Who Was Augustine of Hippo?

Augustine of Hippo is credited as being one of the most important influences of the development of Western Christianity. he developed a theological system that was used all throughout the thirteenth century and his influence is still felt today. many of his writings have survived to this day, and it is thanks to one of them: Confessions and Revisions. that we know a lot about his life. We also know a lot about him because of a contemporary biography,  and all of his letters that have survived (there are over two hundred that are still surviving today). Confessions and Revisions, his most famous work, is not just a simple autobiography. It is instead a long prayer of penitence and thanksgiving for the grace of God shown throughout the first thirty-three years of his life.
    Aurelius Augustine (his full name), was born in Thagaste, North Africa to Patricius, a pagan until the time of his death, and Monica, a devoted follower of the Catholic faith. Even as a young child, Augustine was interested in learning about the origins of evil. However, he was disappointed when he tried to find a solution in Scripture, instead wishing for the sophistication of Greek classics. When he was 19 years old, he joined the sect of Manichees. He was a "hearer", and recorded some of the strange teachings he learned there. For a while, he found an explanation for the origins of evil. However, after a while of living with the Manichees, Augustine became dissatisfied with the teachings, and turned to a new religion, the Neoplatinism. after a long struggle, he was converted and baptized by Ambrose, the bishop at the time. Finally, he returned to Thagaste after his mother died. Here he received an ordination as a bishop where he very much disliked the Greek literature and therefore never learned to read it. So, he was restricted to translating Latin in his biblical studies.
Web Citations:
1. "Augustine of Hippo (354-430)." EarlyChurch.org.uk: An Internet Resource for the Study of the Early Centuries of Christianity. 24 Mar. 2010 .  (http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/augustine.php) 
Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Saint_Augustine_by_Philippe_de_Champaigne.jpg/250px-Saint_Augustine_by_Philippe_de_Champaigne.jpg