Antioch on the Orontes: the Topography of Social Conflicts (4th-7th cent. ad)

Abstract

A thorough analysis of historical sources, in particular the writings of Libanios, Ammianus Marcellinus, John Chrysostom and John Malalas, makes it possible to identify places in Antioch where the revolts of local populace broke out (most of all, the official buildings of secular or ecclesiastical authorities, but also places of mass entertainment) as well as provide an answer to the question of whether there were places in Antioch particularly dangerous and, more specifically, prone to outbursts of social discontent (generally speaking, the socalled New City, the vicinity of the Forum of Valens, the district of Epiphania). It also helps to appraise the degree to which these revolts affected the physical structure of specific buildings (in most cases, the damage was due to earthquakes rather than revolts). Finally, it suggests that social relations in Antioch, a city of so many religions, were relatively peaceful (mentions of churches, temples and synagogues in the context of revolts are very rare).