The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to ChristianityA compelling history of radical transformation in the fourth-century--when Christianity decimated the practices of traditional pagan religion in the Roman Empire. The Final Pagan Generation recounts the fascinating story of the lives and fortunes of the last Romans born before the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Edward J. Watts traces their experiences of living through the fourth century's dramatic religious and political changes, when heated confrontations saw the Christian establishment legislate against pagan practices as mobs attacked pagan holy sites and temples. The emperors who issued these laws, the imperial officials charged with implementing them, and the Christian perpetrators of religious violence were almost exclusively young men whose attitudes and actions contrasted markedly with those of the earlier generation, who shared neither their juniors' interest in creating sharply defined religious identities nor their propensity for violent conflict. Watts examines why the "final pagan generation"--born to the old ways and the old world in which it seemed to everyone that religious practices would continue as they had for the past two thousand years--proved both unable to anticipate the changes that imperially sponsored Christianity produced and unwilling to resist them. A compelling and provocative read, suitable for the general reader as well as students and scholars of the ancient world. |
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User Review - FriStar7406 - LibraryThingIt is with Libanius, Themistius, Ausonius and Praetextatus' letters and orations's that Eward J Watts, takes us thru that pivotal century. Very well explained and thorouhgly argued (more then a ... Read full review
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Growing Up in the Cities of the Gods | 17 |
Education in an Age of Imagination | 37 |
The System | 59 |
Moving Up in an Age of Uncertainty | 81 |
The Apogee | 105 |
The New Pannonian Order | 127 |
Christian Youth Culture in the 360s and 370s | 149 |
Bishops Bureaucrats and Aristocrats under Gratian | 167 |
Old Age in a Young Mans Empire | 191 |
A Generations Legacy | 213 |
Notes | 221 |
| 305 | |
| 321 | |
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actions activities administrative Alexandria Ambrose Ammianus Antioch appointment ascetic Ausonius authority began bishop called Cambridge career chapter Christian Chrysostom church claims collection concerns Constantine Constantinople continued court death describes developed discussion early effect elite emperor Eunapius Eusebius example father festivals figures final pagan fourth century friends gods governor Gratian Gregory honor imperial important influence initiatives Italy Julian Last Late Antiquity later less letters Libanius Libanius’s lived military needed offered once oration pagan period philosopher policies political position possible practice Praetextatus prefect reign relationship religion religious remained responsible rhetorical Roman Empire Rome School seems senate served social statues suggests Symmachus teachers teaching temples Themistius Theodosius things tion took traditional trans turned Valens Valentinian Watts writing young
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to Christianity Transformation of the Classical Heritage |
| Author | Edward J. Watts |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Univ of California Press, 2020 |
| ISBN | 0520379225, 9780520379220 |
| Length | 352 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |