Constantine and the Captive Christians of Persia

Kyle Smith is Assistant Professor of Historical Studies and Religion at the University of Toronto and the translator of The Martyrdom and History of Blessed Simeon bar Sabba'e.

• Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction: Constantine and the Writing of Fourth-Century History PART I: THE ROMAN FRONTIER AND THE PERSIAN WAR 1 * Patronizing Persians: Constantine's Letter to Shapur II 2 * Constantine's Crusade: The Emperor's Last Days and the Persian Campaign 3 * Rereading Nisibis: Narrating the Battle for Roman Mesopotamia PART II: ROMAN CAPTIVES AND PERSIAN ENVOYS 4 * On War and Persecution: Aphrahat the Persian Sage and the Martyrdom and History of Blessed Simeon bar Sabba?e 5 * The Church of the East and the Territorialization of Christianity 6 * Memories of Constantine in the Acts of the Persian Martyrs Appendix A. Constantine's Letter to Shapur: Eusebius's Life of Constantine IV.8-14 Appendix B. Martyrdom of the Captives of Beth Zabdai Appendix C. Martyrdom of Abbot Barshebya, Ten Fellow Brothers, and One Magus Bibliography Index

"By examining Constantine through the lens of the Sasanian world...[Kyle Smith] manages to break free of Eusebius and his domineering narrative. This will pay dividends for our understanding of this major figure in world history, as well as the history of Christianity in Late Antiquity more broadly. That Smith’s book is so clearly written, well organized, and tightly argued further ensures its impact on the field."