DOCSLIB.ORG

1 the Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Historical Writing in Post-Roman

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1 the Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Historical Writing in Post-Roman The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Historical Writing in Post-Roman Egypt Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Felege-Selam Solomon Yirga Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2020 Dissertation Committee David Bernhard Brakke, Advisor Anthony Kaldellis Kristina Marie Sessa 1 Copyrighted by Felege-Selam Solomon Yirga 2020 2 Abstract While there has been a great deal of work on the late seventh-century Chronicle of John, the anti-Chalcedonian Bishop of Nikiu, since its 1883 publication and French translation by Hermann Zotenberg, there have been few modern studies devoted exclusively to the author and his work. What is more, these modern studies primarily engage with the text as a source of data for the reign of Emperor Herakleios, and the Arab conquest of Egypt, meaning that modern historians often read past the author to a layer of sources beneath them. This positivist utilitarian view of the Chornicle often involves reducing John’s worldview to that of a monophysite historian and a Coptic proto-nationalist, and as such interprets the relevant data through this framework. Modern scholarship has further transposed this world view onto the author’s world, creating the impression that the Chronicle presents a narrative which reflects the development of a Coptic identity characterized primarily by hostility towards the Chalcedonian church, and the Roman state which had previously supported it. Anything in the text which challenges this view is dismissed as the product of John of Nikiu’s method of compiling sources and inverting pro-Chalcedonian and pro-Roman sentiments where they appear. This dissertation moves beyond the heretofore utilitarian-positivist approaches. It instead argues that the entire Chronicle must be viewed as a complete work which, while compiled from a variety of identifiable and unidentifiable sources, still reveals a coherent ii and distinct historical narrative and theory of history, and one that does not neatly align with the theological and historical positions of the Egyptian Severan Church. This dissertation examines John of Nikiu’s theory of history and prescriptive guidelines through a series of challenges to established scholarly views of the Chronicle. The first chapter challenges the notion that the Chronicle reflects a parochial view of world history centered primarily on Egypt and its monophysite Christian population and as such represents a break from the Byzantine world, which had left an indelible mark on the education and worldview of the bishop of Nikiu. It argues that John’s theory of history, as it applies to the realm of politics, focuses primarily on the effects of individual actors on the broader safety and stability of the entire Christian oikoumene, rather than the Egyptian Christian population alone. The third and fourth chapters challenge the image of John as a mere compiler of data. Chapter 3reveals one dimension of his theory of history by demonstrating the presence of a coherent mechanism of God’s interaction with humanity in human history. It studies God’s dynamic interactions with the Roman state, the Christian church, and the citizens of the empire more broadly, by focusing primarily on the depiction of natural disasters and floods. I argue that John used natural disasters as a narrative tool that demonstrated the precise mechanical outcomes of individual moral and ethical failures and successes. Rather than explaining how one ought to live a morally and ethically upright life (according to the guidelines prescribed by John himself), the Chronicle answers the question of why one ought to live in this manner. Chapter 4 reveals a second important dimension of the bishop of Nikiu’s theory of history, the role of Satan and his iii demonic army. The outsized role of demonic forces on the plot of the narrative reveals the text’s monastic outlook, which ultimately serves to further highlight the way in which lapses in moral and religious discipline invite the destructive influence of the demonic and diabolic forces that threaten the security of the Christian oikoumene. The final chapter seeks to understand how John of Nikiu conceived of his own doctrinal and theological position.. The Chronicle provides a history of the Egyptian Severan Church not as an independent institution, but as a community of true orthodox believers within a universal church that was besieged by heretics—Chalcedonians, pagans, Arians, and non-Severan anti-Chalcedonians—who used the state and Church to persecute the community of true believers. Together the four chapters reveal that John used as his framework the Byzantine genre of the universal chronicle to present an ethically prescriptive metanarrative of world history, which explains the long-term consequences of the ethical successes and shortcomings of individual actors. This ethical approach enabled him to connect the community of Egyptian Christians to a long, and universal Christian tradition. In other words, John sought to remind his Coptic-reading audience that they were still part of a universal Christian community by showing how their own actions had a significant impact on the well-being of all Christians, despite the fact that by his own time, doctrinal disputes and half a century of alienation from the Roman empire had substantially separated Egypt from Rome. iv Dedication For my Mother and Father v Acknowledgments This dissertation