Patronizing Persians Constantine’S Letter to Shapur Ii
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WHY JULIAN BELIEVED CORRECT WORSHIP of the GODS COULD SAVE the ROMAN EMPIRE from CHAOS a Thesis Presented to the Faculty Of
WHY JULIAN BELIEVED CORRECT WORSHIP OF THE GODS COULD SAVE THE ROMAN EMPIRE FROM CHAOS A Thesis Presented to the faculty of the Department of Humanities and Religious Studies California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Humanities by Alejandra Meléndez-Silva SPRING 2020 WHY JULIAN BELIEVED CORRECT WORSHIP OF THE GODS COULD SAVE THE ROMAN EMPIRE FROM CHAOS A Thesis by Alejandra Meléndez-Silva Approved by: _________________________________, Committee Chair Dr. Jeffrey Brodd _________________________________, Second Reader Dr. Bradley Nystrom __________________ Date ii Student: Alejandra Meléndez-Silva I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and this thesis is suitable for electronic submission to the library and credit is to be awarded for the thesis. ___________________________, Graduate Coordinator _____________________ Dr. Harvey Stark Date Department of Humanities and Religious Studies iii Abstract of WHY JULIAN BELIEVED CORRECT WORSHIP OF THE GODS COULD SAVE THE ROMAN EMPIRE FROM CHAOS by Alejandra Meléndez-Silva The Roman emperor Julian is famously remembered for being Rome’s last pagan emperor and he has been vilified for his dislike of Christianity. Sufficient analysis of Julian’s own perspective reveals a complex individual who does not conform with the simplified caricature of Julian “the Apostate” who was focused on assailing Christianity. His aversion to the Christians was mainly motivated by the fact that they refused to participate in the state cult. This thesis will explore the relationship between properly honoring the gods and state health, its origins, and why it was essential to sacrifice to the gods. -
The Sasanian Twin Pillar Ossuaries at Shoush Village, Kohgiloyeh Va Boyer Ahmad (Iran)
IranicaAntiqua, vol. L, 2015 doi: 10.2143/IA.50.0.3053525 DO GUR-E DOPA: THE SASANIAN TWIN PILLAR OSSUARIES AT SHOUSH VILLAGE, KOHGILOYEH VA BOYER AHMAD (IRAN) BY Mahdokht FARJAMIRAD (Ghent University) Abstract: The pillar ossuary is a unique but a less known type of Sasanian bone receptacle that has mainly been reported from Fars. This article introduces newly discovered twin pillar ossuaries south of Basht, in southern Kohgiloyeh va Boyer Ahmad Province. During the Sasanian period this region was situated in northern Pārs that is still one of the poorly known areas in Iranian archaeology. Keywords: Kohgiloyeh va Boyer Ahmad, northern Pārs, pillar ossuary, astodan, Zoroastrianism, Sasanian, bone receptacle. Introduction Pillar ossuaries were frequently reported from the area of Istakhr as well as northern Sasanian Pārs. Pārs province was located in the southern quadrant of the Sasanian Empire between Kirman in the east, Khuzistan in the west, and Pahlaw (Isfahan) in the north (Miri 2012: 25). Do-Gur-e Dopa is one of a few examples of pillar astodans in northern Pārs that, based on the geographical administrative division of the Sasanian period, was likely part of the districts of Shapur Xwarrah (Istakhri: 102) or Veh-Az-Amid-Kavād (Gyselen 1989: 72 & 98). In early Islamic sources this area was on the way from Shiraz to Arrajān (near modern Behbahan) (Gaube 1986; Eqtedari 1989; Miri 2012: 131). In the modern geographi- cal division Do-Gur-e Dopa is located in the south of Kohgiloyeh va Boyer Ahmad province. The aim of this paper is to introduce the twin pillar ossuaries of Do Gur-e Dopa as one of the few known Sasanian archaeological remains in this region, which is indeed one of the least archaeologically known regions in the Zagros Mountains. -
RICE, CARL ROSS. Diocletian's “Great
ABSTRACT RICE, CARL ROSS. Diocletian’s “Great Persecutions”: Minority Religions and the Roman Tetrarchy. (Under the direction of Prof. S. Thomas Parker) In the year 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian and the other members of the Tetrarchy launched a series of persecutions against Christians that is remembered as the most severe, widespread, and systematic persecution in the Church’s history. Around that time, the Tetrarchy also issued a rescript to the Pronconsul of Africa ordering similar persecutory actions against a religious group known as the Manichaeans. At first glance, the Tetrarchy’s actions appear to be the result of tensions between traditional classical paganism and religious groups that were not part of that system. However, when the status of Jewish populations in the Empire is examined, it becomes apparent that the Tetrarchy only persecuted Christians and Manichaeans. This thesis explores the relationship between the Tetrarchy and each of these three minority groups as it attempts to understand the Tetrarchy’s policies towards minority religions. In doing so, this thesis will discuss the relationship between the Roman state and minority religious groups in the era just before the Empire’s formal conversion to Christianity. It is only around certain moments in the various religions’ relationships with the state that the Tetrarchs order violence. Consequently, I argue that violence towards minority religions was a means by which the Roman state policed boundaries around its conceptions of Roman identity. © Copyright 2016 Carl Ross Rice All Rights Reserved Diocletian’s “Great Persecutions”: Minority Religions and the Roman Tetrarchy by Carl Ross Rice A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History Raleigh, North Carolina 2016 APPROVED BY: ______________________________ _______________________________ S. -
