Nicola Holm

About me:

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter, funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation. I am currently a co-editor of the departmental journal, Pegasus. I am also on the steering committee of the Postgraduate and Early Career Late Antiquity Network.

I am originally from Brisbane, and completed my BA and MPhil at the University of Queensland, Australia before coming to Exeter in 2019.

Research Project:

My PhD project, Singled Out With Their Father’s Honours: The Sons of Constantine in Religious Politics (A.D. 337-361) seeks to elevate the importance of the reigns of Constantine’s three sons (Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans) and the relationship they forged between Church and State in the mid-fourth century. It will argue that the sons of Constantine were responsible for the formation of the idea of the ‘Christian emperor’ seen in the later fourth century and beyond, more so than their more famous father. It will examine how they responded to challenges from ecclesiastical authority, and how they promoted Christianity in a way that was similar to, and different than Constantine. This will be demonstrated through examination of the role of the sons in ecclesiastical debates and issues, theological councils, ecclesiastical benefactions such as church building, and the patronage of Christian groups. Through investigation of the religious actions and policies of the successors of Constantine, this thesis will argue that the sons of Constantine and their religious decision-making were vital for the evolution of the later accepted relationship between Church and State.

Research Supervisory team:

Primary Supervisor: Professor Richard Flower

Secondary Supervisor: Professor Morwenna Ludlow

Research Wider Research Interests:

My research interests mainly lie in the Later Roman Empire, where I am endlessly fascinated by the changing administrative, political, and religious climates, especially following the age of Diocletian (c.284), and what this meant for the emperor. I am also interested in the Patristic writers and how they interact with the emperor and the imperial state.

Education:

January 2019 January 9999

University of Exeter

PhD

January 2015 January 2017

University of Queensland

MPhil- Pagan Emperors and Religious Policies (A.D. 249-363)

January 2011 January 2014

University of Queensland

BA (Hons I) in Ancient History

Honours Dissertation- The Flavian Subjugation of Judaea: Public Image and Public Perception (High Distinction)