Reactionary Paganism: Renewal and Invention of Traditions in Late Fourth Century Rome

By Ioannis Papadopoulos

Paper given at the 2015 International Medieval Congress, held at the University of Leeds

Abstract: The gradual imposition of Christianity over the public space at Rome had changed the face of traditional paganism itself. Although many changes in the collective forms of devotio had occurred already in the third century AD, it was during the ‘‘long’’ fourth century that new mentalities and practices alienated Roman paganism from the traditional forms of worship. Julian’s attempt of establishing a ‘Pagan Church’ and later the so called ‘last pagan revival’ at Rome during the 390’s under the Nicomachi contributed to the emergence of a new ‘Reactionary’ paganism. New manners of worship destined for the selected few and radical practices like human sacrifice alienated even further this activity from its previous classical forms. In order to preserve a distinct identity and presence, this last generation of pagan aristocrats experimented with a new interpretation of the mos maiorum and in their attempt to defend their version of Romanitas against an expanding Christianity they inevitably forged a pagan ‘doctrine’ and ‘salvation plan’ similar to that of their Christian contemporaries. This new pagan counter-reformation was characterized by new radical messages and an attempt of constructing a collective identity accompanied with an articulate, monolithic form of belief, either as a defense mechanism or as a result of a more esoteric change or need. This paper will attempt to explore this new pagan identity that emerged only a few years before the (public) extinction of polytheism and will attempt to trace the potentials of this last Pagan Revolution.

Introduction: The second half of the fourth century AD was a period of paramount change regarding the religious tensions and activity in the city of Rome. This age of transition was dominated by the competition and power display of Christianity and traditional paganism within the City’s pomerium in an attempt of claiming the symbolic primacy of such an important religious and political locus. The gradual imposition of Christianity over the public space of the Old Capital had changed the face of paganism itself. Although many changes in the collective forms of devotio had occurred already in the third century AD, it was during the ‘‘long’’ fourth century that new mentalities and practices alienated Roman paganism from the traditional forms of worship. Julian’s attempt of establishing a Pagan Church and later the so called ‘last pagan revival’ at Rome during the 390’s under the administration of the Nicomachi contributed to the emergence of a new ‘Reactionary’ paganism. New manners of worship and radical practices destined for the selected few alienated even further the cultum deorum from its previous classical forms. In order to preserve a distinct identity and presence, this generation of pagan aristocrats experimented with a new interpretation of the mos maiorum and in their attempt to defend their version of Romanitas against an expanding Christian creed they inevitably forged a pagan ‘doctrine’ and ‘salvation plan’ similar to that of their Christian contemporaries. This new pagan ‘counter-reformation’ was characterized by new radical messages and an attempt of constructing a collective identity accompanied with an articulate, monolithic form of belief, either as a defence mechanism or as a result of a more esoteric change or need. This paper will attempt to explore this new pagan identity that emerged only a few years before the (public) extinction of polytheism and will attempt to trace the potentials of this last pagan revolution.

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