Lecture 27 Sasanian Empire
4/12/2012 Lecture 27 Sasanian Empire HIST 213 Spring 2012 Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE) Successors of the Achaemenids 224 CE Ardashir I • a descendant of Sasan – gave his name to the new Sasanian dynasty, • defeated the Parthians • The Sasanians saw themselves as the successors of the Achaemenid Persians. 1 4/12/2012 Shapur I (r. 241–72 CE) • One of the most energetic and able Sasanian rulers • the central government was strengthened • the coinage was reformed • Zoroastrianism was made the state religion • The expansion of Sasanian power in the west brought conflict with Rome Shapur I the Conqueror • conquers Bactria and Kushan in east • led several campaigns against Rome in west Penetrating deep into Eastern-Roman territory • conquered Antiochia (253 or 256) Defeated the Roman emperors: • Gordian III (238–244) • Philip the Arab (244–249) • Valerian (253–260) – 259 Valerian taken into captivity after the Battle of Edessa – disgrace for the Romans • Shapur I celebrated his victory by carving the impressive rock reliefs in Naqsh-e Rostam. Rome defeated in battle Relief of Shapur I at Naqsh-e Rostam, showing the two defeated Roman Emperors, Valerian and Philip the Arab 2 4/12/2012 Terry Jones, Barbarians (BBC 2006) clip 1=9:00 to end clip 2 start - … • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_WqUbp RChU&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&featu re=endscreen&v=QxS6V3lc6vM Shapur I Religiously Tolerant Intensive development plans • founded many cities, some settled in part by Roman emigrants. – included Christians who could exercise their faith freely under Sasanian rule • Shapur I particularly favored Manichaeism – He protected Mani and sent many Manichaean missionaries abroad • Shapur I befriends Babylonian rabbi Shmuel – This friendship was advantageous for the Jewish community and gave them a respite from the oppressive laws enacted against them. -
Exiling Bishops: the Policy of Constantius II
University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Classical Studies Faculty Publications Classical Studies 2014 Exiling Bishops: The olicP y of Constantius II Walter Stevenson University of Richmond, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/classicalstudies-faculty- publications Part of the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Stevenson, Walt. "Exiling Bishops: The oP licy of Canstantius II." Dumbarton Oaks Papers 68 (2014): 7-27. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classical Studies at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Classical Studies Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Exiling Bishops: The Policy of Constantius II Walt Stevenson onstantius II was forced by circumstances to all instances in which Constantius II exiled bishops Cmake innovations in the policy that his father and focus on a sympathetic reading of his strategy.2 Constantine had followed in exiling bishops. While Though the sources for this period are muddled and ancient tradition has made the father into a sagacious require extensive sorting, a panoramic view of exile saint and the son into a fanatical demon, recent schol- incidents reveals a pattern in which Constantius moved arship has tended to stress continuity between the two past his father’s precedents to mold a new, intelligent regimes.1 This article will attempt to gather -
Eusebius and His Ecclesiastical History
1 Eusebius and His Ecclesiastical History Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History (HE) is the most important of his many books. It created a new literary genre that would have a long and influential history. In an often-quoted statement, F. C. Baur called Eusebius the father of ecclesiastical his- tory, just as Herodotus was the father of historical writing in general.1 The Ecclesi- astical History is our single most important source for recovering the history of the first three centuries of Christianity. And it is the centerpiece of a corpus of writings in which Eusebius created a distinctive vision of the place of the Christian church in world history and God’s providential plan. A book of such significance has attracted an enormous body of commentary and analysis driven by two rather different motives. One was the value of the HE as a documentary treasure trove of partially or completely lost works. For a long time, that was the primary driver of scholarly interest. The past two generations have seen the emergence of a second trend that focuses on Eusebius as a figure in his own right, a writer of exceptional range, creativity, and productivity, and an actor on the ecclesiastical and political stage.2 How, for example, did current events shape the way Eusebius thought and wrote about the church’s past? And what can his con- struction of the past tell us in turn about Christian consciousness and ambition during a time of enormous transition? Seen from that angle, the HE becomes not a source for history but itself an artifact of history, a hermeneutical redirection that will be applied to other works of Christian historiography in this book.3 1. -
Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (Ca
Conversion and Empire: Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (ca. 300-900) by Alexander Borislavov Angelov A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor John V.A. Fine, Jr., Chair Professor Emeritus H. Don Cameron Professor Paul Christopher Johnson Professor Raymond H. Van Dam Associate Professor Diane Owen Hughes © Alexander Borislavov Angelov 2011 To my mother Irina with all my love and gratitude ii Acknowledgements To put in words deepest feelings of gratitude to so many people and for so many things is to reflect on various encounters and influences. In a sense, it is to sketch out a singular narrative but of many personal “conversions.” So now, being here, I am looking back, and it all seems so clear and obvious. But, it is the historian in me that realizes best the numerous situations, emotions, and dilemmas that brought me where I am. I feel so profoundly thankful for a journey that even I, obsessed with planning, could not have fully anticipated. In a final analysis, as my dissertation grew so did I, but neither could have become better without the presence of the people or the institutions that I feel so fortunate to be able to acknowledge here. At the University of Michigan, I first thank my mentor John Fine for his tremendous academic support over the years, for his friendship always present when most needed, and for best illustrating to me how true knowledge does in fact produce better humanity. -
Constantine's Constantinople
Ezra’s Archives | 55 Constantine’s Constantinople: A Christian Emperor, A Pagan City Mary Balzer On 11 May, 330 C.E., Emperor Constantine stood at the head of the ceremonial festivities that officially consecrated his new capital in the East.1 Constantinople, as the new city was called, heralded a new era of Constantine’s reign with him ruling as the sole emperor. His last co- emperor, Licinius, was defeated at the battle of Chrysopolis in 324.2 Following this, Constantine selected a site for his new capital and began building what he would later call the “New Rome.”3 Constantine had begun his rule as one of four co-emperors, but by 324 he was the one and only ruler. Although the historians of the time agree on the date of the ceremonies, each author gives a unique description of Constantine’s vision for his new capital. The Christian sources Eusebius, the Easter Chronicle, and Zonaras highlight Constantine’s Christian building program in his new capital. But the archaeological record does not corroborate their emphatically Christian accounts. Zosimus, one of the last pagan historians, has historically been overlooked because of his anti-Christian stance. Concerning Constantinople as his account does not describe any 1 Timothy Barnes, Eusebius and Constantine (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981), 222. 2 Averil Cameron and Stuart G. Hall, “Introduction” in Eusebius: Life of Constantine, translated by Averil Cameron and Stuart G. Hall (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999) 41. 3 Sozomen, History of the Church: From A.D. 324 to A.D. 440, trans. Edward Walford (London: Henry G. -
CHAPTER 4 the CHURCH in the THIRD CENTURY Roman
The Early Church Christopher K. Lensch, S.T.M. Western Reformed Seminary (www.wrs.edu) CHAPTER 4 THE CHURCH IN THE THIRD CENTURY Roman emperors in the first half of the century Severi dynasty 1. Septimius Severus (193-211) [already discussed under second century] renewed persecution in AD 200: Leonidas (Origen’s father) beheaded Potamiaena (young girl) boiled in oil Petpetua and baby burned; her slave Felicitas killed also died on campaign in Britain 2. Caracalla (211-217) brutal and cruel; murdered family members, including brother Geta; favored the army; built baths; extended Roman citizenship to all, in order to tax all; dropped persecution in middle of reign; was assassinated by his army on a Parthian campaign 3. Macrinus (217-218) prefect of the guard; removed by Caracalla’s cousin and his family 4. Heliogabalus (218-222) cousin of Caracalla, controlled by his mother Soaemias and grandmother Maesa (Caracalla’s aunt); real name was Elagabalus; Latin authors name Heliogabalus 14-year old priest of Syrian sun god; brought Syrian “Baal” (conical black stone) to Rome; unbelievable sexual depravity; grandmother convinced him to adopt cousin Alexander; slain by Guard 5. Alexander Severus (222-235) 4.1 14 years old; well trained and prepared; ruled by mother; temperate and modest, opposite of Heliogabalus; private chapel icons: Jupiter, Orpheus, Apollonius, Abraham, Christ; *put golden rule in house and many public buildings; very efficient administrator, lowered taxes; weak against Germans, bribed them; assassinated in tent by army, under Maximinus Anarchy; army control 6. Maximinus (235-238) huge soldier (they say 8 feet tall); hated culture and education; never entered Rome; confiscated property of upper classes; murdered by soldiers he punished 7. -
