Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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The role of the wilderness and its constituent elements, such as forests, in mythology and religion and the impact thereof on daily life – ancient and modern – has retained scholarly interest since...Show moreThe role of the wilderness and its constituent elements, such as forests, in mythology and religion and the impact thereof on daily life – ancient and modern – has retained scholarly interest since the dawn of Assyriology. This thesis will try to further our knowledge in that regard as I will examine what role forests played in Mesopotamian myths, folk tales and other narratives. Furthermore I will compare the findings from the flat treeless land between the Euphrates and the Tigris with their counterparts from the more forested realms of Anatolia and the Levant, in order to establish if the proximity of forests influenced the role they played in the aforementioned narratives. If successful, we can assume that this endeavour gives us a broader insight in ancient Mesopotamian thought, concerning the wilderness in general and forests in particular.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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Both δέδεικται and ἐδείχθη are used by Greek mathematical authors in their proofs to refer to something that has already been proved. In this master’s thesis, the use of the passive aorist and the...Show moreBoth δέδεικται and ἐδείχθη are used by Greek mathematical authors in their proofs to refer to something that has already been proved. In this master’s thesis, the use of the passive aorist and the middle perfect in ancient Greek mathematical texts is discussed. The modern interpretations of the verbal aspects in (literary) Greek by Rijksbaron, Sicking and Stork serve as a theoretical framework. I intend to demonstrate that mathematical Greek, despite its dense, formulaic language, does follow the rules of Greek grammar that hold for conventional language use. This research focusses on metacommunicative verbs, that refer to the procedure of a proof, as opposed to verbs that are used in the construction of a diagram. The indicative forms and participles of a selection of verbs (δείκνυμι, ἐπιτάσσω, προτίθημι, εὑρίσκω, λέγω and δίδωμι) were analyzed in a confined corpus including works of Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius. The aim was to explain the distribution of the aorist and perfect forms. This analysis led to the conclusion that the aorist emphasizes the performed action and marks a new step in a proof. The perfect, on the other hand, stresses the attained result of an action and is therefore used to refer to a finished proof or a completed construction of figures. In the conclusion, a hypothesis will be offered on the interpretation of the perfect imperative, a heavily debated phenomenon that is frequently encountered in Greek mathematics.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Analyse van literaire verwijzingen in Aristoteles' Ethica Nicomachea geeft inzicht in de manier waarop Aristoteles literatuur gebruikt in zijn filosofische uiteenzetting en de manier waarop...Show moreAnalyse van literaire verwijzingen in Aristoteles' Ethica Nicomachea geeft inzicht in de manier waarop Aristoteles literatuur gebruikt in zijn filosofische uiteenzetting en de manier waarop Aristoteles zich verhoudt tot de traditionele rol van dichters in vierde-eeuws Athene.Show less
