Contemporaries of Augustine, Alypius and Possidius were his close friends and members of his monastic community in Hippo.
Saint Alypius
Alypius (died 430?) was referred to by Augustine as “brother of my heart”. Both shared the same errors as young men and both shared the same conversion to Christ.
Alypius was born sometime in the middle of the fourth century in Tagaste, Africa. His parents were influential citizens of that city.
He studied law in Rome. He first met Augustine while at school in Carthage. Augustine praised him for his honesty, sincerity and sense of justice.
When he was living in Rome, Alypius had a government position involving the distribution of funds. He carried out his duties with integrity, not seeking to fill his own pockets with money that rightly belonged to others. It was said that these qualities were very rare at the time. When a powerful Roman Senator tried to involve Alypius in dishonest dealings, Alypius refused to have anything to do with the Senator’s schemes.
Like Augustine, Alypius was at one time a Manichean. The two friends were both converted to Christ and were Baptized together by Saint Ambrose in 387. Alypius helped Augustine start the first monastery in northern Africa in Tagaste. When Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo, and started a monastery there, Alypius joined that community.
He once traveled to the East, where he met the great biblical scholar Saint Jerome. Alypius was ordained Bishop of Tagaste around the year 394. Augustine had not yet been ordained Bishop at the time.He took part in the African Councils of the Church during his time as Bishop, and was chosen along with Possidius and Augustine to represent the Catholic Bishops at the famous meeting with the Donatists in Carthage in 411. He took part in the Council of Milevi (Numidia) in 416. He composed a written report on this Council for Pope Innocent.
Alypius travelled to Italy several times as part of his opposition to the Pelagian heresy. He often carried Augustine’s writings with him in order to present them to Pope Boniface.It is believed that he was present during the death of Augustine in 430. Alypius died shortly after Augustine, probably in the same year 430.
