A review of the book 'The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World' written by Catherine Nixey.
A bold new history of the rise of Christianity, showing how its radical followers ravaged vast swatches of classical culture, plunging the world into an era of dogma and intellectual darkness.
Taking readers to the great cities of the ancient world and with a remarkable cast of scholars, zealots, martyrs and demons, The Darkening Age is a wrenching and utterly gripping account of centuries of obliteration.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World' written by Catherine Nixey.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Catherine Nixey is a journalist and author. She currently writes for The Economist. Her writing has previously appeared in The Times and the Financial Times, among others. She lives in England with her husband. This, her first book, The Darkening Age, was published in 2017 and was an international bestseller, and won a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award.
Let me read a brief description of the book:
QUOTE
A bold new history of the rise of Christianity, showing how its radical followers ravaged vast swatches of classical culture, plunging the world into an era of dogma and intellectual darkness.
The Romans had been generous in embracing and absorbing new creeds. But once Christianity became the religion of the empire everything changed. Its fanatical adherents set about the destruction of the old gods, demolishing temples, smashing altars, hacking statues to pieces and burning books.
Taking readers to the great cities of the ancient world and with a remarkable cast of scholars, zealots, martyrs and demons, The Darkening Age is a wrenching and utterly gripping account of centuries of obliteration.
UNQUOTE
The author had originally conceived this book as a travelogue. But due to the turmoil in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, the author turned it into some sort of a historical travelogue.
I am mentioning what she has said in the ‘Introduction’ of the book on page XXXV.
QUOTE
My imagined journey had become impossible. As a result, this book has become a sort of historical travelogue instead. It travels throughout the Roman Empire, pausing at certain places and certain times that are significant. As with any travelogue, each of the places I have focussed on is a personal choice and, in a sense, an arguable one. I have chosen Palmyra as a beginning, as it was in the east of the empire, in the mid-380s, that sporadic violence against the old gods and their temples escalated into something far more serious. But equally I could have chosen an attack on an earlier temple, or a later one. That is why it is a beginning, not the beginning. I have chosen Athens in the years around AD 529 as an ending ─ but again, I could equally have chosen a city further east whose inhabitants, when they failed to convert to Christianity, were massacred and their arms and legs cut off and strung up in the streets as a warning to others.
This is a book about the Christian destruction of the classical world. The Christian assault was not the only one ─ fire, flood, invasion and time itself all played their part ─ but this book focuses on Christianity’s assault in particular. This is not to say that the Church didn’t also preserve things: it did. But the story of Christianity’s good works in this period has been told again and again; such books proliferate in libraries and bookshops. The history and the sufferings of those whom Christianity defeated have not been. This book concentrates on them.
UNQUOTE
Nixey, an accomplished journalist and historian, has tackled the decline of classical civilization and the rise of Christianity, presenting a narrative that challenges conventional views of this epoch as a mere transition from ancient to medieval times.
One of the strengths of Nixey’s book is her ability to weave together a compelling narrative with scholarly analysis. Her writing is accessible yet detailed, and she draws on a wide range of historical sources to support her claims.
The book is also notable for its vivid depictions of historical events and figures. Nixey’s portrayal of the destruction of the Library of Alexandria and the fate of its scrolls serves as a poignant reminder of the cultural losses incurred during this period.
Overall, "The Darkening Age" is a compelling and thought-provoking read that challenges readers to reconsider the nature of historical change. Catherine Nixey’s work is a valuable contribution to the ongoing discussion about the intersections of religion, culture, and power in history. While it may provoke debate and dissent, it is a must-read for those interested in the complexities of historical transformation and the often tumultuous shifts in cultural and intellectual paradigms.
I give this book 4.5/5.
The printed price of the paperback versions of the book is around Rs. 430/- and $14.39 USD on Amazon India and Amazon USA respectively. The book is also available in Kindle and Audible format. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
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