Paganism and Traditional Practices in the Sermons of Caesarius of Arles

From the beginning of conversion to Christian religion in various regions of Europe, preachers and bishops claim to face the persistence and resistance of pagan and traditional cults and practices in urban and rural communities. The conversion process differed in every part of the Empire and outside it, which resulted in a different modality of Christianisation in each region. It is well known that in Africa and in the Greek Orient the new religion found more fertile land and was absorbed more easily by the community, whereas the situation was different in the Western provinces where, in some regions, the weak Romanisation represented an obstacle to the spread of Christianity. Caesarius of Arles (*469/70 – †542) often reprimanded his audience in his sermons by their weak faith in God’s word and vicious practices, considered by him, as well as all Christian Fathers, an obstacle to the victory of the new religion. This article intents to draw attention to some references to pagan and traditional practices in Caesarius’ sermons to shed light in what he believed to be pagans’ persistence and how he interpreted it.