Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
This thesis provides an examination of the representation of gender roles in the Salmacis and Hermaphroditus scene in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Ovid thoroughly plays with gender roles and expectations...Show moreThis thesis provides an examination of the representation of gender roles in the Salmacis and Hermaphroditus scene in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Ovid thoroughly plays with gender roles and expectations of gender roles in the scene. The scene is examined in the light of intertextuality with other stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Odysseus' speech to Nausicaa in Homer's Odyssey and several similes.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Both in Egypt and Hatti the renewal of kingship through festivals played an important role. This raises the question if there are similarities and/or differences between the two. An earlier...Show moreBoth in Egypt and Hatti the renewal of kingship through festivals played an important role. This raises the question if there are similarities and/or differences between the two. An earlier comparison was drawn by Volkert Haas (Haas 1994) when he briefly compared the Egyptian Heb-Sed and the Hittite Purulliya. A comparison between these renewals of kingship can help us understand this concept in a broader sense, especially, since limited interdisciplinary research has been done concerning this topic. For this study a comparative approach will be taken, which looks for similarities and differences between the Egyptian and Hittite Festival. With the help of data originating from previous work on the Purulliya and the Heb-Sed. This is accompanied by archaeological, textual, and iconographical sources that are related to the festivals. The Egyptian side has a vast richness of sources and material. However, the sources from Hatti are largely textual. This discrepancy of sources poses a problem to this research. Thus, the comparison itself focusses on the underlying aspects of the festivals, rather than detailed aspects of them. Early results of this MA research involve the separate festivals and early stage comparisons between the two. They include a comparison on the core reasons for celebrating both the festivals. This comparison is accompanied by the general rules for celebrating each festival. Using these results, an early conclusion on festivals involving renewal of kingship between Egypt and Hatti is drawn.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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This thesis begins with an overview of the relationship between the Apis bull and different Egyptian dynasties over time, before using this analysis as the foundation for the analysis of the...Show moreThis thesis begins with an overview of the relationship between the Apis bull and different Egyptian dynasties over time, before using this analysis as the foundation for the analysis of the relationship between the Apis bull and the Ptolemaic dynasty, looking at how the Ptolemies treated the cult and invested in it, as well as what they received in return, suggesting some potential reasons and motivations for the things seen.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
The inclusion of ‘Eduba’ literature which decrees rules or ideals for scribes in the Old Babylonian scribal curriculum is clear evidence that compositions served more than a pedagogical purpose....Show moreThe inclusion of ‘Eduba’ literature which decrees rules or ideals for scribes in the Old Babylonian scribal curriculum is clear evidence that compositions served more than a pedagogical purpose. This thesis investigates the possibility that a moral agenda was involved in the construction of the Old Babylonian scribal curriculum by analysing the most commonly attested literary texts at school sites to see if any common themes regarding proper behaviour emerge.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
under embargo until 2025-10-15
2025-10-15T00:00:00Z
Treaties and military oaths indicate the practices and procedures Hittites followed in the taking of oaths and the invocation of curses. The normative belief existed that a treaty and a military...Show moreTreaties and military oaths indicate the practices and procedures Hittites followed in the taking of oaths and the invocation of curses. The normative belief existed that a treaty and a military oath could be considered a promise, and the curse following the promise was a guarantee that the promise would be kept as the gods were invoked as guarantors.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
The authenticity of the iconoclastic post-scriptum to Epiphanius of Salamis' Epistula ad Joannem has been hotly debated since the 8th century. This essay re-evaluates the arguments for and against...Show moreThe authenticity of the iconoclastic post-scriptum to Epiphanius of Salamis' Epistula ad Joannem has been hotly debated since the 8th century. This essay re-evaluates the arguments for and against the authenticity, and concludes that the post-scriptum is genuine.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
