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How widespread was the belief in demonic tollgates in sixth- to ninth-century Byzantium?

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Published/Copyright: March 14, 2019
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Byzantinische Zeitschrift
From the journal Byzantinische Zeitschrift Volume 112 Issue 1

Abstract

While narratives about the ascent of the souls through the air and their examination at toll-gates were very popular in Byzantium, it would be wrong to believe that they were universally accepted. Andrew of Crete conceptualised the afterlife in such a way that no room was left for dramatic encounters with demons. Theodore of Stoudios accepted that the souls of the deceased were judged but never spoke of bands of evil spirits, which represented different kinds of vices. It seems that at least in the eighth and early ninth centuries the ecclesiastical elite found the fanciful accounts too much to stomach.

Published Online: 2019-03-14
Published in Print: 2019-02-01

© 2019 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/bz-2019-0006

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Titelei
  2. 10.1515/bz-2019-toc
  3. Siglenverzeichnis
  4. I. ABTEILUNG
  5. A question of audience: Laonikos Chalkokondyles’ Hellenism
  6. The Byzantine antiquarian: a case study of a compiled colophon
  7. An early Byzantine Pseudepigraphon: the Apocryphal Acta Barnabae
  8. Graecia est professa discordiam. Teoderico, Anastasio e la battaglia di Horreum Margi
  9. How widespread was the belief in demonic tollgates in sixth- to ninth-century Byzantium?
  10. Asinine tales east and west: the Ass’s Confession and the Mule’s Hoof
  11. Leontios Eustratios e un capitolo della tradizione manoscritta di Niceforo patriarca
  12. À la recherche de l’auteur de sept lettres inconnues: la collection épistolographique du codex Vat. gr. 1020
  13. One erroneous attribution of Defence of Eunuchs
  14. A note reconsidering the message of Heraclius’ silver hexagram, circa AD 615
  15. II. ABTEILUNG
  16. Die Senatsaristokratie des oströmischen Reiches, besprochen von Beat Näf
  17. Visionserwartung. Visualisierung und Präsenzerfahrung des Göttlichen in der Spätantike, besprochen von Jean-Michel Spieser
  18. Das Christusbild. Zu Herkunft und Entwicklung in Ost und West, besprochen von Michael Altripp
  19. Das byzantinische Priene. Stadt und Umland, besprochen von Martin Dennert
  20. Nicephori Blemmydae De virtute et ascesi, Iosephi Racendytae De virtute, besprochen von Sofia Kotzabassi
  21. The Letters of Theodoros Hyrtakenos, besprochen von Marina Loukaki
  22. Orthodox magic in Trebizond and beyond, besprochen von Rudolf Stefec
  23. Nachrichten
  24. Totentafel
  25. Nachrufe
  26. Paul Canart (25. 10. 1927 – 14. 9. 2017)
  27. Urs Peschlow (11. 3. 1943 – 16. 3. 2018)
  28. Vasilka Tǎpkova-Zaimova (7. 8. 1924 – 9. 9. 2018)
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