is the product of the input, advice, editing, and influence of many dear friends and mentors. First, my advisor, David Brakke, was infinitely patient with me for the duration of my time engaged in research and writing and acted as an endless source of references and kind, thoughtful, and productive comments on draft after draft. Anthony Kaldellis’s depth of knowledge and brilliant insights while commenting on drafts of the present work can only be matched by his generosity: Anthony was the first person to contact me when my graduate studies began, and was endlessly supportive even when this project seemed hopelessly incoherent. Tina Sessa’s comments and encouragement through the later stages of the process were invaluable. Tina introduced me to the world of Late Antiquity as a young graduate student interested in the political history of Byzantium and Aksum. Without her this dissertation could not have been conceived. But beyond the members of my committee, many have been key influences to the articulation of ideas in this work. Chief among these is Kevin Van Bladel, who first introduced me to John of Nikiu, and whose language instruction truly opened my eyes to the world of Late Antiquity beyond the borders of the Byzantine Empire and its Greek- speakers. Eyob Derillo assisted me with access to Or. 818 at the British Library in London, and Solomon Gebreyes Beyene’s comments and published writings have been most helpful to me in understanding Ethiopian historiography. vi This dissertation was completed with the support of a Junior Fellowship from Dumbarton Oaks Research Collection and Library, where I stayed for the academic year 2019-2020. The community of scholars I met there had a tremendous impact on me intellectually and personally, and I would like to thank in particular Anna Stavrakopoulou, Dimiter Angelov, Elizabeth Bolman, Derek Krueger, Claudia Rapp, Warren Woodfin, John Duffy, Savvas Kyriakides, Joshua Robinson, Alyson Williams, Jakub Kabala, Arianna Gullo, Kostas Konstantinidis, Alisdair Grant, Flavia Vanni, and Héléna Rochard. To the above I must add those who sat with me either online or at cafes and bars throughout Columbus and Washington, D.C., to talk with me about my Egyptian bishop. Chief among these are Verena Krebs, Michael Beshay, Kyle Shimoda, Isacar Bolanos, Reyna Esquivel-King, Joel Dowlingsoka, Augustine Dickinson, Matthew Kinloch, Mikael Muehlbauer, Sarah Porter, Ammanuel Gashaw, and Jonathan Hsieh, who shared the burden of talking me through emotional lows and highs through the writing processes, and were just as key to my intellectual development as my committee. Finally, my sister Fanaye Solomon Yirga never shied away from lending me her considerable talents as a philologist and thinker. The main arguments of my research emerged in conversation with her, and she devoted much time to convincing me that not everything I had produced was totally irreparable. Kevin Diep and Nick Smith also bore more than their fair share of conversation about ancient historiography and in many ways this work is a response to the many insightful questions they posed to me about the ancient and medieval worlds since we first met in 2008. If the reader finds anything of vii merit in this work, they may credit it to the good cheer, outstanding intellect, and endless patience of friends, mentors, and family, named and unnamed. The rest is my fault. viii Vita 2008: International Community School of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2012: B.A. History, Minor in Classics and Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Brandeis University Autumn 2015: M.A., History, The Ohio State University Autumn 2013 to present: Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of History, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: History ix Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..........................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Politics of Roman Memory in the Age of Justinian DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the D
    The Politics of Roman Memory in the Age of Justinian DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Marion Woodrow Kruse, III Graduate Program in Greek and Latin The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Anthony Kaldellis, Advisor; Benjamin Acosta-Hughes; Nathan Rosenstein Copyright by Marion Woodrow Kruse, III 2015 ABSTRACT This dissertation explores the use of Roman historical memory from the late fifth century through the middle of the sixth century AD. The collapse of Roman government in the western Roman empire in the late fifth century inspired a crisis of identity and political messaging in the eastern Roman empire of the same period. I argue that the Romans of the eastern empire, in particular those who lived in Constantinople and worked in or around the imperial administration, responded to the challenge posed by the loss of Rome by rewriting the history of the Roman empire. The new historical narratives that arose during this period were initially concerned with Roman identity and fixated on urban space (in particular the cities of Rome and Constantinople) and Roman mythistory. By the sixth century, however, the debate over Roman history had begun to infuse all levels of Roman political discourse and became a major component of the emperor Justinian’s imperial messaging and propaganda, especially in his Novels. The imperial history proposed by the Novels was aggressivley challenged by other writers of the period, creating a clear historical and political conflict over the role and import of Roman history as a model or justification for Roman politics in the sixth century.
