The Role of Pollution in Agathias's Histories

Lennon, Jack J.; Wilshere, Nicholas

Abstract

Throughout Agathias’s Histories, he makes frequent use of religious pollution. This has often gone unnoticed in discussions of his work, as scholars have typically approached the debate in terms of his attitudes to sin. This article aims to correct this by highlighting the numerous occasions in which pollution is not only present, but also plays a pivotal role in Agathias’s narrative and worldview. In particular, Agathias uses pollution to denigrate the actions and customs of outsiders and non-Romans, while simultaneously presenting Romans such as Justinian’s general Narses as being especially concerned with avoiding pollution and maintaining purity.

Citation

Lennon, J. J., & Wilshere, N. (2024). The Role of Pollution in Agathias's Histories. Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 78, 7-28

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 6, 2023
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 31, 2024
• Journal: Dumbarton Oaks Papers
• Electronic ISSN: 2325-9345
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 78
• Pages: 7-28
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/23842524
• Publisher URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27344529