From Mimesis to Myth: Greek Portraits of St. Cyprian in Late Antiquity

From Mimesis to Myth traces the transformation of a Greek account of the life of Cyprian of Carthage into the legendary tale of Cyprian of Antioch as a means of exploring how late antique Christian authors and audiences interpreted the fictional qualities of hagiographic narratives. Through close readings of texts from the fourth and fifth centuries, including works by Gregory of Nazianzus and the Theodosian empress Aelia Eudocia, the book uncovers how Cyprian's legend evolved and how Chris...