Abstract
There are in the Theosodian Code a series of imperial laws regarding the suppression of pagan sacrifices or idol’s cult (CTh XVI, 10) during the IVth Century. At the same time the imperial laws mantain and recommend that is necessary to preserve the temple buildings as emblematic monuments and useful buildings of the cities. The present article analyses, using all the available sources (literary, archaeological, legislative) the problem of the end of the pagan temples in Hispania. The main clonclusions are that they were not transformed in churches until a very late period (VI-VIIth centuries) neither destroyed or dismantled. Some of the tempels were abandoned in the IVth century, others were reoccupied by houses or other type of constructions, and is only in the Vth century that archaeogical evidence attests a reuse of their materials for other purposes. The Spanish case is compared with other provinces of the Roman Empire in which we can see similar developments and characteristics.
Highlights
There are in the Theosodian Code a series of imperial laws regarding the suppression of pagan sacrifices or idol’s cult (CTh XVI, 10) during the IVth Century
Some of the tempels were abandoned in the IVth century, others were reoccupied by houses or other type of constructions, and is only in the Vth century that archaeogical evidence attests a reuse of their materials for other purposes
El desmantelamiento de los templos era un trabajo costoso y difícil, pero tenemos constancia, a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo V, de que los materiales de algunos comenzaron a ser reutilizados en otros edificios
Summary
There are in the Theosodian Code a series of imperial laws regarding the suppression of pagan sacrifices or idol’s cult (CTh XVI, 10) during the IVth Century. At the same time the imperial laws mantain and recommend that is necessary to preserve the temple buildings as emblematic monuments and useful buildings of the cities. The present article analyses, using all the available sources (literary, archaeological, legislative) the problem of the end of the pagan temples in Hispania. The main clonclusions are that they were not transformed in churches until a very late period (VI-VIIth centuries) neither destroyed or dismantled. PALABRAS CLAVE: templos paganos, templos romanos, Antigüedad tardía en Hispania, concilio de Elbira, cristianismo, paganismo romano tardío Late Antique Hispania, Council of Elbira, christianity, late roman paganism
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