About the Author

James J. O'donnell is a classicist who served for ten years as Provost of Georgetown University and is now University Librarian at Arizona State University. He is the author of several books including Augustine, The Ruin of the Roman Empire, and Avatars of the Word. He is the former president of the American Philological Association, a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, and the chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council of Learned Societies. He is seen here at an ancient monastery on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, in Syria.

Reviews

"Trenchantly interprets how an oddball religious cult became the official faith of Rome. . . . It makes for a thoughtful tour of Rome." -- New York Times Book Review"Mr. O'Donnell tells the familiar story of Christianity's heroic age of expansion, from Constantine to Theodosius, with verve and wit." -- Wall Street Journal"James J. O'Donnell's fine new book . . . is short but multilayered, erudite and dense." -- Cleveland Plain-Dealer"[A] fascinating and insightful study of the pluralistic pagan gods. This book is a must read for everyone who is interested in either general history or the history of Christianity in particular." -- Washington Book Review"Although [Pagans] is serious scholarship, it does not take itself too seriously. The result is an engaging view of antiquity few of us have seen. -- Booklist