Roald Dijkstra - Radboud University Nijmegen

Roald Dijkstra - Radboud University Nijmegen
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Roald Dijkstra
Radboud University Nijmegen
Department of History, Art History and Classics
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I am working on the fascinating world of late antiquity, combining sources from the fields of literature, art history and ancient history in order to come to a better and more comprehensive understanding of the period.
Currently, I am working on the role of weather in early Christianity, in particular in poetry. I continue working on the origins and development of early Christian poetry, including the epigrams of pope-poet Damasus, the dos and don'ts of humour and laughter in early Christianity, the apostles and other themes.
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Books by Roald Dijkstra
De dichtende paus. Damasus over Rome en haar heiligen
A new, metrical translation of all the epigrams written by Damasus with introduction and up-to-da...
more
A new, metrical translation of all the epigrams written by Damasus with introduction and up-to-date commentary, including prose versions of the poems to facilitate reading of the original.
The Apostles in Early Christian Art and Poetry
This book explores the role of stories about the apostles in art and poetry of the third and four...
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This book explores the role of stories about the apostles in art and poetry of the third and fourth century.  It aims to shed light on the late-antique relationship between art and poetry, with particular attention paid to visibility and the role of the audience. It is the first systematic overview of the representation of the apostles in early Christian poetry. Images of the apostles other than those of Peter and Paul or the twelve apostles together are only rarely subject of scholarly publications. Part one offers a chronological discussion of passages referring to the apostles . References to non-canonical stories receive special attention, although these are scarce. The authors discussed are: Commodianus, Juvencus, Proba, Hilary, Damasus, Ambrose, Claudian (and Palladias), Amphilochius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Prudentius, Paulinus of Nola and the anonymous writer of the Oratio consulis  Ausonii versibus rhopalicis. Part two focuses on the varied representations of each apostle in art. Whilst most images are found on sarcophagi, the catacomb paintings, mosaics, reliquaries and the ‘arti minori’ show some of the most intriguing representations. This part also compares the corpus of visual material to the results of part one. Canonical apostle-stories abound, but it is remarkable that some of the most popular images refer to non-canonical events from the life of Peter. This emphasises his position as the most popular of the apostles: for whilst all of the apostles are mentioned as witnesses of Christ, none receives the level of attention devoted to Peter. Most frequently, images that do not give singular attention to Peter focus on Peter and Paul (concordia apostolorum) or the twelve together (concordia duodecim). References to other apostles are virtually limited to Paul – especially in poetry – or Judas, who is mentioned within the context of the Passion and appears on some late fourth-century sarcophagi and reliquaries. The martyrdom of Peter and Paul was a very common subject: descriptions in poetry are more detailed than depictions in art, where the arrest of the apostles is depicted as a reference to their martyrdom.  Ultimately this thesis argues that whilst there are clear parallels between the representation of the apostles in art and poetry, there is little evidence for reciprocal influence. The visibility of many images was restricted and the Biblical canon was a more obvious source of inspiration than early Christian poetry. Thus the early Christian worlds of image and text are proven to be fairly separated.age and text are proven to be fairly separated.
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Petrus in Rome. Een historische gids tot de oudste Petrustradities
Petrus in Rome. Een historische gids tot de oudste Petrustradities
, 2019
A monograph about cult practices on Roman sites connected to the apostle Peter from his lifetime ...
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A monograph about cult practices on Roman sites connected to the apostle Peter from his lifetime till Charlemagne.
Rome, ooit caput mundi of ‘hoofdstad van de wereld’ genoemd, is nog altijd het centrum van een van ’s werelds grootste godsdiensten. De stad trekt bezoekers van over de hele wereld: niet alleen pelgrims op zoek naar religieuze vervulling, maar ook talloze toeristen met meer seculiere interesses. De unieke combinatie van christelijk en antieke erfgoed maakt Rome tot een fascinerende stad.
In het antieke Rome werden ook allerlei verhalen gesitueerd waarin de apostel Petrus een belangrijke rol speelde. Zijn kruisdood in Rome werd al in de tweede eeuw alom voor waar aangenomen en vormt nog steeds een van de fundamenten voor Romes religieuze aantrekkingskracht en kerkelijke positie. Maar een verhaal over Petrus’ dood in Rome suggereerde veel meer: de apostel had ook in Rome gewoond, gepredikt, wonderen verricht en gevangen gezeten! Al snel ontstond een web van verhalen omtrent Petrus’ verblijf in de stad. Naarmate de tijd vorderde, functioneerden de petrinische locaties steeds vaker als anker voor sociale, culturele en politieke vernieuwingen in Rome en daarbuiten.
