Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Chapter One. Crisis in Late Antiquity -- Rationale -- Defining "Crisis" in Late Antiquity -- Overview of the Volume -- Population Displacement -- Natural Disasters -- Religious Disputes -- Violent Conflict -- Social Abuses -- Breakdown of the Structures of Dependence -- Conclusion -- Chapter Two. Studying Late-Antique Crisis Management Through Letters -- Status Quaestionis -- Using Letters as a Source -- The Nature and Function of Letters -- Terminology -- The Question of Audience: Public or Private? -- Hybrid Forms -- Compilation of Letter-Collections -- Epistolary Sources on Crisis -- The Greek Corpus -- The Latin Corpus -- Chapter Three. Population Displacement -- Introduction -- Prisoners of War -- Exile, Flight, Confinement -- Asylum-Seekers and Refugees -- Conclusion -- Case-Studies of Exiles, Refugees and Asylum-Seekers -- Case-Study 1. Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople (428-431) -- Case-Study 2. Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspe (c. 468-533) -- Case-Study 3. Vigilius of Rome (531-555) -- Case-Study 4. Theodoret of Cyrrhus (423-c. 466) -- Case-Study 5. Severus of Antioch (512--518) -- Chapter Four. Natural Disasters -- Introduction -- Earthquakes -- Food-Shortages and Famine -- Epidemic Diseases -- Silence of the Sources -- Conclusion -- Case-Studies of Natural Disaster Management -- Case-Study 1. Cyril of Alexandria (412-444) -- Case-Study 2. Theodoret of Cyrrhus (423-c. 466) -- Chapter Five. Religious Controversies and Violence -- Introduction -- Cyril and Nestorius: An Unfortunate Pairing -- Eutyches: Letters Read and Not Read -- Council of Ephesus II (449) -- The Tome of Leo -- Chalcedon and Its Aftermath -- The Acacian Schism -- Western Heresies -- Arianism -- Pelagianism in North Africa, Italy and Gaul -- Priscillianism in Spain -- Donatism in North Africa.

Review of Sixth-Century Christological Disputes -- Council of Constantinople II (553) -- Conclusion -- Case-Studies of Religious Conflict Management -- Case-Study 1. After Chalcedon: The Codex Encyclius -- Case-Study 2. The Patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria 564-581 -- Chapter Six. Social Abuses -- Introduction -- Usury -- Extortionate Taxation -- Human Trafficking -- Indentured Child Labour -- Alienation of Church Property -- Corruption, within the Church and without -- Conclusion -- Case-Studies of Social Abuse Management -- Case-Study 1. Synesius of Cyrene (411-413) -- Case-Study 2. Gelasius of Rome (492-496) -- Chapter Seven. Breakdown in the Structures of Dependence -- Introduction -- Failure of the Roman Legal System -- The Bishop's Court -- Conclusion -- Case-Studies of Breakdown of Structures of Dependence -- Case-Study 1. Augustine of Hippo (395-430) -- Case-Study 2. Pelagius I of Rome (556-561) -- Conclusion -- Evidence for Crisis Management in Episcopal Letters -- Strategies of Crisis Management -- Petitioning -- Dogmatic Instruction -- Discipline and Administration -- Containment -- Social Exclusion -- Diplomatic Embassies -- Synods and Councils -- Proscription -- Violent Coercion -- Liturgical Responses -- Material Aid -- Regionalism of Episcopal Responses to Crisis -- Non-Episcopal Responses -- Appendix. Ancient Author Profiles -- Greek Authors -- Alexandria and Egypt -- Constantinople -- Jerusalem -- Armenia -- Antioch -- Syria (outside Antioch) -- Asia Minor and Surrounds -- Roman Authors -- Rome -- Other Western Authors -- Africa -- Italy (outside Rome) -- Gaul -- Spain -- Britain -- Bibliography -- Primary Sources -- Anthologies -- Secondary Literature -- Index of Ancient Sources -- Index of Modern Authors -- Index of People, Places and Things.