The Christianization of the Peloponnese: The Topography and Function of Late Antique Churches

Primary data for the Late Antique Peloponnese consists mainly of the archaeology of churches and a small number of historical sources. Further to the limitations of the evidence, studies of the period have been beset by issues of data retrieval and interpretation, which has led to an unexpectedly partial understanding of the socio-political nature of the Peloponnese, one, which given the wealth of ecclesiastical architecture, is in need of review. A re-examination of the topography and architecture of the Christian churches enables discussion of the function of the church on a habitual basis as well as the exceptional, such as in the Christianization process, particularly through a focus on issues of memory and identity and spatial analysis, thereby contributing a to a broader understanding of the Peloponnese between the 5th and 7th centuries CE.