    [Show full text]
  • The Question of 'Race' in the Pre-Colonial Southern Sahara
    The Question of ‘Race’ in the Pre-colonial Southern Sahara BRUCE S. HALL One of the principle issues that divide people in the southern margins of the Sahara Desert is the issue of ‘race.’ Each of the countries that share this region, from Mauritania to Sudan, has experienced civil violence with racial overtones since achieving independence from colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s. Today’s crisis in Western Sudan is only the latest example. However, very little academic attention has been paid to the issue of ‘race’ in the region, in large part because southern Saharan racial discourses do not correspond directly to the idea of ‘race’ in the West. For the outsider, local racial distinctions are often difficult to discern because somatic difference is not the only, and certainly not the most important, basis for racial identities. In this article, I focus on the development of pre-colonial ideas about ‘race’ in the Hodh, Azawad, and Niger Bend, which today are in Northern Mali and Western Mauritania. The article examines the evolving relationship between North and West Africans along this Sahelian borderland using the writings of Arab travellers, local chroniclers, as well as several specific documents that address the issue of the legitimacy of enslavement of different West African groups. Using primarily the Arabic writings of the Kunta, a politically ascendant Arab group in the area, the paper explores the extent to which discourses of ‘race’ served growing nomadic power. My argument is that during the nineteenth century, honorable lineages and genealogies came to play an increasingly important role as ideological buttresses to struggles for power amongst nomadic groups and in legitimising domination over sedentary communities.
    [Show full text]
  • The Natural Science Underlying Big History
    Review Article [Accepted for publication: The Scientific World Journal, v2014, 41 pages, article ID 384912; printed in June 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/384912] The Natural Science Underlying Big History Eric J. Chaisson Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA [email protected] Abstract Nature’s many varied complex systems—including galaxies, stars, planets, life, and society—are islands of order within the increasingly disordered Universe. All organized systems are subject to physical, biological or cultural evolution, which together comprise the grander interdisciplinary subject of cosmic evolution. A wealth of observational data supports the hypothesis that increasingly complex systems evolve unceasingly, uncaringly, and unpredictably from big bang to humankind. This is global history greatly extended, big history with a scientific basis, and natural history broadly portrayed across ~14 billion years of time. Human beings and our cultural inventions are not special, unique, or apart from Nature; rather, we are an integral part of a universal evolutionary process connecting all such complex systems throughout space and time. Such evolution writ large has significant potential to unify the natural sciences into a holistic understanding of who we are and whence we came. No new science (beyond frontier, non-equilibrium thermodynamics) is needed to describe cosmic evolution’s major milestones at a deep and empirical level. Quantitative models and experimental tests imply that a remarkable simplicity underlies the emergence and growth of complexity for a wide spectrum of known and diverse systems. Energy is a principal facilitator of the rising complexity of ordered systems within the expanding Universe; energy flows are as central to life and society as they are to stars and galaxies.