Empire 293. The Gaza Erotic Literature Festival: Byzantine Gaza (Part 3)
112 snips
Sep 24, 2025 Peter Sarris, a Professor at the University of Cambridge specializing in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, shares fascinating insights about Byzantine Gaza. He discusses how Gaza became a vibrant center of learning and festivals during the rise of Christianity. Sarris recounts the life of St. Porphyrius, who famously closed pagan temples, and highlights Gaza's diverse community and its intellectual achievements. He also touches on the city’s renowned wine industry and the impact of trade routes, making Gaza a significant hub of cultural and economic activity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Gaza's Byzantine Golden Age
- Gaza enjoyed a Golden Age in late antiquity while much of the Mediterranean declined.
- The city became a stable centre of commerce, learning and intellectual life under Byzantine rule.
Slow Christianisation Of Gaza
- Christianity spread slowly in Gaza and remained mainly rural until the late 4th century.
- By Porphyry's arrival, Christians were only about 1% in the city itself.
Gaza's Mixed Cultural Landscape
- Gaza's elite was Greek-speaking while the lower classes spoke Aramaic and the region hosted diverse merchants.
- The city combined Hellenistic civic culture with indigenous Near Eastern communities.
