This book illuminates the origins of Roman Christian diplomacy through two case studies: Constantius II's imperial strategy in the Red Sea; and John Chrysostom's ecclesiastical strategy in Gothia and Sasanian Persia. Both men have enjoyed a strong narrative tradition: Constantius as a persecuting, theological fanatic, and Chrysostom as a stubborn, na ve reformer. Yet this tradition has often masked their remarkable innovations. As part...