Evagrius of Antiochia: Mobility, Cultural Transfer and Translation in the 4th Century CE

The theological discussions and imperial measures that led in the 4th centuries to frequent exiles and returns of bishops and other members of the clergy generated a high degree of individual mobility, stretching well across the boundaries of individual provinces and prefectures of the empire. This individual mobility was a central factor in shaping the culture of the fourth and fifth centuries CE, as it led to various forms of contact and encounter and to important processes of cultural transfer. A relevant part of these processes is represented by the translations of texts – many of which survive from this period and are often connected to individual experiences of mobility. Mobility, identity, translation and transfer are indeed deeply interconnected, also in the case of the mobility of elites, such as that of Late Antique bishops. It is the aim of this project to investigate these connections and the role played by individual mobility and translation in shaping the culture of the Roman empire of the 4th century. In order to achieve that, a special case study has been chosen, that has been surprisingly neglected until now: Evagrius of Antioch, a protagonist of the life of his city, of which he also became bishop, but also a very mobile actor, who moved to Italy, met Eusebius of Vercellae, Ambrose, Hieronymus and Damasus, kept alive networks and connections between Italy and Syria throughout his life, and engaged in the translation of Greek texts into Latin – also formulating reflections on what we would call „translation theory“. Through the analysis of this significant case study and the adoption of approaches from the field of Cultural Studies, the project aims to show that individual mobility of elites played a significant role in Late Antique society, influencing both the communities from which one moved, and to which often one came back, and those reached throughout the empire.