DOCSLIB.ORG

Alexandria at the Beginning of the Fifth Century: St. Cyril and His Opponents

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Alexandria at the Beginning of the Fifth Century: St. Cyril and His Opponents Alexandria at the Beginning of the Fifth Century: St. Cyril and His Opponents CIPRIAN IULIAN TOROCZKAI University “Lucian Blaga” of Sibiu, Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Sf. Andrei Şaguna” Introduction In 2009 was launched on the market a controversial film: Agora. It exposes the life of the last director of the legendary library of Alexandria, Theon; it is Hypatia, an astronomer, mathematician and philosopher who lived in the fourth century AC. Although, over time, her scientific works have been lost, her image remained in history as a strong woman, both philosopher and scientist with significant reputation in her time, founder of a school which had many disciples. Based on fictionalized story of love with a slave Davus and a relationship with another student of hers, Orestes, also in love with her, Hypatia is presented as a symbol of tolerance in her hometown. One of the co-producers of the film, Mateo Gil says she embodied two interesting symbols: “On the one hand, the Greek mentality, in search of truth in a world where religion held great power in human life, and, on the other hand, a woman who wanted to lead her own life in a man’s world, showing the same freedom to dedicate herself to the study of philosophy as her father (this spiritual freedom was transposed also on a physical plan: it is known that Hypatia remained a virgin all her life)”. What strikes at a more careful analysis of the film is, beyond the extraordinary destiny of Hypatia, the socio-historical context in which she lived: Alexandria in the second half of the fourth century, a time when the Roman Empire falls into decadence – and with it the Greco-Roman philosophical mentality – and a new order is established, the Christian world. The image that the producers of the film want to emphasize is the inevitable conflict between the end of the ancient world and early medieval times. By the film director’s own confession, Alejandro Amenabar, in the style of a CNN documentary about the fourth century, the film wanted to give the audience a sense of urgency, breaking news. What is not stated directly by the director, but is the impression given to any viewer of the film, is the superiority of wisdom of the Old World in dealing with Christianity. Thus, Hypatia is the symbol of the genius scientist, tolerant, reaching the inevitable conflict – and ultimately even loses her life – with the new religion that is spreading increasingly more. From a persecuted religion, Christianity becomes dominant in Alexandria. After watching the 124 film, the viewer is left on the retina with the image of a grim, intolerant and aggressive Christianity. The parabalani led by bishops Theophilus and Cyril are portrayed as a unleashed horde, thirsty of the blood of true thinkers. Regarding the image of the two bishops, although the director does not insist very much on them, they appear as evil characters, actors from the shadows who know how to manipulate the masses of Christians blinded with rage. For any connoisseur of Church doctrine, the image of the two bishops, and especially that of St. Cyril of Alexandria, as they appear illustrated in the film, can only cause disappointment. In the introduction he makes for the translation into Romanian of a work of St. Cyril, father Dumitru Stăniloae presents him as a prolific patristic author who “prevails as the leading defender of the true Christian faith against the heresy of Nestorius”.1 Actually, for everything that he did in word and deed in defense of authentic teaching of the Church, the Church ranked Bishop Cyril of Alexandria among the saints, the veneration taking place on June 9. Some modern scholars, in the presentation they make to St. Cyril of Alexandria, adopt a method much closer to the producers’ of the film mentioned above, not the Church’s position. Appears, therefore, a crucial question: Who was the Bishop Cyril of Alexandria? To this question we will try to answer in this study. It is a difficult undertaking, for which we will use the historical data contained in the teachings of authors who lived during or shortly after the fifth century. More important, our reflections are premised on the idea that the image and work of St. Cyril may be presented at their real size only taking into account the socio-historical and political context that characterized Alexandria in the second half of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth century, and the effervescent cultural and religious environment of the time. Alexandria, Its Geographical and Cultural Importance The city of Alexandria bears the name of its founder, Alexander the Great. Its importance increases during the Ptolemaic dynasty, due to an intertwining of geographical, historical, cultural and religious factors unique compared to other ancient cities from the Mediterranean. Located on the coast of Egypt, Alexandria could benefit from the construction of a major port. The number of inhabitants has grown increasingly more due to the moderate Mediterranean climate: during the summer, the population almost 1 ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, Scrieri partea întâia: Închinarea şi slujirea în duh şi adevăr (Works. First Part – Worship and Service in Spirit and Truth), (PSB 38), translation, introduction and notes by Dumitru Stăniloae, Publishing House of the Bible and Mission Institute of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Bucharest, 1991, p. 7. 