Edited books by Roald Dijkstra
Humour in the Beginning. Religion, humour and laughter in formative stages of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism
Humour in the Beginning presents a multidisciplinary collection of fourteen in-depth case-studies...
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Humour in the Beginning presents a multidisciplinary collection of fourteen in-depth case-studies on the role of humour – both benign and blasphemous, elitist and ordinary, orthodox and heterodox – in early, formative stages of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and (late-antique) Judaism. Its coherence is strengthened by four preceding theoretical essays, many cross-references and a conclusion. Thus, the volume allows for a methodologically sound comparison and explanation of historical views on humour in the world’s most important religions. At first sight, the foundational period of religions often do not seem to offer much opportunities for humour. A closer look on primary sources, however, reveals the ways in which people formulated answers to existing ideas on humour and laughter, in moments of religious renewal. Main topics include the incongruous nature of the divine, the role of anthropomorphism, superior and didactic humour, moderate laughter, responses from dissenters and the gap between religious regulations and reality.
The Early Reception and Appropriation of the Apostle Peter (60-800). The Anchors of the Fisherman
The apostle Peter gradually became one of the most famous figures of the ancient world. His almos...
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The apostle Peter gradually became one of the most famous figures of the ancient world. His almost undisputed reputation made the disciple an exquisite anchor by which new practices within and outside the Church could be established, including innovations in fields as diverse as architecture, art, cult, epigraphy, liturgy, poetry and politics. This interdisciplinary volume inquires the way in which the figure of Peter functioned as an anchor for various people from different periods and geographical areas. The concept of Anchoring Innovation is used to investigate the history of the reception of the apostle Peter from the first century up to Charlemagne, revealing as much about Peter as about the context in which this reception took place.
Contributors are: Régis Burnet, John R. Curran, Roald Dijkstra, Jutta Dresken-Weiland, Kristina Friedrichs, Olivier Hekster, Annewies van den Hoek, Mark Humphries, Markus Löx, Thomas F. X. Noble, Els Rose, Carl P. E. Springer, Alan Thacker.
Published articles by Roald Dijkstra
L'apôtre Pierre et ses miracles de la source
Frontiers. The Transformation and Christianization of the Roman Empire between Centre and Periphery. Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Christian Archaeology. Acta XVII Congressus Internationalis Archaeologiae Christianae. Vol. 4: Case Studies
, 2024
The apocryphal water miracle performed by the apostle Peter, often depicted in early Christian ar...
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The apocryphal water miracle performed by the apostle Peter, often depicted in early Christian art, has been much discussed. In general, miracle workers of this kind are identified as Moses on catacomb paintings but as Peter when he appears on sarcophagi. Still, several ambiguous representations remain, especially among the so-called arti minori. Remarkably, literary sources for a water miracle by Peter postdate its visual representation. Scholars have often looked for one definitive interpretation of the image, in which both the visual, textual, and historical material fit. In this article I argue that we should accept several coexisting interpretations for the image of Peter’s water miracle. The legend appearing in the literary sources is an explicitly Roman-bound, local story. It is only by applying a pluriform model of interpretation that the popularity of this story in places far from Rome can be explained.
The Apostle Peter, Anchor of the Church
The Ancient Near East Today
, 2020
Das angebliche Spaßloch der alten Kirche
by
Roald Dijkstra
and
Christian F. Hempelmann
Grenzen der Komik. Ergebnisse des Kasseler Komik-Kolloquiums
, 2020
Die kritische Einstellung der altchristlichen Kirche gegenüber dem Humor bzw. dem Lachen bzw. ihr...
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Die kritische Einstellung der altchristlichen Kirche gegenüber dem Humor bzw. dem Lachen bzw. ihr „angebliches Spaßloch“ erörtern Roald Dijkstra und Christian F. Hempelmann anhand von Texten der Kirchenväter, insbesondere des Johannes Chrysostomos. Die Beobachtung, dass Jesus zwar geweint, aber nie gelacht habe, stützt als Argument die damalige Kritik an einem unangemessenen Lachen, das mit Sünde-Konzepten wie Ausgelassenheit, Habgier, Stolz und Unzucht in Verbindung gebracht wurde. Anderseits akzeptierte man aber, vor allem bei gemäßigteren Auffassungen wie denen des Augustinus, das Lachen von Heiligen und Märtyrern oder auch in der Predigt zur Erbauung der Gläubigen. Zudem wird quasi ex negativo deutlich, dass das Lachen damals natürlich zum Alltag in den Klostern, wenn hier wohl auch nicht prominent, ganz sicher aber in der Gemeinde und auch zu deren ästhetischer Bildung und ihrer Freude an Theater und Komödienliteratur gehört.
