Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper deals with a crucial problem in the study of Greek literature in late antique Egypt, namely the relationship between paganism and Christianity. After a quick assessment of the shift in recent scholarship from the notion of conflict to those of dialogue and interaction, I tackle some key issues, such as the ambiguity of the literary language in revealing religious beliefs, the audience response and the various functions of classical paideia. Examples from inscriptions, papyri and Nonnus of Panopolis’ poems point out that in Egypt Christians appropriated the secular culture early on, experimenting with different solutions of absorption and encounter with the prestigious pagan tradition