The Rhetoric of Power in Late Antiquity Religion and Politics in Byzantium, Europe and the Early Islamic World

by Digeser, Elizabeth DePalma; Frakes, Robert M.; Stephens, Justin

• ISBN13: 9781848854093
• ISBN10: 1848854099
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-02-15
• Publisher: Tauris Academic Studies

Summary

Late Antiquity, the period of transition from the crisis of Roman Empire in the third century to the Middle Ages, has traditionally been considered only in terms of the "decline" from classical standards. Recent classical scholarship strives to consider this period on its own terms. Taking the reign of Constantine the Great as its starting point, this book examines the unique intersection of rhetoric, religion and politics in Late Antiquity. Expert scholars come together to examine ancient rhetorical texts to explore the ways in which late antique authors drew upon classical traditions, presenting Roman and post-Roman religious and political institutions in order to establish a desired image of a "new era." This book provides new insights into how the post-Roman Germanic West, Byzantine East and Muslim South appropriated and transformed the political, intellectual and cultural legacy inherited from the late Roman Empire and its borderlands.

Author Biography

Elizabeth DePalma Digeser is Associate Professor of Roman History and Late Antiquity at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Robert M. Frakes is Professor of History at Clarion University.

Justin Stephens is Assistant Professor of History at Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Table of Contents

Foreword * Introduction * The Image of Political Authority * Constructing the Role of the Bishop * The Function of Roman Tradition in Emergent Societies * Civic Elites in the Byzantine East * Addressing Challenges to Sacred Texts and Rites * Conclusion