It is possible that he was born in 375 in Bracara Augusta (now Braga), then capital of the Roman province of Gallaecia, and which would be the capital of the Kingdom of the Suebi by his death. Although there are some questions regarding his biography, such as his exact date of birth.
The classical theories suggest that Orosius belonged to a family with good social standing, which would have allowed him to gain a good education.
He went to see St. Augustine (c. 413) and wrote, on request, a summary of the errors of Priscillian and of Origen. These journeys defined his life and intellectual output. Orosius did not just discuss theological matters with Saint Augustine; he also collaborated with him on the book City of God.
Augustine then sent him to Palestine to warn St. Jerome of the menace of Pelagianism. He was also able to participate in a Church Council meeting in Jerusalem on the same trip and he was entrusted with transporting the relics of Saint Stephen.
Unable to return to Spain, which was overrun by the Vandals, Orosius remained in Africa, where he completed the Seven Books of History against the Pagans (tr.
by I. W. Raymond, 1936), which had been undertaken to continue the thrust of Augustine's City of God.
He wrote a total of three books, of which his most important is his Seven Books of History Against the Pagans, considered to be one of the books with the greatest impact on historiography during the period between antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as being one of the most important Hispanic books of all time. His other two surviving books must also be taken into account: Commonitorium and Liber Apologeticus.
In Menorca he made attempts to convert members of the Jewish community to Christianity.
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”. He was always clear in his objectives, he wanted to write the history starting with the creation and leading up to the times in which he lived, which is a clear declaration of his universalist intentions as a historian.
It is known that he was a person of some prestige from a cultural point of view, as he had contact with the greatest figures of his time such as Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Jerome.
