Constantinople: Ritual, Violence, and Memory in the Making of a Christian Imperial Capital

As Christian spaces and agents assumed prominent positions in civic life, the end of the long span of the fourth century was marked by large—scale religious change. Churches had overtaken once—thriving pagan temples, old civic priesthoods were replaced by prominent bishops, and the rituals of the city were directed toward the Christian God. Such changes were particularly pronounced in the newly established city of Constantinople, where elites from various groups contended to control civic a...