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
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
In my thesis I have analyzed the concept of sophrosyne ("self-restraint") in three works of the ancient author Xenophon in order to answer the questions whether Xenophon's Oeconomicus should be...Show moreIn my thesis I have analyzed the concept of sophrosyne ("self-restraint") in three works of the ancient author Xenophon in order to answer the questions whether Xenophon's Oeconomicus should be interpreted as an ironic work.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
This thesis examines in detail the functional synonymy of three Homeric words for sorrow, i.e. ἄλγος, κῆδος and πῆμα. In contrast with earlier treatments of the topic who either start from a...Show moreThis thesis examines in detail the functional synonymy of three Homeric words for sorrow, i.e. ἄλγος, κῆδος and πῆμα. In contrast with earlier treatments of the topic who either start from a metrical (Witte) or a purely semantic approach (Mawet, Rijksbaron), it is argued here that one has to combine both approaches for a fuller understanding of the functioning of these lexemes within the context of the Homeric Kunstsprache. ἄλγος is interpreted on the basis of a semantic and morphosyntactic analysis as the solitary tribulations mankind has to face during his/her lifetime, whereas κῆδος rather emphasizes the affective component of suffering and indicates a more abstract suffering. πῆμα, finally, refers to the concrete ‘source of sorrow’ and, hence, can be seen as the cause of ἄλγος and κῆδος. It is, however, necessary to keep in mind that metrical considerations sometimes oblige traditional singers to adapt this basic difference in meaning, a process that is fully studied in the third and final chapter of this paper.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
The use of flowers in Egypt is well attested throughout all of its historical periods, yet a prominent use was taking practice, especially in the New Kingdom period. At the beginning of the New...Show moreThe use of flowers in Egypt is well attested throughout all of its historical periods, yet a prominent use was taking practice, especially in the New Kingdom period. At the beginning of the New Kingdom period, ancient Egypt restored its former power and glory, which resulted in wealth and splendor, especially for the royal and elite classes in the social strata. Replete with religious symbolism the rather rudimentary and simple floral decoration and offerings such as bundles of lilies and papyrus gave rise to much more artfully created designs of threaded floral garlands, collars, and bouquets characterized by the significant development of the floral wares. The primary objective of wearing adornments is for decorative purpose, but this was not always the case as in ancient times in many cases they were intended to represent a symbol of status, had a religious or protective function 1. Therefore, the goal of this research paper is to examine the symbolic attributes of the floral garlands and collars discovered adorning the mummies from the New Kingdom Period and early Third Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt. Firstly, an introduction will be given about the different techniques of production and the handicraftsmen who were in charge of creating these floral wreaths. Secondly, parallels of both types, collars, and garlands from royal and elite tombs will be discussed in order to achieve a more detailed identification of the vegetative elements. Further, depictions and representations of these floral adornments will be presented in forms of faience jewelry, imitations on regalia, depictions of floral garlands on furniture, coffins, and masks, wall paintings and other portrayals. Fourthly, all vegetative elements and their colors identified in this paper will be interpreted, and their symbolism will be discussed. Finally, in the last chapter, coming from the New Kingdom Period preserved written records of the symbolic meaning of these floral garlands will be presented, which will lead the reader to the main beliefs ancient Egyptians had for this type of fresh floral decoration.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
This Master thesis examines the implicit characterization of the literary character Trimalchio in Petronius' Satyrica. The character is widely considered as one of the great comic characters in...Show moreThis Master thesis examines the implicit characterization of the literary character Trimalchio in Petronius' Satyrica. The character is widely considered as one of the great comic characters in Western literature.The thesis attempts to explain why this is so and gives some insight into Petronius'art of characterization.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Hephaistos has a peculiar role in Greek Mythology. He is a crippled deity, and despite his divine nature, must always work and is not as respected as a god would be expected to. In this thesis I...Show moreHephaistos has a peculiar role in Greek Mythology. He is a crippled deity, and despite his divine nature, must always work and is not as respected as a god would be expected to. In this thesis I will discuss Hephaistos in an analysis of his role in mythology and his uses in different kinds of literature, in many different time periods. In this way I will distill common aspects about the god and try to understand his role in Greek society.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Taweret is known throughout ancient Egypt as one of a multitude of protective deities, with her central intent on safeguarding women and children during the dangerous process of pregnancy,...Show moreTaweret is known throughout ancient Egypt as one of a multitude of protective deities, with her central intent on safeguarding women and children during the dangerous process of pregnancy, childbirth and early childhood. As a minor deity of the Egyptian pantheon, Taweret never had a cult centre in any known settlement and was relegated to small altars within households. Due to her minor status, there have been no in-depth studies to examine her influence within a settlement before. While many Egyptologists have extensively researched the settlement of Deir el-Medina, focus on the role of the goddess Taweret has been relegated to small paragraph descriptions and not of central concern. This paper shall examine the archaeological remains of Deir el-Medina which pertain to Taweret in order to determine the influence of the goddess within this unique community, and the possibility that there may have been a chapel within the community dedicated to her and a priesthood to support her. These archaeological remains shall be classified into: stelae, statues, ostraca, offering basins and grills, amulets, tomb decoration and evidence for a temple in order to give a holistic perspective of her prominence.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
It is a discussion of the role of messengers in the Ancient world, focussing on the Amarna Letters, while making a comparison with the Kennedy Khrushchev letters of the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962,...Show moreIt is a discussion of the role of messengers in the Ancient world, focussing on the Amarna Letters, while making a comparison with the Kennedy Khrushchev letters of the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962, within a theoretical framework of Neorealism, to illustrate commonalities and developments of diplomatic behaviour in ancient and modern times.Show less