125 doubled because many Egyptians preferred to take refuge here than in the Saharan high temperatures from Cairo and from the remote areas of the south. Alexandria was able to grow also because it was at a point of intersection of two continents. Moreover, it was located in a fertile area due to the connections with the Nile – a network of channels allowed even surfing the Nile directly to Alexandria. Another lake in the vicinity, Mareotis, allowed sufficient water supply. The connection between the topography of Alexandria and the socio- economic structures is otherwise attested even by the legend of the founding of the city by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. According to this legend, the architects of Alexander were out of chalk while drawing the limits of the future city. Instead of chalk, they used barley flour to complete the outline. But a flock of birds came down from heaven and began to eat the flour, which made Alexander the Great believe that was a bad sign. His men assured him that, on the contrary, it was a good sign – the city would be a center of abundance that would feed many nations.2 Beyond this legend, it should be noted that Alexandria, unlike other ancient cities like Athens or Rome, which have developed and expanded over the centuries, was a “planned” city.3 The architectural plan of Alexandria represents the expression of the harbor function owned by the city. The maritime trade was continued by surfing the channels of the Nile mentioned previously. Clearly, this intense harbor life inevitably lead to a diverse population in terms of ethnicity. We find here a strong Hebrew community and a larger pagan community. As for the Christian community, its development is related to the Catechetical School of Alexandria. The most important information on the pre-institutional beginnings of Alexandrian school are provided to us by Eusebius of Caesarea and Philip from Sidon. The latter, in his Christian History says that the first leader had been Athenagoras, followed by Clement, the author of Stromata, and then by Pantem. The most famous teacher was Origen, through whom was made the migration to the institutional stage in the development of the catechetical 4 school. 2 CHRISTOPHER HAAS, Late Antiquity: Topography and Social Conflict, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1997, p. 22. Through the information provided, the reading of this work was decisive in writing the present study. However, our findings differ essentially from the end of the book. 3 IBIDEM, p. 24. 4 See the study of VLAD NICULESCU, Origen şi tradiţia şcolii catehetice din Alexandria (Origen and the Tradition of the Catechetical School of Alexandria), in “Altarul Banatului” (Shrine of Banat), 9 (1998), no. 1-3, p. 8-30. 126 At the end of the fourth century and early fifth century, the tradition of the catechetical school of Alexandria ended. Probably the last name of its leader, Rhodon is just an invention of Philip (he was interested to present himself as a direct successor of the Alexandrian tradition; he wrote in the fifth century).5 Alexandria in the Time of St. Cyril From the first part of the life of St. Cyril we do not have too much data. We know only that he was born into a prominent family, that he lived for a time as a monk in the desert and accompanied his uncle Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, at the Council of Constantinople that removed St. John Chrysostom from the patriarchal see (403). On October 17, 412, two days after the death of his uncle Theophilus, he was elected Patriarch of Alexandria. Theophilus led the church of Alexandria between 385 and 412, a period of relative peace. The only notable incident happened with the “Long brothers”, Origenist monks – in fact, as demonstrated by Alexander Golitzin on the footsteps of Georges Florovsky, “anthropomorphites”6 – and with John Chrysostom. However, the episcopate of Theophilus of Alexandria had brought peace at a social level; He initiated several architectural projects that that had him respected by the lower social class However, the episcopate of Theophilus of Alexandria had brought peace at a social level; he initiated several architectural projects that that had him respected by the lower social class. The situation began to change only a very short time before the death of Theophilus, being related to violent incidents around establishing his successor on the episcopal see.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing It in Conversation with the Antioch
    Xavier University Exhibit Honors Bachelor of Arts Undergraduate 2019-4 Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing it in Conversation with the Antioch Riot of 387 Ty Richer Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH Follow this and additional works at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Other Classics Commons Recommended Citation Richer, Ty, "Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing it in Conversation with the Antioch Riot of 387" (2019). Honors Bachelor of Arts. 39. https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab/39 This Capstone/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate at Exhibit. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Bachelor of Arts by an authorized administrator of Exhibit. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing it in Conversation with the Antioch Riot of 387 By: Ty Richer CPHAB Senior Thesis Xavier University 2019 1 Introduction: A Fine Mess on a Sunny Day You enter into the stadium and find a place to sit down, doing chores around the house made you late, but multiple races run each day, so much of the fun is still ahead. Behind you sits a man, having brought his son to see the games. In front of you is a young man and woman talking about their interests, on their first date no doubt. You strike up a conversation with the man sitting to your left and begin to talk about the new taxes you both have to pay.
