Christian Asceticism and Barbarian Incursion: The Making of a Christian Catastrophe

Jerome integrated the barbarian attacks of 407 into a powerful narrative. His story of a “Thirty Years’ War” began with the crossing of the Danube in 376 and resulted in a single catastrophe: the fall of the western empire. In his writings, he gave meaning to the experience of war. His perception was determined by Christian eschatology, orthodoxy, and asceticism. Using traditional motifs and ascetic discourses, Jerome enforced Christian virtues and developed an interpretation that was able to establish social and religious consensus in a time of crisis and help to guarantee the social cohesion of Christian elite networks.