The transformation of the Roman Empire to a Christian one represents the fundamental historical development of Late Antiquity. From Constantine to Justinian (312 – 565 AD), public institutions and society experienced dramatic changes. Many of them focused on the late Roman city as the basic unit of social and political organization. But how can we measure the intensity and impact of this complex process on public life – a process that took place in many hundreds of cities all over the empire? Among possible criteria, this lecture considers the building of churches as a key indicator of the Christianization of the Late Roman city. It will be argued that the Christian monumentalization of the city was a remarkably diverse and, in most cities, a surprisingly late phenomenon. It was only generations after Constantine that Christian buildings began to dominate the appearance of some (though by no means all) cities. This conclusion stands in stark contrast to the picture drawn in our written record, which overwhelmingly derives from Christian authors. Thus arise larger questions about the dynamics of the Christianization of the late antique world, in particular about its driving forces and inherent limits.
After studying Philosophy, History and Archaeology in Munich, Heidelberg, Oxford and Berlin and a first degree in Philosophy (M.A. 1982), Johannes Hahn was, from 1982 to 1992, fellow at the Seminar für Alte Geschichte, Heidelberg University, where he received his Ph.D. and his Habilitation in Ancient History in 1986 and 1993 respectively. In 1993, he was made a Research Fellow of the Pädagogische Hochschule Erfurt, and in 1993-95 became the Deputy Chair in Greek History, University of Cologne. 1995-96 Heisenberg-Scholar of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Freiburg University. Since 1996, he has been a full Professor in Ancient History (particularly Roman History) and Director of the Seminar für Alte Geschichte and of the Institut für Epigraphik at Münster University. Research interests and teaching cover both Greek and Roman history, with the main focus being on the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. Particular interests are social and cultural history, and recent research has been concerned with the history of religion (especially Judaism and Christianity) in the Roman Empire. Publications include a book on the political philosophy of John Locke (1984), a monograph on philosophers in Roman society (1989), a book on Alexander in India (2000) and a major study of religious conflict between Christians, Jews and pagans in Late Antiquity (2004) besides several edited volumes. Religious violence as a significant phenomenon of the process of Christianizing late Roman society is subject of his present work.