9 XI: Mateusz Fafiński (University of Erfurt), Monks or citizens: Monasticism and civic unrest in Edessa?

Abstract

In 449 Edessa found itself at a brink of exploding – its bishop, Hiba, was accused of heresy and a new governor was just about to enter the city. We have an exclusive, first row view of these events thanks to the Syriac Acts of the Council of Ephesos – an early and fascinating source documenting the events in April of 449. If we read the text carefully, we notice that these Acts are not only a dossier of christological differences and doctrinal grievances but also allow a peek into the urban life of a provincial late antique metropolis. While on its streets we meet various members of the society one group stands out: the monastics in all their diversity and heterogeneity. Their ubiquity in the events of the “hot” April of 449 offers us a unique opportunity: to reassess the way a fifth century metropolis dealt with unrest. The paper presents a fresh look at the role of monks in the late antique urban governance at a moment of extreme tension. Were monasticis really a little more then a disruptive force, confirming the decline of Roman urban administration? Or was there a method to the monastic madness? A new reading of the Acts will be used as a chance to get to know the urban troublemakers a little bit better.