    [Show full text]
  • Cassiodorus Chronicle Edition Mommsen, 1894; English Translation Bouke Procee, 2014
    Cassiodorus Chronicle Edition Mommsen, 1894; English translation Bouke Procee, 2014. Introduction Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus, was a Roman statesman and writer, serving in the administration of Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths at Ravenna, Italy. Senator was part of his surname, not his rank. His best known work is his Variae, a letter collection, written as an example book for high official scribes. Cassiodorus wrote his chronicle for Eutharic, husband of Amalasuintha, the daughter of King Theoderic the Great, and heir apparent to Theoderic's throne. Most likely he did this in 519, the year that Eutharic was consul, together with Justin, the Eastern emperor. He used as sources material from Livy, Jerome, Prosper of Aquitaine and Eutropius, which he epitomized and adapted for his own purpose. Two manuscripts of Cassiodorus' chronicle survive: Parisinus Latinus 4860, a tenth-century manuscript, kept in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris; and Monacensis 14613, written in the eleventh century, and kept in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich. Mommsen published an edition based on these manuscripts in 1894, in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi 11, pp. 109-1611. This edition is shown below, alongside the English translation. CHRONICA MAGNI AURELII CASSIODORI CHRONICLE OF MAGNUS AURELIUS CASSIODORUS SENATOR, vir SENATORIS v.c. et inl., ex questore sacri palatii, ex clarissimus and inlustris, ex-quaestor of the sacred palace, ex-consul, ex- cons. ord., ex mag. off., ppo atque patricii. magister officiorum, praetorian prefect and patrician. 1 PRAEFATIO. PREFACE Sapientia principali, qua semper magna revolvitis, in In your princely wisdom, in which you always consider important matters, ordinem me consules digerere censuistis, ut qui annum you directed me to set the consuls in order so that you, who had adorned the ornaveratis glorioso nomine, redderetis fastis veritatis year with your glorious name, might restore to the fasti the dignity of pristinae dignitatem.
    [Show full text]
  • Bas. 60.51.40; Dig. 48.19. Headnote. We Already Have Noted at C. 9.2
    Book IX. Title XLVII. Concerning punishments. (De poenis.) Bas. 60.51.40; Dig. 48.19. Headnote. We already have noted at C. 9.2.9 that even though the proof of the charge on which an accused was tried, might fail, he still might be punished, if it appeared upon the trial that he was guilty of some other crime, and this subject need not be further mentioned. It is pointed out by Geib and other authorities that there was a tendency from the time of Constantine on, to abridge the discretion of judges in administering the law. That is doubtless true, and was due mainly to the fact that the emperors became more like oriental despots, retiring more and more from the active management of affairs, as a result of which corruption of officials became more prevalent, and which, in turn, brought about the requirement, frequently of little effect, that judges must strictly keep themselves within the limits of the law. In C. 9.12 8, for instance, judges are threatened with infamy if they delay or neglect to punish crime or extend immunity or assess a lighter penalty than provided by law. It is clearly seen that this law was aimed at the corruption of judges. Notwithstanding these facts, however, the punishment meted out for crime was not uniform, and in the nature of things could not be, because of the difference of circumstances in the different cases. Thus it is, for instance, said - a point already noted - that the severity of the punishment frequently depended upon the intention with which a crime was committed.
