Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities

This innovative study uses one well—documented moment of violence as a starting point for a wide—ranging examination of the ideas and interactions of pagan philosophers, Christian ascetics, and bishops from the fourth to the early seventh century. Edward J. Watts reconstructs a riot that erupted in Alexandria in 486 when a group of students attacked a Christian adolescent who had publicly insulted the students' teachers. Pagan students, Christians affiliated with a local monastery, and the ...