Africa and the Beginnings of Christian Latin Literature (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Africa and the Beginnings of Christian Latin Literature

The great part played by North Africa in fixing the type of western Christianity was of course no mysterious accident. It was the natural result of the dominating influence of Africa in the Roman world' throughout the period when Christianity was establishing itself in the West and fitting itself for its world-wide mission. This domi nating influence was manifested in every sphere of life and was fairly symbolized by the ascension of sons of Africa to the imperial throne not merely in such shadows as Didius Julianus and Albinus, Mac rinus, Aemilianus, and Memorius, but in a founder of a dynasty like Septimius Severus. The senate is spoken of by Fronto3 as in his day crowded with Africans, and at the same period the consulate appeared almost their peculiar possession.4 It was, however, in the domain of the intellectual life that African dominance had become most apparent.5 The eagerness with which letters were cultivated in the country of the Atlas, from the earliest days of the settlement of the provinces, is attested by the allusions which Roman writers make to the African taste for books and oratory. Horace tells use that whenever the first vogue of a poem was over in Rome, the booksellers had but to pack off the remainders to Ilerda or Utica; the Spaniard and African took them up with avidity. Similarly Juvenal, despair ing of Rome where employment went by favor, advises barristers who had brains to sell, to betake themselves to Gaul, or rather, says he.

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