“Religion and Politics in the Long Roman Empire”
In the classical Roman empire politics and religion were inseparable, and maintaining the goodwill of the gods was one of the chief responsibilities of senators, consuls, and emperors. Did this religion of and for the state – known as civic religion – persist into the medieval phase of the Roman Empire long after Christianity became the official Roman religion? Answering this question requires us to cross over traditional categories of ancient/medieval, pagan/Christian, and politics/religion and brings new perspectives to both the past and our own world.
Professor Leonora Neville has written extensively on eastern Roman society, particularly on gender, history writing, authority, and the significance of classical culture for east Roman society. She is the John and Jeanne Rowe Professor of Byzantine History and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Presented by the Department of History. Free and Open to the Public.