Bishop Damasus I
Bishop Damasus I of Rome, known to some as Pope Damasus I, was the bishop of Rome from 366-384. It will not be lost on scholars of ancient Rome that this is only 53 years after the Edict of Milan was signed and a paltry 3 years after Julian the Apostate died, helping to shore up the legality of Roman Christianity. This was, then, early days for Christianity, at least the Christianity of a state. This in and of itself is enough to make Damasus worth studying.
I first learned about Damasus in a rather fortuitous way. I was a first-year graduate student and had set on the idea of writing my Latin Epigraphy paper on Christian Inscriptions. However, because of the low number of sources that I could find that fit both my desire to explore Christian Epigraphy and my wish not to do statistical analysis on hundreds of grave markers, I decided on Damasus, who had written epitaphs for saints and martyrs. In looking at his work, I found many interesting things that have led to Damasus being my primary research interest to this day.
I find that, broadly speaking, Damasus' inscriptions serve approximately three functions.
My interest in Damasus is complemented by an interest in early Christianity in general. This interest focuses mostly around the third of the previous points. My thinking, helped along by several books I have read, is that honor is always competitive. If Rome was broadcasting herself as honorable, as she did using the martyrs and later through other means, who was she competing with and were they competing back? These primarily are the questions that I attempt to begin to answer in the conference papers which are available for download below. Portions of my Masters Paper on Damasus may be available upon request.
I first learned about Damasus in a rather fortuitous way. I was a first-year graduate student and had set on the idea of writing my Latin Epigraphy paper on Christian Inscriptions. However, because of the low number of sources that I could find that fit both my desire to explore Christian Epigraphy and my wish not to do statistical analysis on hundreds of grave markers, I decided on Damasus, who had written epitaphs for saints and martyrs. In looking at his work, I found many interesting things that have led to Damasus being my primary research interest to this day.
I find that, broadly speaking, Damasus' inscriptions serve approximately three functions.
- They promote the Christian faith and specifically Damasus' understanding of the Nicene doctrines.
- They honor the martyrs which in turn honors Damasus, the man who is honoring them, thus securing his success.
- Most interestingly, in my opinion, they show Rome as a place full of honorable martyrs who make Rome herself honorable.
My interest in Damasus is complemented by an interest in early Christianity in general. This interest focuses mostly around the third of the previous points. My thinking, helped along by several books I have read, is that honor is always competitive. If Rome was broadcasting herself as honorable, as she did using the martyrs and later through other means, who was she competing with and were they competing back? These primarily are the questions that I attempt to begin to answer in the conference papers which are available for download below. Portions of my Masters Paper on Damasus may be available upon request.
American Academy of Religion Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
damasus_inscriptions.doc | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Ancient Christianity
My study of Ancient Christianity has been multifaceted over time. I have always been fascinated by Origen and his philosophies, but I have had comparatively little time to get down into the nitty-gritty of his theology and related topics. Thus, I am fascinated with the philosophical and theological development of Christianity for its own sake, and would never dismiss these topics as unimportant. However, it is my understanding that many of the church fathers, especially the bishops of large sees like Constantinople, Alexandria, and Rome, were perpetually engaged in petty squabbles, sometimes involving competition from rival claimants to the bishop's chair. I do not mean this to be cynical. I believe that there were good Christians in the ancient world. Some were monks and most kept a low profile. But rising to greatness in the Late Roman Church often required a ruthlessness about which a certain amount of cynicism is likely healthy. I say this by way of preface to the papers available for download below. I do not mean to offend Christians, I am one myself. It does occur to me to wonder how many of the protagonists in the following papers should be allowed to say the same thing.
Note: The papers below were originally given at various conferences over the past three years. They have not been polished before posting, so I apologize for any errors. None of the papers are meant to be comprehensive, but to spark a discussion. If you would like to continue that discussion with me, contact me by my e-mail listed below.
Note: The papers below were originally given at various conferences over the past three years. They have not been polished before posting, so I apologize for any errors. None of the papers are meant to be comprehensive, but to spark a discussion. If you would like to continue that discussion with me, contact me by my e-mail listed below.
American Academy of Religion National Meeting 2011
competitive_honor_rome_constantinople_alexandria.doc | |
File Size: | 37 kb |
File Type: | doc |
The Penn State History Graduate Student Conference 2009
martyrs_relics_and_the_politics_of_christianity_in_the_late_roman_empire.doc | |
File Size: | 43 kb |
File Type: | doc |