    [Show full text]
  • Disreputable Occupations in the Roman World
    Criers, Impresarios, and Sextons: Disreputable Occupations in the Roman World Sarah E. Bond A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2011 Approved by: Richard J.A. Talbert, Advisor Brett Whalen, Reader James Rives, Reader Werner Riess, Reader Fred Naiden, Reader ©2011 Sarah E. Bond ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ! ""! ABSTRACT SARAH E. BOND: Criers, Impresarios, and Sextons: Disreputable Occupations in the Roman World (Under the direction of Richard J.A. Talbert.) Roman law stigmatized not only the individual but also the collective for dishonorable acts. Numerous professions incurred varying degrees of disrepute that carried legal and civic disabilities. Professionals in the sex and entertainment trades who incurred the legal stigma of infamia have been investigated by modern scholarship; yet, those people who worked in the disreputable occupations of praeco (crier), dissignator (event coordinator), libitinarius (funeral director), and in the mortuary trade have not been fully discussed in terms of either the reasons for their disrepute or their significance within social, economic, administrative, and religious networks. To counteract this void of literature, I analyze the status and role of these professionals from the Republic to Late Antiquity. Through this research, I show the origins of social perceptions of disrepute and their codification into legal statute in the first century BCE, and illustrate the creation of a marginal society that was placed outside the civic realm in Roman cities. I argue that these professionals were crucial negotiators between the civic and marginal society.
    [Show full text]
  • Notitia Dignitatum As a Historical Source
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library An Assessment of the Notitia Dignitatum as a Historical Source for the Late Roman Bureaucracy A thesis submitted by: Ruth O’Hara For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Dr Michael Williams Head of Department: Dr. Kieran McGroarty Department of Ancient Classics National University of Ireland, Maynooth, October 2013 Contents Abstract 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Approaching the Notitia Dignitatum ................................................................. 5 1.3 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 10 2. The Notitia Dignitatum: Nature and Reception .................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 11 2.2 The nature of the Notitia Dignitatum .............................................................. 11 2.2.1 The nature of the text .................................................................................. 13 2.3 Dating ................................................................................................................ 17 2.3.1 The
    [Show full text]
  • 0-Copertina Editti
    “EDITTI” DEL PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO EDIZIONI AV CAGLIARI - 2012 PRESENTAZIONE “EDITTI” DEL P.P. L’edizione informatica degli “editti” dei Prefetti del Pretorio, che compare nel sito del- l’Editore AV (www.edizioniav.it), rappresenta uno dei risultati dell’unità di ricerca dell’Univer- sità di Cagliari nell’ambito del PRIN 2008 dedicato alla nostra fonte e diretto dal collega ed amico Fausto Goria. Essa si aggiunge alle edizioni informatiche, già presenti nello stesso sito, della Collectio CLXVIII Novellarum, nonché del Syntagma Novellarum di Atanasio e del Breviarium Novellarum di Teodoro. Al pari di quanto già accaduto per i testi di Atanasio e di Teodoro, il carattere utilizzato è stato il Symbol greek, il cui impiego ha ridotto sensibilmente i costi di digitazione, mentre, come già a suo tempo segnalato, per la Collectio CLXVIII Novellarum il rapporto di collaborazione instaurato col Centro universitario per l’informatica romanistica (CIR) ha determinato l’impiego dell’editor testuale BEF – BIA, messo a disposizione dal collega Nicola Palazzolo. Indubbiamente per gli “editti” del Prefetto del Pretorio appaiono ancora più evidenti le considerazioni che ho avuto modo di formulare per le raccolte di Novellae in relazione alla scarsa attenzione mostrata dai cultori del diritto romano per una fonte in grado di offrire spunti di ricerca non privi di interesse, ed alla conseguente utilità di renderne la consultazione più agevole attraverso adeguati subsidia, soprattutto di tipo informatico. Il rilievo riguarda, invero, non tan- to le problematiche generali relative alla nostra fonte, quanto, invece, proprio l’utilizzazione delle testimonianze offerte dai singoli edicta nelle ricerche relative agli argomenti che hanno formato oggetto di normazione da parte del Prefetto.
    [Show full text]
  • The Code of Our Lord the Most Sacred Emperor Justinian
    THE CODE OF OUR LORD THE MOST SACRED EMPEROR JUSTINIAN. SECOND EDITION. BOOK I. TITLE I. CONCERNING THE MOST EXALTED TRINITY AND THE CATHOLIC FAITH, AND PROVIDING THAT NO ONE SHALL DARE TO PUBLICLY OPPOSE THEM. 1. The Emperors Gratian, Valentinian, and Theodosius to the people of the City of Constantinople. We desire that all peoples subject to Our benign Empire shall live under the same religion that the Divine Peter, the Apostle, gave to the Romans, and which the said religion declares was introduced by himself, and which it is well known that the Pontiff Damasus, and Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic sanctity, embraced; that is to say, in accordance with the rules of apostolic discipline and the evangelical doctrine, we should believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute a single Deity, endowed with equal majesty, and united in the Holy Trinity. (1) We order all those who follow this law to assume the name of Catholic Christians, and considering others as demented and insane, We order that they shall bear the infamy of heresy; and when the Divine vengeance which they merit has been appeased, they shall afterwards be punished in accordance with Our resentment, which we have acquired from the judgment of Heaven. Dated at Thessalonica, on the third of the Kalends of March, during the Consulate of Gratian, Consul for the fifth time, and Theodosius. 2. The Same Emperors to Eutropius, Prætorian Prefect. Let no place be afforded to heretics for the conduct of their ceremonies, and let no occasion be offered for them to display the insanity of their obstinate minds.
    [Show full text]
  • Records of the Roman Pontiffs from the Founding of the Church to the Year After Christ Was Born
    Records of the Roman Pontiffs from the founding of the church to the year after Christ was born 1198 ------------------- Phillip Jaffe edited --------------------------- the second edition corrected and expanded by the asupices of William Wattenbach Professor at Berlin S. Loewenfeld, F. Kaltenbrunner, P. Eward took care of First Volume (from S. Peter to the year 1143) Of Leipzig Veit and Comp. 1885 [Translated from the Latin] [A.D. 341-558] [Paging of the original] [31] [St. Iulius I, 341.] 343. He sends his legates the presbyters Archidamus and Philoxenus to the synod of Sardinia. Apol. of Athanasius against the Arians c. 50, Works I. 182 (Migne P. Gr. 25 p. 338); cf. Mansi III.66. 187 (33) *He excuses himself for his absence from the Sardinian synod. See acts of the synod in S. Hilarius’ Works II. 629 (Migne 10 p. 639). 346. 188 (34) He congratulates the presbyters and deacons and people of Alexandria concerning the bishop Athanasius who returns to them. Athanasius’ Apol. against Arian. c. 52, Works I. 135 (Migne P. Gr. 25 p. 343), Coustant p. 399, Mansi II. 1233, Migne 8 p. 908. --- “Gk: And I myself congratulate.” “And I myself congratulate.” 347. Whether the synod, in which the condemnation of Photinus of Milan published in the year 345 is affirmed was at Rome or at Milan, is uncertain. Acts in Mansi III.163. See S. Hilarius’ Works II. 637 annot. c. (Migne 10 p. 647). Cf. Hefele I. 638. 337-352. 189 (36) He writes to Prosdocius, that the divinity of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit is one and the same, and that the son is both God completed in the flesh, and God completed in the spirit, other things.
    [Show full text]
  • Hypatia of Alexandria Her Context and Legacy
    Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity Herausgegeber / Editors Christoph Markschies (Berlin) · Martin Wallraff (München) Christian Wildberg (Pittsburgh) Beirat /Advisory Board Peter Brown (Princeton) · Susanna Elm (Berkeley) Johannes Hahn (Münster) · Emanuela Prinzivalli (Rom) Jörg Rüpke (Erfurt) 119 Hypatia of Alexandria Her Context and Legacy Edited by Dawn LaValle Norman and Alex Petkas Mohr Siebeck Dawn LaValle Norman, born 1983; 2015 PhD in Classics and Hellenic Studies at Princeton University; Research Fellow at Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry in Melbourne. orcid.org / 0000‑0002‑3354‑1298 Alex Petkas, born 1984; 2019 PhD in Classics and Hellenic Studies at Princeton Uni‑ versity; Assistant Professor of Classics at California State University, Fresno. orcid.org / 0000‑0001‑6891‑8908 ISBN 978‑3‑16‑154969‑4 / eISBN 978‑3‑16‑158954‑6 DOI 10.1628 / 978‑3‑16‑158954‑6 ISSN 1436‑3003 / eISSN 2568‑7433 (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbiblio‑ graphie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that per‑ mitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies partic‑ ularly to reproductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was typeset and printed on non‑aging paper by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany. For Robert Germany (1974 – 2017) πάτερ καὶ ἀδελφὲ καὶ διδάσκαλε καὶ διὰ πάντων τούτων εὐεργετικὲ καὶ ἅπαν ὅ τι τίμιον καὶ πρᾶγμα καὶ ὄνομα.
