Ernest-Charles Babut’s Saint Martin de Tours: The Fourth Century in the Third Republic
Abstract
Abstract This article examines the work of the French historian and war hero Ernest-Charles Babut (1875–1916), and in particular his scholarship on fourth-century Christianity, especially that on the figure of St Martin of Tours. It is suggested that much of his discussion of the period, notably that of church/state relations and the question of compulsory military service, may profitably be read as commentary on the issues in French public life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Classical Antiquity Studies
Philosophy
History
and Historiography
French Historical and Cultural Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- International Journal of the Classical Tradition
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 371–397
- Publication date
- 19 January 2026
- Language
- EN