The Amarna Period is one of the most controversial times in Egyptian history and is characterized by significant political, economic, religious, artistic and administrative changes. The most...Show moreThe Amarna Period is one of the most controversial times in Egyptian history and is characterized by significant political, economic, religious, artistic and administrative changes. The most notorious controversy to modern eyes concerns Akhenaten's religious reforms and his vision of a ""monotheistic"" theological system. These reforms led to a conflict between Atenism -the new religion- and traditional Egyptian beliefs. A matter that remains uncertain is how Atenism affected the conception of the afterlife during that period. The influence of the Aten's cult on the funerary art was crucial, and under Akhenaten's reign, many traditional funerary scenes, such as references to the Netherworld are absent. Additionally, the absence of Osiris, who was the central pylon of the traditional mortuary ideology, is a crucial modification that has spurred many interpretations concerning the way that afterlife was conceived after the pharaoh's reforms. Thus, the main focus of this thesis is to designate the conception of the Netherworld during the Amarna Period in the light of the absence of traditional funerary iconography and inscriptions.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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In the New Kingdom Era, especially during the Eighteenth Dynasty period, a booming production and use of blue glass took place and seemed to have limited the use of lapis lazuli in ancient Egyptian...Show moreIn the New Kingdom Era, especially during the Eighteenth Dynasty period, a booming production and use of blue glass took place and seemed to have limited the use of lapis lazuli in ancient Egyptian art. One of the most famous examples to take into account is the golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun, which contains a mix of both blue paste glass and real lapis lazuli. Knowing that the lapis lazuli was very precious and very much used in ancient Egyptian history and that it was mostly brought to Egypt from Afghanistan via the Levant, the investigation raises several questions about the use of blue glass inlays instead of lapis lazuli. Therefore, this research has several objectives and will focus on the Eighteenth Dynasty period. The analysis will involve conceptual, textual and economical objectives. Conceptually, the research examines the significance of both lapis lazuli and blue glass in Ancient Egyptian art items. The textual goal underlines the significance of lapis lazuli and the color blue in ancient Egyptian religion and culture. And finally, the economical objective focuses on the causes behind the sudden production and use of blue glass.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
a reception study which examines whether the theory of Paul Claes to determine intertextual relationships and the function of intertextuality can be applied and made practical. To do so, internal...Show morea reception study which examines whether the theory of Paul Claes to determine intertextual relationships and the function of intertextuality can be applied and made practical. To do so, internal and external aspects of the novel of Petronius, the Satyricon, and the novel written by Claes himself, De Sater, are taken into considerationShow less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
under embargo until 2025-05-07
2025-05-07T00:00:00Z
In this thesis, I assess the reception of Hesiod and Aratus in the Garland of Philip, a period of their reception which has not received much attention yet. In the first chapter, I analyse three...Show moreIn this thesis, I assess the reception of Hesiod and Aratus in the Garland of Philip, a period of their reception which has not received much attention yet. In the first chapter, I analyse three epigrams alluding to Aratus; in the second, three more alluding to Hesiod. I conclude that they are seen as serious, boring poets, unfitting to revel, love and wine and the poetics of sympotic epigram. Moreover, I argue that they have been received, especially by Antipater, through the lens of Callimachus, against whom the Macedonian poet maintains a polemical stance.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Exclusionary and self-serving, the purpose of gender constructs are fundamentally more concerned with the longevity and social-standing of the hegemonic participants – for they perpetuate the...Show moreExclusionary and self-serving, the purpose of gender constructs are fundamentally more concerned with the longevity and social-standing of the hegemonic participants – for they perpetuate the construct itself – than those who fall short of its criteria. Because constructs of masculinity are inherently hierarchal, we would expect the aged to become a “subclass” against which younger participants validate their own masculinity and increase their standing. Thus, in the introduction of her ground-breaking book Being a Man: Negotiating Ancient Constructs of Masculinity, published in 2017, I would have to agree with I. Zsolany’s statement: “to enact a version of masculinity considered less than a societal ideal cannot only be undesirable, but humiliating.” However, against my own presumptions, Mesopotamian art and literature reveals a gerontocratic society which favoured the aged over the young, one where the dominant social construct was monopolised by a group who were unable to adhere to its values and norms, and thus struggled meet its expectations. In this thesis we will investigate this paradox, using the Standard Babylonian (abbreviated as “SB” throughout the essay) Gilgamesh epic to explore the ways in which older men navigated the obstacles of ageing whilst paying particular attention to how they validated their own masculinity based on that of younger men.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
