ABSTRACT
The authors aim to display what we call ‘fixity’ as an instance of one of these stabilities claimed within ancient history—an instance which we think can be shown to be of more use to ancient projects of legitimation than it is to modern historiography. Eight ancient claims to fixity are often to be seen as specialised cultural outgrowths. The theme of Christians as transients in a world of fixed addresses is already found in Philippians, and it may perhaps be significant that Paul is addressing the population of a Roman colonia, who might be expected to share some of the positive take on movement which we see at the same date in Seneca. The Christianisation of the Mediterranean world performs a very valuable service for the historian of mobility and fixity. In which political and ideological contexts were fixity-claims useful? A helpful analogy may perhaps be drawn with the continuity of institutions.