ABSTRACT the Apostolic Tradition in the Ecclesiastical Histories Of
ABSTRACT The Apostolic Tradition in the Ecclesiastical Histories of Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret Scott A. Rushing, Ph.D. Mentor: Daniel H. Williams, Ph.D. This dissertation analyzes the transposition of the apostolic tradition in the fifth-century ecclesiastical histories of Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret. In the early patristic era, the apostolic tradition was defined as the transmission of the apostles’ teachings through the forms of Scripture, the rule of faith, and episcopal succession. Early Christians, e.g., Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen, believed that these channels preserved the original apostolic doctrines, and that the Church had faithfully handed them to successive generations. The Greek historians located the quintessence of the apostolic tradition through these traditional channels. However, the content of the tradition became transposed as a result of three historical movements during the fourth century: (1) Constantine inaugurated an era of Christian emperors, (2) the Council of Nicaea promulgated a creed in 325 A.D., and (3) monasticism emerged as a counter-cultural movement. Due to the confluence of these sweeping historical developments, the historians assumed the Nicene creed, the monastics, and Christian emperors into their taxonomy of the apostolic tradition. For reasons that crystallize long after Nicaea, the historians concluded that pro-Nicene theology epitomized the apostolic message. They accepted the introduction of new vocabulary, e.g. homoousios, as the standard of orthodoxy. In addition, the historians commended the pro- Nicene monastics and emperors as orthodox exemplars responsible for defending the apostolic tradition against the attacks of heretical enemies. The second chapter of this dissertation surveys the development of the apostolic tradition. -
Constantine the Great and Christian Imperial Theocracy Charles Matson Odahl Boise State University
Boise State University ScholarWorks History Faculty Publications and Presentations Department of History 1-1-2007 Constantine the Great and Christian Imperial Theocracy Charles Matson Odahl Boise State University Publication Information Odahl, Charles Matson. (2007). "Constantine the Great and Christian Imperial Theocracy". Connections: European Studies Annual Review, 3, 89-113. This document was originally published in Connections: European Studies Annual Review by Rocky Mountain European Scholars Consortium. Copyright restrictions may apply. Coda: Recovering Constantine's European Legacy 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Constantine the Great and Christian Imperial Theocracy Charles Matson Odahl, Boise State University1 rom his Christian conversion under the influence of cept of imperial theocracy was conveyed in contemporary art Frevelatory experiences outside Rome in A.D. 312 until (Illustration I). his burial as the thirteenth Apostle at Constantinople in Although Constantine had been raised as a tolerant 337, Constantine the Great, pagan polytheist and had the first Christian emperor propagated several Olympian of the Roman world, initiated divinities, particularly Jupiter, the role of and set the model Hercules, Mars, and Sol, as for Christian imperial theoc di vine patrons during the early racy. Through his relationship years of his reign as emperor -
Document 1 Disease Takes Its Toll on the Roman Empire
Grade 6 The Eastern Hemisphere Unit 5 The Mediterranean World Lesson 1 You Decide What Factors Led to the “Fall” of the Roman Empire DOCUMENT 1 DISEASE TAKES ITS TOLL ON THE ROMAN EMPIRE Although many disastrous epidemics probably occurred throughout [early history], few sources detailing … early plagues have survived. Unfortunately, few accounts exist; and because of this, we don’t know exactly how or where these epidemics originated…. One such disease, known as the Antonine plague, occurred during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE). It was brought back by soldiers returning from Seleucia (an ancient Greek city on the Mediterranean coast of Pamphylia, in Anatolia, Turkey) and before it abated (was brought under control), it had affected Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, and Italy. The plague destroyed as much as one-third of the population in some areas, and decimated (destroyed) the Roman army. In 180 CE, Marcus Aurelius caught some type of infection and died in his army camp. There has been some speculation (guessing) that this infection was the plague. Another plague occurred during the reigns of Decius (249-251 CE) and Gallus (251-253 CE). This pestilence (epidemic) broke out in Egypt in 251 CE, and from there, infected the entire empire. Its mortality rate severely depleted the ranks of the army, and caused massive labor shortages. The plague was still raging in 270 CE, when it caused the death of the emperor Claudius Gothicus (268-270 CE). Adapted from http://www.loyno.edu/~history/journal/1996-7/Smith.html 1. What impact did the outbreak of plagues have on the Roman population? 2.