Conventional approaches to apocalyptic literature, which developed out of the study of Second-Temple apocalypses, do not translate well to the investigation of apocalyptic writings in later periods. The generic approach of John J. Collins is contraindicated in eras and cultures where formal apocalypses are less common, while Christopher Rowland's definition of "apocalyptic" as the revelation of heavenly mysteries is too imprecise. Other such approaches prove similarly unsuitable or inappropriate. The apocalyptic worldview, however, offers a powerful diagnostic tool that is also sensitive to the evidence at the local and global levels. A case in point is late-antique apocalyptic speculation. Examining the evidence through the lens of the worldview expands the concept of "apocalyptic" in late antiquity, identifies its chronological boundaries, and, most importantly, reveals its highly distinctive character. The evidence demonstrates that late-antique apocalypticism spans the period from the second half of the second century to the fifth century ce. It is characterised by two features that distinguish it from the apocalyptic speculation of the Second-Temple period which preceded it and the "common mediaeval apocalyptic tradition" which followed. These features are inter-related, since they are organic products of a common social terrain. (1) The composition of "historical" type apocalyptic texts almost entirely ceased in both Judaism and Christianity after the first century ce. In Judaism, the catastrophic failure of three revolts against Rome, culminating in the Bar Kokhba rebellion of 132-136, quenched overt apocalyptic speculation of all types for the next 500 years. (2) In late-antique Christianity, the focus of apocalyptic literature shifted from the "historical" to the "otherworldly" type, with a corresponding emphasis on personal eschatology. The shift is witnessed in both the patristic authors and in stand-alone texts such as the Apocalypse of Paul. The expectation for the singular and universal end of time did not disappear, since it is fundamental to the apocalyptic worldview. But it was largely sublimated to other concerns, including speculation on the heavenly and infernal realms, the fate of the soul after death, the means to eschatological salvation, and the nature of evil and its influence on humanity. Some writers, such as Tertullian and Augustine, even attempted to spiritualize or denature literalist speculation about the end. The emphasis on otherworldly concerns and personal transformation during this period is witnessed also in the Manichean literature, which is apocalyptic, and in the gnostic worldview, which is not. The character of late-antique apocalypticism might be a reflection of the general tenor of late Imperial Roman society as a whole, which might also explain the popularity of gnostic, Manichean, and neo-Platonic ideas during the same centuries. The series of crises in the fourth and early fifth centuries that culminated in the sacks of Rome and the withdrawal of Imperial authority in the West also marked the twilight of late-antique apocalypticism and the dawn of the common mediaeval tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]