The death of the Hittite king was an event of cosmogonic proportions for Hittite society. The political, religious and social vacuum created by this event signaled the beginning of a an elaborate...Show moreThe death of the Hittite king was an event of cosmogonic proportions for Hittite society. The political, religious and social vacuum created by this event signaled the beginning of a an elaborate fourteen-day-long funerary ritual known among scholars as the “Šalliš Wastaiš ritual”. Its main purpose was the orderly transition of the king’s soul to the underworld. At the same time, the usage of various ritual objects aimed, among others, at presenting the deceased as an otherworldly hunter. Of these objects, the bow, the arrow, the quiver, the spear and the hunting bag were closely connected with Hittite royal hunting, something which is also visible in the textual and iconographic sources of the wider ancient Near East. The construction of a post-mortem image of the deceased king as a hunter was based on the apparent close relation of hunting with religion, warfare and Hittite royal ideology. Considering that Hittite textual and iconographic evidence show that success in the hunt was directly proportional to the offerings toward the gods, the presentation of the ruler as an accomplished hunter propagated his privileged relationship with the divine, and indicated that hunting was treated as a ritual act of great importance. At the same time, given the importance of warfare for the Hittite state, and the equation of the hunt with war, the inclusion of hunting objects in the royal funeral demonstrated that according to Hittite royal ideology the successful hunter was also a mighty and undefeated warrior. Moreover, the hunt acquired a political dimension too, because it sustained the royal propaganda. The killing of big game by the king was indicative of strength and courage, and symbolized his superhuman abilities. Hunting had important cosmological implications as well, since its mastery by the king illustrated his physical and spiritual dominion over the wild beasts which represented one of the aggressive aspects of nature. By showing his command of the animal world, the king emerged, in life and in death, as the defender of civilization against the menace of nature.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
An analysis of Bernard of Clairvaux's (1090-1153) use of the word ordo in the Apologia ad Guillelmum abbatem. It is argued the Apologia should be read in the context of the contemporary religious...Show moreAn analysis of Bernard of Clairvaux's (1090-1153) use of the word ordo in the Apologia ad Guillelmum abbatem. It is argued the Apologia should be read in the context of the contemporary religious debates of the eleventh and twelfth century. The word ordo is discussed in relation to the development of the cistercian order.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
This thesis examines how Amerigo Vespucci, in his Mundus Novus, resorts to classical knowledge and ideology in order to approach the New World and place it in a conceptual framework. Firstly, it is...Show moreThis thesis examines how Amerigo Vespucci, in his Mundus Novus, resorts to classical knowledge and ideology in order to approach the New World and place it in a conceptual framework. Firstly, it is analysed how Vespucci by means of classical reception in the design and attitude of his letter, aims to meet the taste of his humanist patron Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco. This is done in chapter one. Secondly, it is examined how Vespucci used the frameworks of classical cosmology, geography and natural sciences in order to describe and introduce his new discoveries. The ideas of Ptolemy, Herodotus, Pliny, Vergil and Lucretius, among others, are reviewed. This is done in the following chapter. Furthermore, it should be noted that the framing of the ""other"" and its communication to a wider audience, as in Vespucci's Mundus Novus, go hand in hand with a sense of European hierarchal superiority towards America. Therefore, in addition, both chapters analyse how the classical reception in Vespucci's frameworks may reflect on a world in which colonisation by European powers began to take shape as a result of transatlantic voyages and explorations.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
Het eerste boek van Gesprekken in Tusculum herbergt een complexiteit. Deze complexiteit wordt veroorzaakt door het feit dat Cicero binnen dit filosofisch werk meerdere petten op heeft. Hij is...Show moreHet eerste boek van Gesprekken in Tusculum herbergt een complexiteit. Deze complexiteit wordt veroorzaakt door het feit dat Cicero binnen dit filosofisch werk meerdere petten op heeft. Hij is immers niet alleen de auteur, maar eveneens een van de gesprekspartners binnen het filosofisch gesprek. Wat is de implicatie van deze gelaagdheid voor de lezer? Op welke wijze en op welk niveau wil Cicero zijn lezer aan het denken zetten over de dood en de onsterfelijkheid van de ziel? Dit onderzoek verschaft een waardering van de veellagigheid van het eerste boek van Gesprekken in Tusculum aan de hand van een tekstanalyse op intern niveau (de verhouding tussen gesprekspartner en opponent) en op extern niveau (de verhouding tussen auteur en lezer).Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
This thesis charts Ovidian references to Daedalus, the archetypal craftsman, made in and around the poet's 'own' exile. Analysis reveals several strong parallels between the artists (the poetic...Show moreThis thesis charts Ovidian references to Daedalus, the archetypal craftsman, made in and around the poet's 'own' exile. Analysis reveals several strong parallels between the artists (the poetic persona and his mythical character): firstly, and most simply, they are innovative; they also reside in hated exile; they suffer oppression by authority; they advise 'moderation' to their ‘children’; they grieve and repudiate their arts; yet literary immortality brings some sort of consolation. Considering these rich parallels, this thesis states the case for a strong analogy between the two that effectively adds layers of significance to Ovid's own status as an artist - one who can both fly and fall. This leads further to a reflection on 'why', and on what effects this might produce. This thesis suggests poetic self-aggrandisement, the evocation of sympathy, and also a deeper poetological point about how one subjectively adopts/responds to such techniques in reading and being read as an artist/audience.Show less
