Manichaeism is an old religion but a renewed study discipline due to the discoveries of original Manichean texts, in Central Asia and Egypt, from the beginning of the 20^th century onwards. Until then, the only source was the patristic anti-Manichean literature (Greek and Latin), a biased material according to researchers, who focused on the new findings. Yet, despite the reservation towards the patristic sources, some argue that these are not that unreliable, and that they preserve much historical information, as long as they are critically read.

The aim of this research is to critically re-examine the Greek-patristic sources (from the 3^rd until the 6^th century), in the light of the new discoveries, in order to illuminate the historical milieu in Byzantine society concerning Manichaeism.

Crucial research questions are: a) the dynamic of Manichaean penetration in Byzantium (missionary methods/strategies); conversely, the impact of anti-Manichaean writings on Manichaean communities, b) the Manichaean identity (cultural, social) in Byzantium, c) the Manichaean beliefs through a comparison of the cosmology, theology and anthropology found in Manichaean texts with those in patristic writings, and d) the interreligious contact and interaction between Christianity and Manichaeism in Byzantium (e.g. the impact on and its borrowings from Christianity, the phenomenon of crypto-Manichaeism, etc).

Three types of primary sources will be examined:

• The main basis for the research will be the patristic anti-Manichaean corpus.

• The pagan anti-manichaean works should be used, since they provide information about Manicheans from another perspective, providing insight into a kind of intercultural literature circulated in the Near East during Late Antiquity.

• The Manichaean texts in Greek such as the CMC (Cologne Mani Codex), found in 1969, and the Hymn of Emanations, a theological hymn, found in 1992 at Kellis.

Period: September 2010 - August 2014

Supervisors: Prof Dr. A. F. de Jong, Prof. Dr. D. Kyrtatas.

Email: reamatsa@uth.gr & mailto: r.p.matsangou@umail.leidenuniv.nl
Telephone: +30 2421035978, +30 6978170269