    [Show full text]
  • Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing It in Conversation with the Antioch
    Xavier University Exhibit Honors Bachelor of Arts Undergraduate 2019-4 Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing it in Conversation with the Antioch Riot of 387 Ty A. Richer Follow this and additional works at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Other Classics Commons Reevaluating the Nika Riot & Placing it in Conversation with the Antioch Riot of 387 By: Ty Richer CPHAB Senior Thesis Xavier University 2019 1 Introduction: A Fine Mess on a Sunny Day You enter into the stadium and find a place to sit down, doing chores around the house made you late, but multiple races run each day, so much of the fun is still ahead. Behind you sits a man, having brought his son to see the games. In front of you is a young man and woman talking about their interests, on their first date no doubt. You strike up a conversation with the man sitting to your left and begin to talk about the new taxes you both have to pay. Your conversation draws to a close as you hear a horn and your attention is drawn below. Moments before the racers had lined up, but now they have become a loose mob, with one clearly leading the rest. He whips his horses on, making sure to stay on the inside track, but other are close behind him. He slows down at the turn, but a competitor whips up his chariot trying to get ahead.
    [Show full text]
  • Narratu Sunt Digna: Aspects of the Socio-Economic Life of Rome's Plebs, 275- 455 Ce
    NARRATU SUNT DIGNA: ASPECTS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF ROME'S PLEBS, 275- 455 CE By John Fabiano A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Classics University of Toronto © Copyright by John Fabiano 2020 i NARRATU SUNT DIGNA: ASPECTS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF ROME'S PLEBS, 275- 455 CE John Fabiano Doctor of Philosophy Department of Classics University of Toronto 2020 ABSTRACT This dissertation provides a wide-ranging analysis of the socio-economic life of the non-elite urban population of Rome and their interactions with the institutions and administration of the city from 275 until 455 CE. The traditional view holds that during this period the life of the plebs Romana became measurably worse, as empire-wide reforms precipitated a continual numerical decline in the city's population and shrinking economic opportunity. I demonstrate, on the contrary, that a large portion of the city's population experienced vitality on a level not hitherto appreciated by historians of the later Roman empire. I first address the issue of the size of Rome's population. Through a close reading of various complex pieces of epigraphic and legal evidence pertaining to the city's food supply, I propose that Rome not only maintained a high population throughout the fourth century, but that there was also likely an increase in the number of those entitled to free food distributions, the so-called plebs frumentaria. The consequence of this argument is that a larger portion of population now possessed the opportunity to acquire wealth well above the level of subsistence.
    [Show full text]
  • Prosper's Chronicle: a Critical Edition and Translation of the Edition Of
    Prosper’s chronicle: A critical edition and translation of the edition of 445 Deanna Brook’s A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Classical Studies Supervisor: Dr. R. W. Burgess Department of Classics and Religious Studies Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Deanna Brook’s, Ottawa, Canada 2014 Table of Contents Table of Contents ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Chapter One 7 Terminology 7 History of Chronicles 8 Prosper 13 The chronicle 20 Chapter Two 26 A comparison of the 445 and 455 editions 26 Chapter Three 36 Introduction to the text and translation 36 The Manuscripts 36 Recension One - AOR 36 Recension Two – FPXZ 41 Recension Three – BH 43 Editorial Notes 44 Chapter Four 49 Sigla Codicum 49 Prosper’s chronicle of 445: Critical Edition 50 Chapter Five 68 Prosper’s chronicle of 445 : Translation 68 Conclusion 81 Appendix One 83 Gennadius, De uiris illustribus, §85 83 Appendix Two – Names 84 People 84 Places 87 Bibliography 88 ii Abstract This thesis seeks to further research into Prosper’s chronicle and to counter Theodor Mommsen’s conclusions that Prosper made no editorial changes between the 445 and 455 editions of his chronicle. The ultimate result will be to prove that there were significant and deliberate alterations made by Prosper and to create a critical edition and translation of the chronicle of 445. The methodology includes establishing Prosper’s place in the Latin chronicle tradition, his alleged role as secretary to Pope Leo, his supposed residence in Rome and his theological views.
    [Show full text]