Hagiographical Texts as a Source for Studying Female Monasticism in Early Byzantine Syria of the 4th – 6th Centuries: Problems of Source Criticism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2687-0967-2025-52-4-831-837Keywords:
hagiography, female monasticism, early Byzantium, Syria, source studies, hagiographical topoi, female asceticismAbstract
This study examines methodological aspects of employing hagiographical sources in the investigation of female asceticism within the Syrian provinces of the early Byzantine Empire during the 4th-6th centuries. The research analyzes the corpus of hagiographical literature devoted to female ascetics of this region, particularly hagiographical narratives about ascetic exploits in the cities of Nisibis, Edessa, and Damascus. Scholarly attention focuses on identifying distinctive characteristics of the Syrian hagiographical school in comparison with Egyptian and Palestinian traditions. The methodological framework relies on principles of source criticism combined with a historical-comparative approach. The analysis identifies key literary formulas (topoi) within hagiographical texts and evaluates their historical reliability in relation to the socio-cultural conditions of the period under study. The novelty of this research lies in providing the first systematic source-critical examination of Syrian hagiographical tradition in Russian scholarship as a foundation for reconstructing the history of female monasticism in the region. The findings demonstrate that despite the typified nature of hagiographical narratives, they contain reliable data regarding the origins, educational background, and spiritual practices of female ascetics, making their use as comprehensive historical evidence possible when strict criteria of source-critical analysis are observed.
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