Form and Function of Siege Narrations in Late Antique Greek Historiography

The description of a city siege is a traditional stock element of classical Greek and Roman historiography since its beginnings. We often encounter such narrations as digressions from the main storyline to give additional information on military tactics, technical aspects, or the geographical conditions of the besieged area. Descriptions of sieges can be found not only in the so-called ‘secular’ or ‘traditional’ late antique historiography such as Procopius’ Wars but also in the works of Greek ecclesiastical historiography extant from the 5th and 6th centuries CE. In his Church History, Theodoret of Cyrrhus gives a detailed description of the siege of Nisibis in the context of the Roman-Sasanian wars in 337–361 CE. Taking this description as a starting point, it is the aim of the paper to examine how late antique church historians integrate this stock element into their works. Although their narratives mostly focus on synods, bishops and the relationship between Christian orthodoxy and heresy, they also offer elements that are typical for the genre of ‘traditional’ historiography. The paper primarily is concerned with two aspects. First, the question of the narrative structures of ecclesiastical historiography: Why do these literary works include generic stock elements such as siege narrations? By fitting these narratives into their overall digressive style, what narrative goals do the authors of these texts pursue? Second, the question of genre boundaries: In which way do their historical narrations differ from their ‘classical’ predecessors writing ‘secular’ history? Can we speak of a distinct genre of ecclesiastical historiography?
The analysis of the passage in Theodoret will contribute to a better understanding of the late antique technique of digressive storytelling and late antique historiography beyond strict genre boundaries. Moreover, the contribution will draw attention to an underrepresented work in the studies of late antique literature.