Callista (novel)
Encyclopedia
This article deals with the novel Callista. For other uses of the word, see Callista (disambiguation).
Callista is a novel by the English
Catholic
theologian, priest
and writer John Henry Newman. It was first published in 1855.
in the Roman
province
of Africa. It deals with the persecution of the Christian
s community under Emperor Decius
.
The main character of the novel is Callista, a young and beautiful Greek girl, who has just arrived from Greece with her brother Aristo. She is a gifted young woman, yet she is unhappy with her life.
Another main character is the troubled young Christian Agellius, who wants to marry Callista. He is torn between his faith
and his brother (Juba), his mother Gurta, a pagan witch, and his pagan uncle Jucundus, who all want to bring him away from the Christian faith. Agellius soon meets the mysterious Christian priest Caecilius (later identified as St. Cyprian of Carthage), who becomes a father figure for him and strengthens his faith again.
After a terrible plague of locust
s, popular rage against Christians breaks out and persecution starts once again. Agellius has to flee from the surroundings of Sicca Veneria. At the same time, Callista sees herself drawn more and more strongly to Christianity. When she is compelled to offer incense
to the pagan gods, she has to make a dramatic choice, which finally leads her into the Catholic Church and then to martyrdom.
" to Fabiola
by Cardinal
Nicholas Wiseman, published a year earlier. It draws both from the parallels between ancient Roman society and the still lingering persecution of and prejudices against Roman Catholics in the Britain
of the time and from Newman's own experiences as a convert
. The novel also deals with questions of integrity and determination, even in the face of death. Most of its characters are at the same time ambiguous
and troubled ones, who have to make a choice for or against the Christian faith in the course of the story.
Callista is a novel by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
theologian, priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and writer John Henry Newman. It was first published in 1855.
Plot summary
Callista is set in the mid-3rd century in the city of Sicca VeneriaEl Kef
El Kef , also known as Le Kef, is a city in north western Tunisia and the capital of the Kef Governorate.Situated in the northwest of the country, to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia, El Kef has a population of . The old town is built on the cliff face...
in the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Africa. It deals with the persecution of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s community under Emperor Decius
Decius
Trajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
.
The main character of the novel is Callista, a young and beautiful Greek girl, who has just arrived from Greece with her brother Aristo. She is a gifted young woman, yet she is unhappy with her life.
Another main character is the troubled young Christian Agellius, who wants to marry Callista. He is torn between his faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and his brother (Juba), his mother Gurta, a pagan witch, and his pagan uncle Jucundus, who all want to bring him away from the Christian faith. Agellius soon meets the mysterious Christian priest Caecilius (later identified as St. Cyprian of Carthage), who becomes a father figure for him and strengthens his faith again.
After a terrible plague of locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
s, popular rage against Christians breaks out and persecution starts once again. Agellius has to flee from the surroundings of Sicca Veneria. At the same time, Callista sees herself drawn more and more strongly to Christianity. When she is compelled to offer incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
to the pagan gods, she has to make a dramatic choice, which finally leads her into the Catholic Church and then to martyrdom.
Background
The novel was commissioned as a sort of "prequelPrequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
" to Fabiola
Fabiola (novel)
Fabiola or, the Church of the Catacombs is a novel by the English Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman. It was first published in 1854.-Plot summary:...
by Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Nicholas Wiseman, published a year earlier. It draws both from the parallels between ancient Roman society and the still lingering persecution of and prejudices against Roman Catholics in the Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
of the time and from Newman's own experiences as a convert
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
. The novel also deals with questions of integrity and determination, even in the face of death. Most of its characters are at the same time ambiguous
Ambiguity
Ambiguity of words or phrases is the ability to express more than one interpretation. It is distinct from vagueness, which is a statement about the lack of precision contained or available in the information.Context may play a role in resolving ambiguity...
and troubled ones, who have to make a choice for or against the Christian faith in the course of the story.