Alte Feste in neuer Zeit

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The religious transformation of Late Antiquity is one of the most influential phenomena of its time. While there is no doubt regarding the importance of religious change, its precise impact on Late Antique life is far from obvious. This is illustrated by the development in Late Antique celebration culture, investigated in this book. The transformation from a pagan celebration culture to one shaped by Christianity was in no way smooth. In particular, the lasting success of individual pagan festivities remains to be explained. Dealing with this problem is a central focus of the present volume. Based on the investigation of local celebration practices in important metropoles of the Late Antique Roman Empire, this study raises central questions concerning the development of pagan traditions in the context of the increasing influence of Christianity: which mechanisms and factors determined the fate of pagan celebrations? In how far did local peculiarities influence the persistence of traditional feast days? How can we explain the sometimes heterogeneous development of some pagan feasts - from rapid disappearance to continued persistence - and where were the limits of religious change? Tackling these questions promises not only a better understanding of pagan celebration culture in Late Antiquity, but also of the religious transformations of this period more generally.