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-86543-2 - Economy and Society in the Age of Justinian Peter Sarris Excerpt More information Introduction In the year 565, in the imperial capital of Constantinople, the Emperor Justinian died, bringing to a close a reign that had lasted some forty-eight years. In death, as in life, Justinian left a deep impression on those around him. The Latin court poet Corippus declared that ‘the awesome death of the man showed by clear signs that he had conquered the world. He alone, amidst universal lamentations, seemed to rejoice in his pious coun- tenance.’1 The memory of Justinian was to loom large in the minds of subsequent generations of emperors, just as the physical monuments built in Constantinople during his reign were long to dominate the medieval city.2 The emperor had reformed the civil law of the empire, overhauled its administrative structures, and restored imperial rule to Africa, Italy, and part of Spain; he had engaged in long drawn-out warfare with the prestige enemy of Sasanian Persia and attempted to restore peace to the increasingly fissile imperial Church. In short, through his military exertions, Justinian had done much to restore the Roman Empire to a position of military and ideological dominance in the lands bordering the central and western Mediterranean, whilst at home he had sought to bolster the legal, admin- istrative, and religious authority of the imperial office.3 This attempted restoration of imperial fortunes had been accompanied by a concerted effort to propagandise on behalf of the emperor and his policies.
    [Show full text]
  • RABBINIC KNOWLEDGE of BLACK AFRICA (Sifre Deut. 320)
    1 [The following essay was published in the Jewish Studies Quarterly 5 (1998) 318-28. The essay appears here substantially as published but with some additions indicated in this color .]. RABBINIC KNOWLEDGE OF BLACK AFRICA (Sifre Deut. 320) David M. Goldenberg While the biblical corpus contains references to the people and practices of black Africa (e.g. Isa 18:1-2), little such information is found in the rabbinic corpus. To a degree this may be due to the different genre of literature represented by the rabbinic texts. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that black Africa and its peoples would be entirely unknown to the Palestinian Rabbis of the early centuries. An indication of such knowledge is, I believe, found imbedded in a midrashic text of the third century. Deut 32:21 describes the punishment God has decided to inflict on Israel for her disloyalty to him: “I will incense them with a no-folk ( be-lo < >am ); I will vex them with a nation of fools ( be-goy nabal ).” A tannaitic commentary to the verse states: ואני אקניאם בלא עם : אל תהי קורא בלא עם אלא בלוי עם אלו הבאים מתוך האומות ומלכיות ומוציאים אותם מתוך בתיהם דבר אחר אלו הבאים מברבריא וממרטניא ומהלכים ערומים בשוק “And I will incense them with a be-lo < >am .” Do not read bl < >m, but blwy >m, this refers to those who come from among the nations and kingdoms and expel them [the Jews] from their homes. Another interpretation: This refers to those who come from barbaria and mr ãny <, who go about naked in the market place.
