Reading Beauty in Late Antiquity

How was beauty understood in Late Antiquity, and how did this perception shift as the Classical world gave way to the Christian era? This book explores the concept of beauty in literary sources from the third to the sixth century AD. Through case studies, it examines different approaches to the changing and diverse aesthetic standards of Late Antique texts, focusing on how beauty was visualized, evaluated, conceptualized and used by authors from Greek, Roman and Christian traditions.This volume examines the varied responses to beauty in Late Antiquity, focusing on why individuals were glorified, vilified or belittled for their appearance. It addresses the evaluation, use and exploitation of beauty during this period, particularly with the rise of Christianity. The book also considers how aesthetics and moral qualities were viewed in relation to both Classical traditions and emerging Christian thought. Topics include representations of 'holy bodies,' body shaming, and the changing ideas of virginity and asceticism within Christian discussions of physical and spiritual purity. Through the works of writers such as Nonnus of Panopolis, St. Augustine, Prudentius and Ammianus Marcellinus, this book reveals a rich landscape of diverse social and cultural views on beauty.