Constantine and the Captive Christians of Persia: Martyrdom and Religious Identity in Late Antiquity
Kyle Smith
Abstract
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and histo ... More
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, the book presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.
Keywords:
persecution,
Constantine,
Mesopotamia,
Christianity,
Roman Empire,
Sasanian Empire,
Syriac Christians,
Persia,
martyrdom narratives
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780520289604 |
| Published to California Scholarship Online: September 2016 |
DOI:10.1525/california/9780520289604.001.0001 |
