The Family in Late Antiquity: The Rise of Christianity and the Endurance of Tradition

289 Pages·1999·1.45 MB·English

by  Geoffrey Nathan

THE FAMILY IN LATE ANTIQUITY

THE FAMILY IN LATE
ANTIQUITY
The rise of Christianity and the
endurance of tradition
Geoffrey S. Nathan
London and New York
First published 2000
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002.
© 2000 Geoffrey Nathan
The right of Geoffrey Nathan to be identified as the Author of this Work
has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data has been applied for
ISBN 0–415–16665–9 (Print Edition)
ISBN 0-203-00669-0 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-20609-6 (Glassbook Format)
To Nobuko, Emily and Lucas, my own family

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations x
1 Introduction 1
2 Two traditions 15
3 Constantine and The Confluence of Two Traditions 55
4 Marriage 74
5 Alternatives to marriage 107
6 Children 133
7 The extended family 160
8 Household slaves 169
9 Final thoughts 185
Appendix 190
Notes 192
Bibliography 246
Index 262
vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are a number of people I should like to thank for their help in the
production of this book. Ronald Mellor first suggested the topic to me when I
was still a graduate student, and Claudia Rapp helped to make that topic a reality
when I worked on my dissertation. It is from my doctoral work that this book
was largely taken.
Over the years, many people have given me valuable advice and input about
various aspects of this work. Michele Salzman and Brent Shaw offered useful advice
early on. Two experts were also particularly helpful on the matter of law: Judith
Evans Grubbs and Antti Arjava pointed me in useful directions. Scott Bartchy
has also been helpful, offering essential information on early Christianity,
particularly in the area of slavery.
Several institutions also deserve thanks. UCLA’s history department has helped
to defray the costs of travel when presenting parts of my book at conferences.
The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the Association for Ancient
Historians, and the Byzantine Studies Conference have also permitted me to present
some of my findings.
Finally, I wish to thank an important layperson: my wife, Nobuko. Over the
years, she has given me consistent and unqualified support, both emotional and
financial. Without her, I would not have had the strength to finish my work. To
her, I owe a heavy debt of gratitude.
GSN
Los Angeles
February 1999
ix