the thinker and to gather information regarding the Priscillianists, Origenists and the Pelagian heresy.

In reality, it would seem that Orosius ’ s main task was to assist Jerome and others against Pelagius, who, after the synod of Carthage in 411, had been living in Palestine, and finding some acceptance there.

Orosius met with Pelagius on Saint Augustine ’ s behalf and he represented the orthodox party against the Pelagians at the Synod of Jerusalem that was held in June 415.

This marks both the start of his return journey and, from our current perspective, a new epoch in Orosius ’ s life that is lacking in sources of information for its study.

Given that Saint Stephen ’ s relics were uncovered on 26 December 415, Orosius must have departed from Palestine after that date.

The idea for Orosius ’ s great work, Historiae Adversus Paganos, was born during this reencounter with Saint Augustine.

Support for these dates comes from the fact that the Liber Apologeticus does not mention Orosius ’ s work as a historian, and the prologue refers to Book XI of the City of God by Saint Augustine, which was not published until 416.

This lack of information regarding Orosius could be due to cooling of relations with Saint Augustine, who never makes any clear unambiguous references to Orosius ’ s " Histories " once they have been published.

Gennadius of Massilia considers that Orosius lived at least until the end of the Roman emperor Flavio Honorio ’ s mandate, which lasted until 423.

There are other theories, from a sudden death to a range of legends that talk of Orosius ’ s final arrival in Hispania and his founding of a monastery near to Cabo de Palos where he ended his days, although this latter idea now seems improbable.

The Commonitorium and the Histories are a response, at least in their origins, to the direct influence that Saint Augustine exercised over Orosius. Although Paulus Orosius ’ s most important book was the Historiae Adversus Paganos, his other two surviving books must also be taken into account: Commonitorium and Liber Apologeticus.

Its chronology is littered with the same grey areas as Orosius ’ s biography.

The second chronological limit is 415, which is traditionally considered to be the date when Augustine ’ s book Liber ad Orosium contra Priscillianistas et Origenistas was published, in which Augustine replies to Orosius ’ s Commonitorium.

It not only describes Orosius journey to Africa, but also summarises the beliefs of Priscillianism and Origenism, and it asks for Saint Augustine ’ s advice regarding these theological issues, thereby exposing some of Orosius ’ s theological doubts.

It was used systematically for the first time only about the year 400, by the Iberian historian Orosius.

The first of these is his Chronica sive Historia de duabus civitatibus ( Chronicle or history of the two cities ), a historical and philosophical work in eight books, which follows to some extent the lines laid down by Augustine and Orosius.

The evidence of other ancient sources points to two possible periods during the reign of Claudius: either during his first regnal year ( AD 41 ; so Dio Cassius, Roman History 60. 6. 6 ), or during his ninth regnal year ( 49 ; so Orosius, Historia 7. 6. 15f ).

The first twenty-one chapters, covering the period before the mission of Augustine, are compiled from earlier writers such as Orosius, Gildas, Prosper of Aquitaine, the letters of Pope Gregory I, and others, with the insertion of legends and traditions.

The chief authorities on the career of Alaric are: the historian Orosius and the poet Claudian, both contemporary, neither disinterested ; Zosimus, a historian who lived probably about half a century after Alaric's death ; and Jordanes, a Goth who wrote the history of his nation in 551, basing his work on The Trojan War.

He relied heavily on Orosius ' Historiarum Adversum Paganos ( 5th century AD ) and Eusebius of Caesarea's Chronicon ( early 5th century AD ) as did Orosius.

Gregory's education was the standard Latin one of Late Antiquity, focusing on Vergil's Aeneid and Martianus Capella's Liber de Nuptiis Mercurii et Philologiae, but also other key texts such as Orosius ' Chronicles, which his Historia is a continuation of, and Sallust, all of which works he refers to in his own.

In order to meet with them Orosius travelled to cities on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, such as Hippo Regius and Alexandria.

Orosius did not just discuss theological matters with Saint Augustine, in fact he also collaborated with him on the book The City of God.

The book is basically a historical narration focussing on the pagan peoples from the earliest time up until the time Orosius was alive.

* Originated in La Coruña ( Brigantia ): this is a relatively new theory solely based on the fact that Orosius twice mentioned it in the geographical section of his Histories.

* Originated in Brittany: like the previous theory the supporting data for this theory rests on the fact that Orosius had some knowledge of this area.

Miguel Ángel Rábade Navarro offers a clear and concise definition on Orosius ’ s history in one of his articles on the author.

Throughout the seven books that comprise the history, Orosius introduces several new methods and he also uses others that pick up on the traditional methods of Greco-Roman historiography.

In fact, despite the lack of agreement regarding all other aspects of Orosius ’ s life, including his biography and his works, most experts agree on the universalist nature of this work, including classicists such as Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo and even more modern historians such as Torres Rodríguez.

Paulus Orosius is not only a widely studied author he also described his own thoughts on his historical methodology in some of the prologues to the volumes that comprise his “ Histories ”.

Orosius uses the so-called " succession of the four world empires theory " throughout his works, which traced world history based on the premise that out of the ruins of one great civilization another arose.

Torres Rodríguez ’ theory refers to patriotism is the sense that Orosius places special emphasis on the events that took place in Hispania.

Orosius never seems lacking in sources of information, he even affirms that an historian should be selective with those he has, it rather seems that this difference in level of detail reflects the emphasis that he wants to place on reinforcing his ideas.

Another important aspect of Orosius ’ s work is the importance he placed on geography in his work as a historian.

Colophon from an Incunable | incunabulum of the Historiae Adversus Paganos by Paulus Orosius, one of the most copied books from the Medieval period. The assumed falling out of Paulus Orosius and Saint Augustine at the end of the former ’ s life does not seem to have had a negative effect on the distribution and impact of his Histories.

* A collection of links on Orosius

In his book Commonitorium, which was published in 414, Orosius talks of his arrival, his meeting with Saint Augustine etc.

What is certain is that once Orosius had left the Iberian Peninsula he was certain that his destination was Hippo ( now Annaba in Algeria ), and a meeting with Saint Augustine, who was the greatest thinker of his time.