How Salome Seduced Constantius II on Stage

Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, was a master of invective. In this paper, I want to take a closer look at the negative representation of Arian bishops and emperor Constantius II in the Historia Arianorum through a close reading of a key passage that is often quoted, but rarely discussed in detail (chapter 52). I want to highlight how Athanasius supercharges his representation with references to the past, to drama and to the bible. This topic is indebted to recent scholarship on Athanasius and his polemics, which it hopes to enrich by highlighting Athanasius’ allusiveness and influence. Occasionally I will draw on Athanasius’ earlier works to show how his line of argument developed and refer to other authors who either took over his image or held different views. This paper contributes to the ongoing study of invective, which was so prominent in the religious sphere.