    [Show full text]
  • 644A Disciple Has Crossed Over by Water': an Analysis of Lawrence
    64 4A disciple has crossed over by water’: an Analysis of Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet in its Egyptian Historical and Intellectual Contexts.” Mike Diboll. Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Leicester. University College Northampton August 2000 UMI Number: U139322 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U139322 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 <DIAOI2 AAEEANAPEY2IN Dedicated to Phyllis (1908 - 1994) and Joan (1916 - 2000). Abstract: “ ‘A disciple has crossed over bv water’: Lawrence Diirrell's Alexandria Quartet in its Egyptian Historical and Intellectual Contexts” by Mike Diboll. This dissertation examines Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet in its various Egyptian contexts. It contests the idea that the Alexandria of the Quartet is essentially a city of the imagination which bears little or no relation to the real city of history. It argues that various strata of Alexandrian history, from antiquity to the nineteen- fifties, are deeply embedded in Durrell’s Quartet. Of particular interest is the tetralogy’s representation of the history of Egypt's Wafdist independence movement in the years 1919 - 1952, and Britain's responses to it.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief History of Coptic Personal Status Law Ryan Rowberry Georgia State University College of Law, [email protected]
    Georgia State University College of Law Reading Room Faculty Publications By Year Faculty Publications 1-1-2010 A Brief History of Coptic Personal Status Law Ryan Rowberry Georgia State University College of Law, [email protected] John Khalil Follow this and additional works at: https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/faculty_pub Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the Human Rights Law Commons Recommended Citation Ryan Rowberry & John Khalil, A Brief History of Coptic Personal Status Law, 3 Berk. J. Middle E. & Islamic L. 81 (2010). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Publications at Reading Room. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications By Year by an authorized administrator of Reading Room. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Brief History of Coptic Personal Status Law Ryan Rowberry John Khalil* INTRODUCTION With the U.S.-led "War on Terror" and the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, American legal scholars have understandably focused increased attention on the various schools and applications of Islamic law in Middle Eastern countries. 1 This focus on Shari'a law, however, has tended to elide the complexity of traditional legal pluralism in many Islamic nations. Numerous Christian communities across the Middle East (e.g., Syrian, Armenian, Coptic, Nestorian, Maronite), for example, adhere to personal status laws that are not based on Islamic legal principles. Christian minority groups form the largest non-Muslim . Ryan Rowberry and Jolin Khalil graduated from Harvard Law School in 2008. Ryan is currently a natural resources associate at Hogan Lovells US LLP in Washington D.C., and John Khalil is a litigation associate at Lowey, Dannenberg, Cowey & Hart P.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Antiquarian, Modern & Private Press Books
    Blackwell rare books ANTIQUARIAN, MODERN & PRIVATE PRESS BOOKS CATALOGUE B 166 Blackwell Rare Books 48-51 Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BQ Direct Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 333555 Switchboard: +44 (0) 1865 792792 Email: [email protected] Fax: +44 (0) 1865 794143 www.blackwell.co.uk/ rarebooks Our premises are in the main Blackwell bookstore at 48-51 Broad Street, one of the largest and best known in the world, housing over 200,000 new book titles, covering every subject, discipline and interest, as well as a large secondhand books department. There is lift access to each floor. The bookstore is in the centre of the city, opposite the Bodleian Library and Sheldonian Theatre, and close to several of the colleges and other university buildings, with on street parking close by. Oxford is at the centre of an excellent road and rail network, close to the London - Birmingham (M40) motorway and is served by a frequent train service from London (Paddington). Hours: Monday–Saturday 9am to 6pm. (Tuesday 9:30am to 6pm.) Purchases: We are always keen to purchase books, whether single works or in quantity, and will be pleased to make arrangements to view them. Auction commissions: We attend a number of auction sales and will be happy to execute commissions on your behalf. Blackwell online bookshop www.blackwell.co.uk Our extensive online catalogue of new books caters for every speciality, with the latest releases and editor’s recommendations. We have something for everyone. Select from our subject areas, reviews, highlights, promotions and more. Orders and correspondence should in every case be sent to our Broad Street address (all books subject to prior sale).
