Internet History Sourcebooks

Internet Medieval Sourcebooks

Selected Sources: End of the Classical World

Contents

Pagan Late Antiquity
- Late Antique Government and Culture
- The "Fall" of the Roman Empire
Christian Late Antiquity
- Early Christianity After 100
- Persecution of Christians
- The "Triumph" of the Church
- Persecution by Christians/The End of Paganism
- Early Dogmatic Disputes
  - Disputes over the Trinity: Arianism
  - Disputes over Christology: Nestorianism and Monophysitism
- The World of the Church Fathers
  - Eastern Fathers
  - Western Fathers
- Christianity and Classical Learning
The German Impact
- Early Germans
- Invading Germans/Other "Barbarians"

Pagan Late Antiquity

WEB Ancient History Sourcebook
WEB Late Antiquity in the Mediterranean [At ORB]
Late Antique Government and Culture
- Notitia Dignitatum (Register of Dignitaries), c. 400
  A list of all the officials in the Roman Empire, East and West, circa. 400 CE
- The Theodosian Code, copyrighted
- Salvian: The Burden of Taxation, c. 440. [Diff. trans than Tierney]
- Sidonius Apollinaris: "Country House Life in Gaul" and "A Visigothic King".
- Sidonius Apollinaris: A Civilized Barbarian and a Barbarous Roman
- Palladius: On Husbandry, c. 350
- Philostratus: Life of Apollonius of Tyana, c. 220 CE. [At Livius.org]
- Porphyry: Against the Christians.
- Julian ("the Apostate") (b.332-r.361-d.363): Letter to Arsacius, c. 360. [At Then Again]
- Martianius Capella: The Marriage of Philology and Mercuy, copyrighted
- The Zoroastrian Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Avesta See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Avesta - Theological Aspects
The "Fall" of the Roman Empire
- Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): History of the Goths Chap. 20: The Devastation of the Goths in the Reign of Gallienus, 260-268
- Ammianus Marcellinus (c.330-395 CE): History, XIV.16: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome, c. 400 [Different version than Tierney's]
- Rutilius Numantius: On His Return, I.xi.47, The Greatness of Rome in the Days of Ruin, 413
- Ammianus Marcellinus (330-395 CE): The Battle of Adrianople 378 CE. [At Hillsdale]
- Edward Gibbon: On the Fall of the Roman Empire.. Not exactly a source, but Gibbon's views are very commonly discussed in class.
- Arnold Toynbee: Christianity and Civilization [At Church of Greece]
  A very different view than Gibbon's.
- Procopius: The Plague, 542, History of the Wars, II.xxii-xxxiii:

Christian Late Antiquity

Early Christianity After 100
- WEB Ancient History Sourcebook for extensive texts on Christian origins.
- Pliny the Younger: Letter on the Christians.
- Justin Martyr: Second Apology [Dialogue with Trypho] , complete - but a very large file.
Persecution of Christians
- The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 2nd Century. Several translations. [At Early Christian Writings]
- The Persecution and Martyrdoms of Lyons in 177 A.D.: The Letter of the Churches of Vienna and Lyons to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia including the story of the Blessed Blandina.
- Perpetua: The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity, 203. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua; and Peter Dronke's Discussion of Perpetua [At Internet Archive, from Millersville]
- Perpetua: The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity, 203, excerpts.
- Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History: The Martyrdom of St. Domnina and Her Daughters.
- The Passion of The Scillitan Martyrs.
- The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, full text of early passion.
- Deeds of Zenophilus: How the Romans Tried to Seize Christian Books, c. 395
- Diocletian: Edicts of Persecution.
The "Triumph of the Church"
- Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History: conversion of Constantine. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Labarum (Chi-Rho)
- Edit of Galerius and the "Edict of Milan", 311/313.
- Constantine I: Laws for Christians.
- Constantine I: On the Keeping of Easter.
- Jews and the Later Roman Law 315-531
  Laws by Constantine the Great, Constantius (337-361), Theodosius II (408-410), and Justinian (527-565).
- Julian and the Jews, 361-363
  From Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History written about 443-450
- Legislation Affecting the Jews, 300 to 800 CE
  Index to Roman, Western and canonical laws
- Prayers for Making a Synagogue into a Church, in Latin.
  From the Liber Sacramentorum Romanae Ecclesiae
Persecution by Christians/The End of Paganism
- Theodosian Code XVI.i.2: Banning of Other Religions, 379-395.
- Theodosian Code: On Religion
- Zosimus: Historia Nova. [At Then Again]
  On the ending of Paganism.
- Mark the Deacon: Life of Porphyry of Gaza, 5th Century, [full text]
  fascinating account of the Christian destruction of Paganism in Gaza.
- Socrates Scholasticus: The Murder of Hypatia.
  A leading female philosopher, Hypatia was murdered by a Christian mob in Alexandria, urged on by St. Cyril. See also The Hypatia Page. Three historical version's of Hypatia's murder are available, and useful for comparative purposes:
  - Damascius: The Life of Hypatia, from the Life of Isidore, reproduced in The Suda. [At cosmopolis.com]
  - Socrates Scholasticus: The Life of Hypatia, [At cosmopolis.com]
  - John of Nikiu: The Life of Hypatia. [At cosmopolis.com]
Early Dogmatic Disputes
- Disputes over the Trinity: Arianism
  - WEB A Chronology of the Arian Controversy 311-383, [At Church of the East]
    With the texts of the Ten Arian Confessions (although some of the links are broken).
  - The Nicene Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Nicene Creed
  - Canons of the Council of Nicea, 325. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Arianism
  - Alexander: Deposition of Arius, [At CCEL].
  - Athanasius of Alexandria: Apologia Contra Arianos.[At CCEL]
- Disputes over Christology: Nestorianism and Monophysitism
  - Justinian: Dialogue with Paul of Nisibis, translated by Dr. Jeffrey Macdonald, 1998 [At Pachomias]
The World of the Church Fathers
- WEB Christian Classics Ethereal Library
  For many theological works, including entire contents of the Ante-Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series,
- WEB New Advent Fathers of the Church
  Another online version of the Ante-Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series.
- WEBSt. Pachomius Library: Alphabetical Index, for listing of Orthodox documents online.
- St. Vincent of Lerins: The "Vincentian Canon", 434 CE
  A classic definition of "orthodoxy".
- Eastern Fathers
  - Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-d.c.395): Life of Macrina, trans. W.K. Lowther Clarke.
    One of the most important lives of a female saint. This is an account of Gregory's strongminded sister, Macrina (c.327-379)
- Western Fathers
  - Augustine of Hippo (354-430): Confessions: His Conversion.
  - Dispute Between Symmachus and Ambrose.
  - Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Valentian II, 386, defending the autonomy of the Church.
  - Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Theodosius, 390, rebuke for massacre.
  - Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Selected Letters, [At Calgary]
  - Theodoret (c.393-466): St. Ambrose Humiliates Theodosius the Great, from Ecclesiastical History, V.17-18
  - Augustine of Hippo (354-430): On Christian Doctrine, available soon, The full text is available now (from CCEL)
  - Augustine of Hippo (354-430): City of God, excerpts. The full text of the City of God is available in PDF or html formats
  - Augustine of Hippo (354-430): The City of God: excerpts on the Two Cities
  - Quicunque Vult, or The Creed of St. Athanasius
    Reflects a Latin view of Trinitarian Doctrine.
  - Council of Orange 529
    The canons of this council attacked the "semi-Pelagians", and supported Augustine's position on grace and freewill.
Christianity and Classical Learning
- Origen (185?-254?): On Classical Learning . See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Origen and Origenism
- Tertullian (c.155/160-after 220): On Pagan Learning, c. 220 CE
  On the distinction between "Athens" and "Jerusalem".
- Jerome (374-419/20): On Classical Literature. Note - the full text of these, and others of Jerome's letters is available in HTML as NPNF - Volume VI -- St. Jerome: Letters and Select Works. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Latin Literature in Early Christianity
- Boethius (c.480-524): Consolation of Philosophy. [translation by R. Hooker]. A full text in Latin and English, is available. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Boethius
- Cassiodorus (490-c.585): On Classical Learning.

The German Impact

Early Germans
- Julius Caesar: The Germans, c. 51 BCE
- Tacitus: Germania, trans. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb.
- Tacitus: Germania, trans. Thomas Gordon, full text, Also available in Latin.
- Tacitus: Germania, shorter excerpts.
Invading Germans/Other "Barbarians"
- Priscus: On the Palace of Attila the Hun, 448.
- Priscus: On the Palace of Attila the Hun, 448, Trans J.B. Bury. Extended version of above text. A Hyperlinked Version is also available [At Calgary]
- Jordanes: An Account of the Person of Attila
- Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): History of the Goths: Chap. 38: The Battle of Chalôns, 451
  The defeat of Attila.
- Pope Leo I and Attila: Two Accounts, 452.
- The Hildebrandslied 830s
  Full translation of the main suriving frangment of and Old High German poem.

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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 20 January 2021