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3. The Conversion: Constructing the Feminine Ideal

3. The Conversion: Constructing the Feminine Ideal Introduction By the middle of the fourth century, stories about a fictional Christian bishop and martyr, Cyprian of Antioch, began to circulate throughout the eastern half of the empire. According to these stories, a lovelorn Antiochene aristocrat, Aglaidas, hires a local magician, Cyprian, to seduce a young Christian woman, Justa, who had rejected his advances. Cyprian conjures three demons, whom he orders to… Read more

Book Chapter

4. The Confession: Competing with Magic

4. The Confession: Competing with Magic Introduction In the previous chapter, I argue that the Conversion depends on early Christian prose narratives, especially martyrologies and acta that depict exceptional women. My approach in that chapter focuses on how Justa intertextually engages these exceptional female characters, particularly Thecla and Perpetua. In fact, despite the Conversion’s ostensible interest in Cyprian, Justa receives far more attention and emerges as the story’s main character. Read more

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Conclusion

Conclusion When Judy Chicago’s installation piece, The Dinner Party, debuted in 1979, it was rightly hailed as a tour de force of feminist art. Choosing which women to represent at the thirty-nine settings around the table must have been so difficult that the names of another 999 women were written on porcelain tiles and displayed on the ground under the table. For someone to be considered for the Heritage Floor,… Read more

Book Chapter

Appendix. Eudocia’s Martyrdom of Cyprian

Appendix. Eudocia’s Martyrdom of Cyprian Book 1: The Conversion Proem 1* [1]   When God in heaven brought light to earth          and the true voice of wondrous men was accomplished,          a life-producing radiance filled the whole world          through the words of (other) prophets, the evangelists.5*       For all… Read more

Book Chapter

Bibliography

Bibliography Accorinti, D., ed. 2016. Brill’s Companion to Nonnus of Panopolis. Leiden. Adams, J. N. 1981. “Ausonius, Cento Nuptialis 101–131.” Studi italiani di filologia classica 53:199–215. Addey, C. 2014. Divination and Theurgy in Neoplatonism: Oracles of the Gods. Farnham. Aerts, W. J. 1997. “Das literarische Porträt in der byzantinischen Literatur.” Groningen Colloquia on the Novel 8:151–195. Afonasin, E. 2016. “Pythagorean Numerology and Diophantus’ Arithmetica: A Note… Read more

Programs & Events News

CHS Visiting Artist: Steriani Tsintziloni

To register for Steriani Tsintziloni’s visiting artist presentation taking place on Friday, April 9, 2021, at 11:30 am EDT, please visit the event page. Steriani Tsintziloni is a dance researcher, curator, lecturer, dramaturg, and former dancer. By writing, collaborating, teaching, researching, and presenting dance she works at the intersection of theory and practice with a special interest in the entanglement of dance curation, practices, and historical research in… Read more