Barsauma between Hagiography and History

Hahn Johannes

Abstract

The Life of Barsauma primarily offers an artfully crafted image of Barsauma, the saint. Still, the fundamental question remains how far this ascetic biography, without any doubt a hagiographical masterpiece, occasionally relies on or mirrors historical events or detail. In fact, careful examination allows to detect, beyond the author's agenda, some areas where it refers to solid knowledge and reliable sources and opens a door to precious prosopographical, geographical and other information. However, comparison with Lives of other contemporary ascetic figures elucidate the limits of any critical analysis of the possible historical content of the Life of Barsauma in view of the absence of additional sources without a hagiographical agenda. The problem of the authenticity or credibility of information preserved in the Life and of the hagiographical technique of its author allows no simple answer.