Silber
Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum. Band XXX. Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann
, 2020
Article on the metaphorical and practical use of silver in early Christianity and the classical p...
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Article on the metaphorical and practical use of silver in early Christianity and the classical period.
Peter, popes, politics and more: the apostle as anchor
The Early Reception and Appropriation of the Apostle Peter (60-800). The Anchors of the Fisherman
, 2020
The apostle Peter became a widespread and popular Christian figure soon after his death. As such,...
more
The apostle Peter became a widespread and popular Christian figure soon after his death. As such, we could label him an anchor for new practices and innovations introduced by people from all strands of late antique and early mediaeval society. The role of Peter as a saint and anchor can only be captured by an interdisciplinary approach that takes the particular circumstances and dynamics of the period into account. First, Peter had to be anchored in Roman society. Only then came a second phase in which he could become a powerful anchor himself in domains as diverse as architecture, art, epigraphy, literature, liturgy and politics. The gradual emergence of a petrine topography in the city of Rome greatly contributed to the apostle's status and was closely linked to literary and iconographical developments. The legend of Peter’s water miracle, the apostle’s connection to the Roman Forum and his biographies in Jerome’s De viris illustribus and the Liber Pontifcalis are especially highlighted. This article connects the different contributions to the volume.
Erratum: Unfortunately, some titles referred to in the footnotes were not included in the bibliography:
-Collins, R. (1998). The Imperial Coronation of 800, and its Aftermath. Charlemagne. New York, Palgrave Macmillan: 141-159.
-De Blaauw, S. (2018). Karl der Groβe und das frühchristliche Rom. Karl der Groβe. Wissenschaft und Kunst als Herausforderung. Beiträge des Kolloquiums vom 26. Februar 2014 in der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz. J. Fried. Mainz/Stuttgart, Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur/Franz Steiner Verlag: 137-153.
-Favier, J. (1999). Charlemagne. Paris, Fayard.
Imagining the Entrance to the Afterlife: Peter as the Gatekeeper of Heaven in Early Christianity
Peer-reviewed article in: The Door of the Sanctuary: a Place of Transition (Religions in the Grae...
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Peer-reviewed article in: The Door of the Sanctuary: a Place of Transition (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World series). E. Van Opstall (ed.). Leiden/Boston: Brill, 187-218.
Epic Architecture: Architectural Terminology and the Cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the Epics of Juvencus and Proba
Monuments & Memory: Christian Cult Buildings and Constructions of the Past: Essays in Honour of Sible de Blaauw
, Nov 2016
A survey of the role of architecture in the Biblical epics of Juvencus in Proba, with a focus on ...
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A survey of the role of architecture in the Biblical epics of Juvencus in Proba, with a focus on those terms mentioned in relation to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
The apostles as instruments of social engagement. The poetical representations of the apostles as a means of influencing society
Fourth century Christian poetry showed a remarkable diversity of genres; a common feature, howeve...
more
Fourth century Christian poetry showed a remarkable diversity of genres; a common feature, however, was the source of inspiration: the Bible. Jesus Christ was always central to this poetry, but the apostles also had an important position. They were the first witnesses of the miracles Christ performed and they had spread the Word.
Almost all Christian poets in the fourth century mention the apostles. A survey of their poetry reveals several peculiarities regarding Jesus’ closest followers: the unity among the twelve on the one hand and among Peter and Paul on the other was constantly emphasised, the influence of apocryphal stories (in which individual apostles were often highlighted) was restricted and the canon was frequently promoted.
Furthermore, Peter was often depicted as the first bishop of Rome and the apostles also played a role in the promotion of the martyr’s cult.
All these aspects contributed to the reinforcement of the position of the (Roman) church. A case study of the representation of the apostles reveals some of the ways in which Christian poets promoted the Roman Church, even if they did not come from Rome. They deliberately influenced ideas and opinions about the organisation of society. Through the apostles, the poets could reach all Christians: they were depicted as humble fishermen, with whom the masses could identify themselves. Paul, however, was the writer of sage texts; he could appeal to the more educated. Unity was a key issue in early Christian poetry: poets promoted one universal church led by one Roman bishop, as the apostles formed a unity and were led by their Master. This interest in unanimity reflects the turbulences of late antique society, in which the Roman Church still had to gain its primary position among the Christian churches.
