Ancient Christianity

Sandro Boticelli, Sant'Agostino nello studio (ca.1480), Florence, Chiesa di Ognissanti:
Deum et animam scire cupio. Nihilne plus? Nihil omnino! God and the soul, that is what I desire to know! Nothing more? Nothing whatever! (Soliloquia I 7,1).
Source: akg-images/Rabatti – Domingie

Georges de la Tour (1593-1652), Jerome reading, Paris, Musée du Louvre:
Errasse humanum est et confiteri errorem prudentis. Well, to err is human and to confess one’s error wise (Epistulae 57,12,3; cf. Cicero, Orationes Philippicae 12,2,5).
akg-images/Erich Lessing

akg-images/Rabatti – Domingie, location:

Presentation of the manuscript Clm 17092, f 130v of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek:
τοῖς δὲ θεωρητικοῖς καρδίᾳ θεωρητός, τουτέστι νῷ, καρδίᾳ δὲ οὐ τῇ τυχούσῃ ἀλλὰ τῇ καθαρᾷ. While He can be seen by those who see with the heart, that is, the understanding; not indeed with any kind of heart, but with one which is ‘pure’ (Contra Celsum VI 69; cf. Matthew 5,8).
Source: bpk-images

Portrait of seated woman (2nd century AD) with head of the Empress, mother of Constantine, Rome, Vatican Museums:
Μακάριος ἤμην εἰ τοιαύτην γυναῖκα εἶχον καὶ τῷ κάλλει καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ. How happy should I be if I had such a wife, both for beauty and manners (Pastor Hermae, Visio 1,2).
Source: Anthony Majanlahti; Reiner Zensen

Ancient Christianity in Berlin

Ancient Christianity is an exciting field. How did this new religion come into existence? How did it establish itself during the Roman Empire and reshape the Empire? While the Roman Empire is a long bygone age, and both the world and Christianity look very different today, the study of Early Christianity is no less valuable.

We hope you enjoy browsing through the site.

Sincerely yours, Christoph Markschies

Research

Procopius of Gaza

In the fifth and sixth century a rhetorician lived in Gaza, who did not only colourfully describe a series of paintings, but also compiled the bible exegesis of the church fathers in commentaries on biblical books. more

Team

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Christoph Markschies

As a professor of Ancient Christianity (Patristics) at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin he leads ...