    [Show full text]
  • Disaster, Terror, War, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Events
    Disaster, Terror, War, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Events Date Location Agent Notes Source 28 Apr Kano, Nigeria VBIED Five soldiers were killed and 40 wounded when a Boko http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2017/ 2017 Haram militant drove his VBIED into a convoy. Apr-28/403711-suicide-bomber-kills-five-troops- in-ne-nigeria-sources.ashx 25 Apr Pakistan Land mine A passenger van travelling within Parachinar hit a https://www.dawn.com/news/1329140/14- 2017 landmine, killing fourteen and wounding nine. killed-as-landmine-blast-hits-van-carrying- census-workers-in-kurram 24 Apr Sukma, India Small arms Maoist rebels ambushed CRPF forces and killed 25, http://odishasuntimes.com/2017/04/24/12-crpf- 2017 wounding six or so. troopers-killed-in-maoist-attack/ 15 Apr Aleppo, Syria VBIED 126 or more people were killed and an unknown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Aleppo_suici 2017 number wounded in ISIS attacks against a convoy of de_car_bombing buses carrying refugees. 10 Apr Somalia Suicide Two al-Shabaab suicide bombs detonated in and near http://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia- 2017 bombings Mogadishu killed nine soldiers and a civil servant. security-blast-idUSKBN17C0JV?il=0 10 Apr Wau, South Ethnic violence At least sixteen people were killed and ten wounded in http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southsudan- 2017 Sudan ethnic violence in a town in South Sudan. violence-idUSKBN17C0SO?il=0 10 Apr Kirkuk, Iraq Small arms Twelve ISIS prisoners were killed by a firing squad, for http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/islamic- 2017 reasons unknown.
    [Show full text]
  • Hellenistic and Pharaonic Influences on the Formation of Coptic Identity
    Scriptura 85 (2004), pp. 292-301 HELLENISTIC AND PHARAONIC INFLUENCES ON THE FORMATION OF COPTIC IDENTITY Annette Evans Department of Ancient Studies Stellenbosch University Abstract Conflicting descriptions of Coptic identity still exist today. The Copts regard themselves as those descendents of Pharaonic Egyptians who have retained their identity because of their Christian faith, in spite of Egypt having become a predominantly Islamic, Arab country. They claim to have “caught a glimpse of the Light of Christianity” before the birth of Christ. This article offers iconographical evidence to supplement an explanation of how the ancient Egyptian mythopoeic thinking, in combination with the syncretistic cultural environment of Hellenism, mediated this phenomenon. Today the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt represents “a return to the apostolic father type leading of the church”. Although pharaonic and gnostic influences appear to have contributed to their remarkable eusebeia, the Copts perceive themselves as having abided by the decisions of the first three Church Councils and have respected and upheld the canon. 1. Introduction The word Copt originated from the ancient Egyptian word for Memphis, Hah-ka-Ptah – the house or temple of the spirit of Ptah. With the suppression of the prefix and the suffix the stem kaPt or gypt remained, which was then corrupted to the Arabic Qibt (Atiya 1968:16). The Hellenes used Aiguptos for both Egypt and the Nile, and Aiguptoi was used by Origen to distinguish Egyptian Christians from Hellenes (Van der Vliet and Zonhoven 1998:117). The Copts have a unique identity: inseparable from their pharaonic past, yet intimately associated with the beginning of Christianity.
    [Show full text]
  • Confronting History on Campus
    CHRONICLEFocusFocus THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Confronting History on Campus As a Chronicle of Higher Education individual subscriber, you receive premium, unrestricted access to the entire Chronicle Focus collection. Curated by our newsroom, these booklets compile the most popular and relevant higher-education news to provide you with in-depth looks at topics affecting campuses today. The Chronicle Focus collection explores student alcohol abuse, racial tension on campuses, and other emerging trends that have a significant impact on higher education. ©2016 by The Chronicle of Higher Education Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, forwarded (even for internal use), hosted online, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For bulk orders or special requests, contact The Chronicle at [email protected] ©2016 THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS OODROW WILSON at Princeton, John Calhoun at Yale, Jefferson Davis at the University of Texas at Austin: Students, campus officials, and historians are all asking the question, What’sW in a name? And what is a university’s responsibil- ity when the name on a statue, building, or program on campus is a painful reminder of harm to a specific racial group? Universities have been grappling anew with those questions, and trying different approaches to resolve them. Colleges Struggle Over Context for Confederate Symbols 4 The University of Mississippi adds a plaque to a soldier’s statue to explain its place there.
    [Show full text]