The poets also acted out of self-interest. Through the representation of the apostles they showed their doctrinary orthodoxy and loyalty to the Roman Church, by which they thought to boost their own position. They acted in different ways, however: the poetics vary, from the subtle strategy of Juvencus – whom one must read carefully to reveal his intentions – to the clear and proud poetry of Ambrose and Prudentius, who exalted Christian martyrs.
This paper will show that the representation of the apostles in poetry played a role both in the self-representation of early Christian poets and in their endeavour to imbue society with their social, religious and political ideas.
Musurus' Homeric Ode to Plato and his Requests to Pope Leo X
by
Roald Dijkstra
and
Erik Hermans
This article provides the first philological analysis and interpretation of the ode to Plato writ...
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This article provides the first philological analysis and interpretation of the ode to Plato written by Marcus Musurus in 1513 in Venice and published as a dedicatory poem in the editio princeps of the works of Plato. Musurus asks pope Leo X to found a Greek academy in Rome and start a crusade against the Ottoman empire to liberate Greece. The article includes the first English translation of the entire poem since Roscoe (1805).
Bellum omne flagret! Jakob Balde’s Ode 9.26 in the Context of Westphalian Peace Negotiations
by
Erik Hermans
and
Roald Dijkstra
Daphnis
, 2010
Jacob Balde was in close contact with important persons such as the palatinate Maximilian I and t...
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Jacob Balde was in close contact with important persons such as the palatinate Maximilian I and the French diplomat D’Avaux. The latter was an influential participant of the Westphalian peace negotiations. Balde showed his political commitment by the dedication of the ninth book of his Silvae to D’Avaux. This article tries to put the publication of Silvae 9 in its historical context. Furthermore, it provides the first integral and literal translation as well as a commentary on Silvae 9.26 — the last political poem of that collection. This poem bears witness to Balde’s desire for peace, for it summons the negotiators, after a fictitiously concluded peace, not to set off fireworks, but to burn all the armaments of the war.
Apocryphal legends about the apostles in early Christian art and poetry: a survey
(abstract proceedings)

The lives of the apostles after Pentecost are described in the books of...
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(abstract proceedings)
The lives of the apostles after Pentecost are described in the books of the New Testament only in part. Details of their missionary wanderings to the remote corners of the world are found in writings not included in the biblical canon, known as the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. In the early Middle Ages these originally Greek writings were translated and rewritten in Latin and circulated under the title Virtutes apostolorum. These texts became immensely popular. They were copied in numerous manuscripts, both as a comprehensive collection with a chapter for each apostle and as individual texts, echoing the needs of monastic and other religious communities that used these texts to celebrate the apostles as saints.
The First International Summer School on Christian Apocryphal Literature (Strasbourg, 2012) concentrated on the transmission of the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in the Latin world. This volume also highlights the use of the Bible in the apocryphal Acts, the imagination of the apostles in early Christian art and poetry, and the apocryphal Acts in early medieval print. Other contributions concern the study of Christian apocryphal literature in general and in the context of the Strasbourg Summer School in particular.
Portraying Witnesses (short summary)
Short description of "Portraying Witnesses. The apostles in early Christian art and poetry" (diss...
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Short description of "Portraying Witnesses. The apostles in early Christian art and poetry" (dissertation)
Dialogo con...Roald Dijkstra (response to: Il genere iconologico nella poesia latina fra fine IV e VI secolo: cenni preliminari (e un esempio))
Ricerche a Confronto. Dialoghi di Antichità Classica e del Vicino Oriente
, 2013
Response to Il genere iconologico nella poesia latina fra fine IV e VI secolo: cenni preliminari ...
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Response to Il genere iconologico nella poesia latina fra fine IV e VI secolo: cenni preliminari (e un esempio)
(Online) Exhibition by Roald Dijkstra
The Keys to the Kingdom | VCS
Visual Commentary on Scripture
, 2024
A commentary on Matthew 16:13-23 via two paintings (Raphael and Tozzi) and a mosaic (from the St ...
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A commentary on Matthew 16:13-23 via two paintings (Raphael and Tozzi) and a mosaic (from the St Costanza, Rome).
Published articles in Dutch by Roald Dijkstra
Als jonge boompjes met herfstbladeren. De ouderdom als (tegen)beeld van de zonde in het vroege christendom
Hermeneus
, 2025
Ouderdom was voor christenen in de late oudheid niet een
simpele optelsom van geleefde jaren. Oud...
more
Ouderdom was voor christenen in de late oudheid niet een
simpele optelsom van geleefde jaren. Ouderdom was relatief en leeftijd werd verbonden met zonde en moraal. Een misstap kon zelfs tot acute ouderdom leiden, zoals blijkt uit een wonderlijk verhaal over de heilige Jakobus van Nisibis.
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