This project will analyse the last revival of Manichaeism in the Eastern Mediterranean and the
imperial persecution that seems to produce its disappearance from the region in the 6th century.
Manichaeism played a momentous role in shaping the Late Antique religious landscape: the
confrontation with Manichaeism is essential for the evolution and consolidation of Christianity.
Considering the impact of this religious group, the fact that there is no exhaustive study on its revival
and disappearance during the years of Justinian I is surprising. I expect to offer the first study on
these phenomena through a careful reading of the legal, historical, theological, philosophical, and
polemical sources of the period. Likewise, the project will review some presuppositions of the
academic research on the subject, such as the concept of an abrupt extinction of Manichaeanism, or
the definition of what is to be “Manichaean” in these years. Finally, it will address some of the most
important debates on the history of religions in Late Antiquity, such as the creation of Christian
identity and its relation with Manichaeism, the religious reception in the Mediterranean environment,
the methods of repression of the late antique Roman Empire, the relation between violent speech
and violent repression or the relation between religious conflicts and conflicts in other social spheres.