Catherine Nixey is a historian and writer known for her exploration of ancient history, particularly the religious and cultural transitions of the ancient world. One of her most notable contributions to the field of history is her work on the early Christian period and its interaction with ancient paganism. Through her research, Nixey shines a light on the often-overlooked aspects of the ancient world and how these intersected with the rise of Christianity, providing a deeper understanding of the complex transformations that shaped the classical and post-classical eras.
The Ancient World and the Rise of Christianity
The ancient world, encompassing civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Persians, was deeply rooted in polytheistic traditions. Religion played an integral role in the lives of these civilizations, influencing everything from politics and governance to daily life and artistic expression. The ancient world was rich in mythology, with gods and goddesses governing all aspects of the universe. This landscape of belief, however, began to change with the rise of Christianity.
Catherine Nixey's work highlights how the rise of Christianity marked a dramatic shift from polytheistic religions to monotheism. This transition wasn't peaceful or gradual, and Nixey provides evidence of the violent suppression of pagan practices during the early centuries of Christian dominance in the Roman Empire. Christianity, while offering hope and salvation to many, also brought with it a zeal for eradication of older religious traditions, often at the cost of ancient monuments, texts, and cultural practices.
The Destruction of Paganism
In her book, The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World, Nixey chronicles how early Christians sought to erase traces of pagan culture. Pagan temples, libraries, and artworks were destroyed or repurposed. Philosophers and intellectuals who adhered to pagan beliefs were persecuted, and ancient pagan rituals were banned. The most famous event in this regard was the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, though much of the damage to classical knowledge occurred in less dramatic but equally devastating ways.
Nixey argues that this "destruction" of the classical world by Christians wasn't just physical but cultural as well. Philosophical schools that once flourished in the ancient world were gradually replaced by Christian dogma. The philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome, whose works laid the foundations for much of Western thought, were sidelined in favor of religious teachings that promoted faith over reason. shutdown123