Reconstructing Honor in Roman Philippi
Carmen Christi as Cursus Pudorum

A survey of social values, especially stratification and honour-seeking, in the Roman colony at Philippi.

Joseph H. Hellerman (Author)

9780521849098, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 June 2005

252 pages
21.6 x 14.5 x 2.3 cm, 0.47 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This is a valuable book, … the structure as it stands does give the book an extra possible use as an interesting introduction to, and case-study on, the relevance of honour for the understanding of first-century texts from the Roman Empire.' Peter Oakes, University of Manchester

This book examines Paul's letter to the Philippians against the social background of the colony at Philippi. After an extensive survey of Roman social values, Professor Hellerman argues that the cursus honorum, the formalized sequence of public offices that marked out the prescribed social pilgrimage for aspiring senatorial aristocrats in Rome (and which was replicated in miniature in municipalities and in voluntary associations), forms the background against which Paul has framed his picture of Jesus in the great Christ hymn in Philippians 2. In marked contrast to the values of the dominant culture, Paul portrays Jesus descending what the author describes as a cursus pudorum ('course of ignominies'). The passage has thus been intentionally framed to subvert Roman cursus ideology and, by extension, to redefine the manner in which honour and power were to be utilized among the Christians at Philippi.

Introduction
1. Roman social organization
2. Preoccupation with Honor and the Cursus Honorum
3. The Roman colony at Philippi
4. Honor and status in Philippi
5. Acts and Philippians
6. Carmen Christi as Cursus Pudorum
7. Summary and conclusion.

Subject Areas: The Early Church [HRCC1], The historical Jesus [HRCA], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], General & world history [HBG]