The End of (Late) Antiquity? The View from Cyprus

About the Lecture:

Late Antiquity (ca. ?- ca. ?) is a vibrant subfield of ancient studies that has a rich and contested historiographical tradition that has developed over the last 50+ years. Always under discussion is when the period began, and perhaps even more so when it came to an end. Thematic pairings, like “decline and fall” and “continuity and change” still frame the debate, although scholars have also recognized that one late antique size does not fit all. Cyprus offers a fascinating and complex vantage point to think about these questions. In classical antiquity, the island was a hub of exchange, with peoples, goods, and ideas, moving to and from it in every direction. In older narratives, the beginning of the “end” came with the first Arab invasion in 648/49, and yet not long thereafter, life continued in and around Cyprus as it had before, even if at a smaller scale. But why is that the Is advent of the Islamic caliphate in the Mediterranean marks the end of Cyprus’s antiquity? This lecture will explore the underlying (problematic) assumptions behind this conclusion.

About the Speaker:

Young Richard Kim is an associate professor in the Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies and the Department of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a scholar and teacher of the ancient Mediterranean world, with a focus on Late Antiquity, late ancient Christianity, and early Byzantine Studies. His current book project is entitled Cyprus and the Historiography of Late Antiquity.

This event is part of the Exploring Assumptions Series and is cosponsored by The Department of Classical & Near Eastern Religions & Cultures. For more info: https://futureofthepastlab.com/