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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

The Theodosian Code, copyrighted

Salvian: The Burden of Taxation, c. 440. [Diff. trans than Tierney]

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]

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

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.

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"

Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History: conversion of Constantine. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Labarum
(Chi-Rho)

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).

The Nicene Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Nicene Creed

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

Augustine of Hippo (354-430): Confessions: His Conversion.

Dispute Between Symmachus and Ambrose.

Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Valentian II, 386, defending the autonomy of the
Church.

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

Augustine of Hippo (354-430): On Christian Doctrine, available soon, The full text is available now (from
CCEL)
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".

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

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.

The Hildebrandslied 830s

Full translation of the main suriving frangment of and Old High German poem.

The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. The Internet
History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The
Internet Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at the
Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham
University, the Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham
University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not the
institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.

© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 20 January 2021