Space, property and boundary violation in Palladius, Lausiac History 33-34

The present paper attempts to discuss the relation between property and boundary violation in Palladius, Lausiac History 33-34. More specifically, I will focus on a series of spatial details that prove how they are key factors in both the shaping of monastic territorial subdivision and definition of religious and social agency in men’s and women’s monasteries. The nexus between land/space ownership, physical borders and gender difference emerges as being particularly interesting because it sheds light on many relevant questions of late ancient Christianity, such as the economic organization of monastic communities and the gender-oriented structure of monasteries. Chapters 33 and 34 of Palladius’ Lausiac History represent a significative case in this regard. The emphasis on a sharp separation between male and female monasteries, the liminality of gendered spaces, and the crossable boundaries between opposite areas are all factors that characterize the narrative of both chapters and contribute to the creation of a rigorously property-related monastic framework. Most importantly, the association between boundary violation and gender is functional to highlight the interplay between space restriction and limitation of freedom in terms of social and religious agency. Building on this evidence, I aim to identify a set of key features that can define the relationship between monastic property, gendered spaces, and freedom of movement as they are represented in Palladius’ Lausiac History 33-34. By looking at the dynamics of access, trespassing and exit, the present paper will attempt to contextualize the role of physical borders by shedding new light on the significance of containment and transgression of spaces within the definition of religious agency.