Kingdom of Snow: Roman Rule and Greek Culture in Cappadocia (review)

"A venomous viper bit a Cappadocian, . . . the viper died."

On occasion some good things were said of Cappadocians, but they were usually lodged in discussions of their magnificent horses. The grassy plains fed them well and let them run. Its mountains, however, were cold and snow-filled in the winter, making the route from Constantinople to Antioch or Jerusalem impassable. Politically, the region was a buffer state courted by the Romans because of their problems with Persians; it also provided an important connection for talks with Armenia. Furthermore, the Roman government itself oversaw large ranches as well as factories that produced clothing and arms.

Culturally, Cappadocians had their own language. Only the educated spoke Greek well, and their accent could be difficult to understand even if they had mastered the language for literary purposes. Good horses and bad Greek were frequent comments about Cappadocia. The social institutions resembled feudal arrangements that appeared later in Europe; rich families owned large tracts of land, built comfortable homes, and saw to it that their children were well versed in the ways of Graeco-Roman culture by sending them abroad. But Cappadocian cities were small and rather inconsequential. Extant inscriptions are minimal, and apparently none of the towns has ever attracted a modern team of archaeologists.

Van Dam, nevertheless, has not penned an unnecessary book. It enlightens anyone interested in Cappadocia. And many should be. In the history of Christianity, the fourth century trio of Cappadocian fathers, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus were premier world leaders. Each was a writer of importance. They developed Trinitarian and Christological thought in newer directions while also dealing with problems of how to treat the poor and the diseased. Basil was the most influential bishop administrator, Gregory of Nyssa the more mystical writer, while Gregory of Nazianzus was acclaimed "The Theologian." Cappadocia, this despised backwater, had birthed men of consequence.

Probably because of their cross-cultural backgrounds, these church leaders took on the struggle of faith and culture. Although Basil never credited his education in Athens as of great significance, in his church political struggles he deftly used what he had learned there. His letters are significant sources of how to praise and influence people both in the Church and in the Roman political system. Comments in the writings of the two Gregories prove to be good resources for describing many aspects of life in the region. Nazianzen, unlike Basil, considered Hellenistic education one of the prized gifts any person could receive. When the emperor Julian banned Christians from government supported teaching positions because for him the Greek pantheon was the necessary religious center of Hellenistic culture, the fight was on. Nazianzen attacked Julian—publicly after his death—in two of the most vitriolic orations ever constructed. Basil had faced the emperor's power and quietly responded that torture or even death posed no threat. As forcefully as any others, the Cappadocians insisted that Greek culture was their heritage. It provided an atmosphere for spelling out Christian theology and living a good life. It would not be abandoned, but Roman power had to be watched. Even when Theodosius chose Christianity, Nazianzen was leery. Emperors had a way of being dangerous pests.

Beyond the Christian and Graeco-Roman arguments that have so much importance for Christian theology, Cappadocia in the fourth century was a stopping place on the travels of a number of emperors. We cannot understand their lives to the fullest without paying attention to their time in the area. Van Dam tracks the outworkings of Roman law and administration by paying close attention to imperial policy and activity in this provincial setting. Nonetheless, after the fourth century intense interest in Cappadocia waned as the emperors took other routes to the East.

Van Dam's volume represents the...