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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
  • [Tierney 2, Geary 1] The Theodosian Code, copyrighted
  • [Tierney 3] Salvian: The Burden of Taxation, c. 440. [Diff. trans than Tierney]
  • [Tierney 4] 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]
  • [Geary 2] 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
  • [Tierney 1] 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.
  • [Geary 4] 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"
  • [Tierney 6.1] Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History: conversion of Constantine. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Labarum (Chi-Rho)
  • [Tierney 7.1] 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).
    • [Tierney 5] The Nicene Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Nicene Creed
    • [Tierney 13] 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
    • [Tierney 6.1] Augustine of Hippo (354-430): Confessions: His Conversion.
      See James O'Donnell's Augustine Page
    • [Tierney 7.2] Dispute Between Symmachus and Ambrose.
    • [Tierney 7.2] Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Valentian II, 386, defending the autonomy of the Church.
    • [Tierney 7.2] 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
    • [Geary 3.1] Augustine of Hippo (354-430): On Christian Doctrine, available soon, The full text is available now (from CCEL)
    • [Tierney 7.3, Geary 3.2] 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".
  • [Tierney 8] 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
  • [Tierney 9, Geary 5] 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.
  • [Geary 7] Hildebrandlied, copyrighted

NOTES:

copyrighted means the text is not available for free distribution. In some cases alternate versions are available, and are working through the pipeline.

Dates of accession of material can be seen in the New Accessions Page. The date of inception was 1/20/1996.

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created 1996: last revised 3/20/2007