RAS History & PhilologyВестник древней истории Vestnik drevney istorii

  • ISSN (Print) 0321-0391
  • ISSN (Online) 3034-5251

THE PERCEPTION OF ANTIQUITY IN EARLY BYZANTINE HAGIOGRAPHY (THE CASE OF THE, LIFE OF SAINT THEODORE OFSYKEORI)

PII
S0321-03910000392-7-1
DOI
10.7868/S10000392-7-1
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Volume/ Edition
Volume / Issue 2
Pages
161-175
Abstract
The paper deals with one of the most unusual specimen of early Byzantine hagiography, the Greek Life of Saint Theodore of Sykeon (BHG 1748) composed in the mid-640's by his disciple George, and aims to examine in which way its protagonist as well as its author perceived and interpreted their common pagan past. The author focuses on such an overlooked literary aspect of the Life as typology of miracles (chiefly on various cases of miraculous healing and exorcism) and comes to the conclusion that the hagiographer's attitude towards ancient (i.e. pagan) medical science is not exclusively unfavorable, as it would be natural to assume. On the contrary, in several episodes, instead of condemning secular medicine, the saint praises it and the hagiographer uses ancient medical termini technici with freedom. These and other data presented in the paper provide us with new valuable information concerning the hagiographer's personality (education, etc.) and the perception of ancient cultural heritage in Asia Minor in Late Antiquity in general.
Keywords
Date of publication
01.04.2009
Year of publication
2009
Number of purchasers
2
Views
478

References

QR
Translate

Индексирование

Scopus

Scopus

Scopus

Crossref

Scopus

Higher Attestation Commission

At the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Scopus

Scientific Electronic Library