‘Holier than thou’: aristocracy, asceticism and the politics of piety in post-Roman Gaul

Dodd, Leslie

Abstract

This paper examines the ways in which late Roman Christian aristocrats used ostentatious displays of asceticism to achieve specific political ends within their communities. It also examines the limits of acceptable asceticism by considering the expulsion of Caesarius from the monastery of Lérins for excessive asceticism. It concludes by showing how Caesarius was able to use this expulsion for political ends by showing he was more ascetic than the local clerical establishment.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: University of Glasgow Classics Research Seminar Series
• Start Date: Nov 14, 2006
• Deposit Date: Aug 20, 2019
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2067768