The Darkening Age
The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World is a 2017 history book by Catherine Nixey. It argues that early Christians deliberately attacked classical Greek and Roman culture, helping to erase much of the ancient world’s knowledge. Nixey links violence and cultural suppression—such as the murder of the philosopher Hypatia in 415 CE, the destruction of pagan statues, the closing of temples, and the burning of books—to a belief that pagan religions were demonic and to aggressive Christian rhetoric against the old gods.
The book became an international bestseller, was translated into 12 languages, and was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2018, with the NYT describing it as a “ballista-bolt of a book.” It received praise from scholars like Peter Frankopan and Emily Wilson for its lively style and provocative argument, and Tim Whitmarsh called it a finely crafted polemic that challenges the idea of a peaceful Christianization of Rome.
Not everyone agreed. Some late-antiquity and medieval scholars argued that Nixey overgeneralizes and cherry-picks evidence, and that the scale of Christian suppression of classical culture is more nuanced. Critics also questioned the interpretation of sources and the overall conclusions. The book sparked debate among academics and drew mixed responses from Christian and Jewish institutions.
Beyond reviews, The Darkening Age appeared on year-end lists by The Telegraph, The Spectator, The Observer, and BBC History. It won the Morris D. Forkosch Book Award for the Best Humanist Book of 2018 and was runner-up for the Jerwood Awards for Non-Fiction in 2015.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:24 (CET).