SAPERE XIX: Poverty - Work - Human Dignity: The Euboean Speech of Dion of Prusa

Für Religionsfreiheit, Recht und Toleranz – Libanios Rede für den Erhalt der heidnischen Tempel, eingeleitet, übersetzt und mit interpretierenden Essays versehen von Heinz-Günther Nesselrath / Okko Behrends / Klaus S. Freyberger / Johannes Hahn / Martin Wallraff / Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, Tübingen 2011.

This volume presents the first German translation of a text in which the important late antique orator (and teacher of oratory) Libanios of Antiocheia addresses the Roman Emperor Theodosius ("the Great") in order to persuade him to put a stop to the destructive rage of fanatical Christians (especially monks) directed against the pagan temples in the vicinity of Antiocheia. In doing so, Libanios appeals to the tolerance of the Christian emperor and points out the cultural-historical and identity-forming significance of the pagan sanctuaries. In addition to an introduction to the author, his work and the writing presented here, as well as the original text, its translation and extensive annotations, the volume contains a series of essays that shed additional light on Libanios' writing from the perspective of various scholarly disciplines: the relationship of Libanios' rhetoric to the Roman law in force at the time; Libanios' attitude towards and position among the Christian Roman emperors of his time; the role of Christian monks in the decline of pagan cults in Late Antiquity; archaeological findings on the fate of pagan sanctuaries after the extinction of the cults; the phenomenon of religious intolerance in Late Antiquity. Thanks to these contributions, the significance of Libanios' writing can be comprehensively appreciated for the first time in its legal, cultural, religious and general historical context.

Reviews:

• R. Brendel, H-Soz-u-Kult, (04/2012).
• P. W. van der Horst, Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift, 66 (2012), S. 76-77.
• J. Wintjes, Historische Zeitschrift, 297 (2013), S. 455-456.
• U. Lambrecht, Plekos, 15 (2013), S. 83-89.
• M. Maier, Zeitschr. f. Kirchengeschichte 124 (2014), S. 90-92.

Nesselrath, Heinz-Günther; Behrends, Okko; Freyberger, Klaus S.; Hahn, Johannes; Wallraff, Martin; Wiemer, Hans-Ulrich
Composite volume; German, Ancient Greek
Published: 2011
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck Verlag: Tübingen
ISBN: 978-3-16-151002-1