The impact of Christianity on the late antique cities : destructive or constructive?
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Klasické rozhovory - Colloquia classica |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | late ancient cities; urbanistic role of Christianity; economic role of Christianity; social role of Christianity; political role of Christianity |
| Description | The aim of this article was to try to decide between the destructiveness or constructivity of Christianity in late ancient cities, through the various roles (political, economic, social and urbanistic) that Christianity held or influenced in the city. Based on the findings from written and archaeological sources, I would not formulate this question in the exclusionary (either, or) but rather merge ratio. The whole of the late-ancient period, especially as a transitional phase between antiquity and the early Middle Ages, could be considered as declining or transforming, including cities. However, such reasoning may be misleading because after the decline in late antiquity / early Middle Ages, the rise of the 11th and 12th centuries BC followed. So I would evaluate the effect of Christianity in the late antique cities of the Roman Empire as destructively constructive. Something is lost by the influence of the Church (pagan festivals, temples, curia), but something new also arises (Christian festivals, churches, structures). If religion, as one of the key components of ancient society, changes itself, society itself (and vice versa) is transformed under this influence. |
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