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Document Details :

Title: The Cult of Saint Sergius in its Socio-Political Context
Author(s): VAN DE ZANDE, Dianne
Journal: Eastern Christian Art
Volume: 1    Issue:   Date: 2004   
Pages: 141-152
DOI: 10.2143/ECA.1.1.516942

Abstract :
In the 'Barbarian Plain' (Northwest Syria) lies the site of Resafa. This town was located in a region which for centuries functioned as a frontier zone between the Roman and Persian Empires, and in the Late Roman period a military fortress was built on the site. Resafa was the centre of the cult of Saint Sergius, a Roman officer who had refused to worship the Roman deities, and as a consequence had been executed at the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth century AD. With inhabitants of Roman and native origin, either with sedentary or nomadic way of life, and merchants as well as pilgrims visiting the site, Resafa comprised a diversity of socio-political and cultural elements. This paper aimls at discussing the various contexts that co-existed with regard to the development of the cult of Saint Sergius.

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