Nisibis Laments: The Despair and Hope of a Late Ancient City

This paper will examine a set of Syriac poems (Ephrem’s Madrāshê on Nisibis 1–12) as a case study for how late ancient leaders responded in times of crisis. These poems are primarily framed as laments spoken in the voice of the city of Nisibis, personified as a mourning woman (mother, penitent, and wife). Ephrem used the familiar figure of the mourning woman to guide the feelings of the Christian community in Nisibis in what he regarded as righteous and productive ways. They would receive catharsis (a licit expression of the violence of their emotions), consolation (the prospect that God would ultimately rescue them for the sake of his honor), and correction (to redirect their energies toward the reform of their own “pagan” habits). In short, the poems give voice to communal despair and offer hope for relief in the future.