A lively and wide-ranging study of the men and ideas of late antique education, this book explores the intellectual and doctrinal milieux in the two great cities Athens and Alexandria from the second to the sixth century to shed new light on the interaction between the pagan cultural legacy and Christianity. Watts crafts two narratives that reveal how differently education was shaped by the local power structures and urban contexts of each city. He touches on the careers of Herodes Atticus, Proclus, Damascius, Ammonius Saccus, Origen, Hypatia and Olympiodorus, and on events including the Herulian sack of Athens and the rise of Arian Christianity to show that by the sixth century, Athens and Alexandria had two distinct, locally determined approaches to pagan teaching with their roots in the unique historical relationships between city and school.

About the Author
Edward J. Watts is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Indiana University.

Reviews
"What impresses . . . most is Watts' seemingly complete mastering of the rich and variegated literary sources of the history he tells." * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
"An important book . . . carefully edited." * Classical Bulletin *



Book Information
ISBN 9780520258167
Author Edward J. Watts
Format Paperback
Page Count 300
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 408g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 23mm