Popular Culture and Literary Production in the Late Antique City

Abstract This article examines literary production in cities of the late Roman Empire, showing that it can be considered an integral part of the popular culture of the time, using the theoretical approaches of Pierre Bourdieu and Stuart Hall. It explores several case studies from different cities of the Empire. It begins by analysing literary production in Antioch, highlighting the proliferation of abusive texts during Emperor Julian’s visit in 362-363. This is placed a wider context, relating both to Roman imperial power and to the power of verse as a literary form. Next, it turns to the case of Arius’s ‘Thalia’ in Alexandria, examining this text in the context of the city’s popular culture, as well as considering popular song in a more general sense. Finally, it looks at North Africa in Augustine’s time and examines evidence suggesting greater diversity in the literary production of this period than has generally been assumed. Overall, the article highlights the fact that literary production in late antique cities was an arena of struggle and negotiation, reflecting a complex and diverse process in which popular culture played a significant role.