02 — The Confessio

Patrick’s spiritual autobiography, read on its own terms. The first file follows the narrative the Confessio itself supplies — Roman Britain, the capture, the six years’ captivity, the escape, the dream-call. The second treats the Confessio as a literary and spiritual act: an apologia and a confession in the Augustinian sense, written by a man who insists, repeatedly, on his own lack of learning.

File	Description
britain-captivity-and-call.md	Roman Britain; the deacon’s grandson; capture at almost sixteen; six years herding in Ireland; the escape; the dream-call and “the voice of the Irish” — the narrative in Patrick’s own words, by section
the-spiritual-autobiography.md	The Confessio as apologia and confession; the humility and the rusticus / unlearned self-portrayal; what kind of document it is

See Also

• 01 — The Two Authentic Writings — why the Confessio is the floor of the subject
• 03 — The Mission to Ireland — the mission the call led to
• 06 — The Trinitarian Confession — the faith the Confessio declares
• Master README — the collection overview