Roman urbanism and spectacles have been important themes within scholarship on ancient history for decades. Traditionally, research has been focused on Rome, but in recent years research into the...Show moreRoman urbanism and spectacles have been important themes within scholarship on ancient history for decades. Traditionally, research has been focused on Rome, but in recent years research into the rest of the Roman Empire has become more prominent. One central issue within modern historiography has to do with the supposed uniformity of urbanism and spectacle in the Roman world. Were these parts of ancient life similar throughout the empire, or is diversity the norm? This thesis contributes to the historiographical debate in two ways. First, it will investigate urbanism and spectacles in three Roman provinces instead of in Rome. Second, this thesis will focus on venationes, or animal hunts, because this spectacle type has not gotten much attention in existing scholarship on spectacles. By comparing different Roman provinces to one another, it will become clear that while some consistencies can be found in the urbanism, spectacle culture and venationes, they underwent profound changes due to the specific provincial contexts in which they manifested themselves. This adaptation resulted in significant urban and cultural diversity within the Roman world.Show less
Since July 2021 the Lower Germanic Limes has become UNESCO world heritage, this not only led to more public attention to the north-western part of the Roman Empire but also to more scholarly...Show moreSince July 2021 the Lower Germanic Limes has become UNESCO world heritage, this not only led to more public attention to the north-western part of the Roman Empire but also to more scholarly attention. However, most of the scholarly research on the Roman limes in the Netherlands has been done by archaeologists causing historians to be barely involved in the debate. This thesis therefore aims to contribute to the recent developments and tries to re-examine the Roman past closer to home from a historian’s point of view, to see what the events, processes, causes and reasons were that led up to the creation of the Lower German Limes which eventually also resulted in the consolidation and official incorporation of the region into the province Germania Inferior, by not only looking at the political and military events but also the economic and social aspects.Show less
Greek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their...Show moreGreek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their poems. Since Greek poetry was performed in front of a public, it focusses on the social demands to question the epiphany of the Muses in Ancient Greece. Specifically, it investigates how various political and military crises may have created social demands to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. To test the hypothesis that crises created needs for poets to question the reliability and presence of the Muses, the circumstances of poets’ lives and careers are investigated. Biographical and autobiographical literary evidence, in combination with archaeological and iconological evidence, supports the idea that crises led to a demand to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. This suggests that disruptive experiences such as war and diseases impacted the trustworthiness of divine inspiration and divine knowledge.Show less
A multidisciplinary( History/ philosophy/ cognitive psychology/ linguïstics) enquiry into the role of the ninth century Saxon Gospel Harmony, the Heliand. For thesis, I constructed an interpretive...Show moreA multidisciplinary( History/ philosophy/ cognitive psychology/ linguïstics) enquiry into the role of the ninth century Saxon Gospel Harmony, the Heliand. For thesis, I constructed an interpretive model based on three elements. These elements were: 1 the Interpretation of the Heliand by G.R.R Murphy, 2 Certain theories from H. Versnel's book: Coping with the Gods. Wayward Readings in Greek Theology and 3 elements from the Cognitive Science of Religion(CSR). This model was combined with the historical context of the Heliand and the Saxon Wars, as well as the cultural, religious and mythological world of the continental Saxons. With these elements, the Heliand was analyzed in order to find out how this Gospel Harmony might have worked in aiding the conversion process of the Saxon Lay Elite, after their forced conversion by Charlemagne a generation earlier. By looking at the allusions in the Heliand to the Saxons their old religion, society, or cultural values with the help of the interpretive model, I tried to find out the Heliand its working for the said conversion process of the Saxons.Show less
The evolution of Athenian discourses revolving around pederasty is being studied from a political angle, through the contextualization of said discourses into the political and social milieu of...Show moreThe evolution of Athenian discourses revolving around pederasty is being studied from a political angle, through the contextualization of said discourses into the political and social milieu of Athens, from the archaic to the classical period (7th- 4th c. B.C.), with an aim at understanding both the discourses themselves, as well as their thematic evolution, as products and constructs of the political realities of the polis.Show less
In older scholarship, it was often claimed that Christian martyrdom contributed significantly to the conversion of the Roman Empire. This assertion, however, has been significantly criticized in...Show moreIn older scholarship, it was often claimed that Christian martyrdom contributed significantly to the conversion of the Roman Empire. This assertion, however, has been significantly criticized in recent decades, so that conversion in response to witnessing acts of Christian martyrdom now appears to have been relatively minor. In order to both elaborate on and critically evaluate these criticisms, the present thesis compares a number of Christian and ‘pagan’ texts from the second and third centuries CE that deal with martyrdom and/or ‘noble death’. While the thesis pays attention to issues surrounding the scale on which martyrdom occurred and the extent to which witnessing the torture and execution of Christians may have inspired conversion, its main focus is on the importance of martyr texts to the Christianization of the Roman Empire. ‘Christianization’ here is used in a more general sense, and includes not only conversion, but also the formation of Christian (group)identity and the catechesis of new members. With regards to the possibility of Christian texts being used to convert outsiders or instruct the newly-initiated, the thesis works from the assumption that these ‘pagan’ audiences would have been more likely to adopt a favourable view of Christian martyrdom – and perhaps concomitantly, Christianity – insofar as its (literary) representations presented it as similar to noble death. Simultaneously, the thesis argues that Christian martyr texts contain several unique elements, principally religious in character, that allowed them to out-live ‘pagan’ noble death traditions like that of the Acta Alexandrinorum. These shared and unique aspects are recovered through an in-depth analysis and comparison of a number of Christian and ‘pagan’ texts. All in all, the findings of the thesis generally agree with earlier revisionist publications, and suggest that conversion induced by martyrdom was rare, and that the importance of martyr texts to Early Christianity mostly lay in their ability to provide Christian groups with powerful communities identities and moral exemplars.Show less
Much is unknown about Hadrian's lover Antinous and the success of the cult that was founded after Antinous' death. This thesis answers the question of why the cult of Antinous was successful after...Show moreMuch is unknown about Hadrian's lover Antinous and the success of the cult that was founded after Antinous' death. This thesis answers the question of why the cult of Antinous was successful after the death of Antinous, and why it persisted even after Hadrian's death. With the use of epigraphical, archaeological, numismatic, and papyrological evidence, the thesis has concluded that the widespread use of Antinous' likeness, as well as his ties to his place of birth and place of death, had an impact on the success of the cult. The cult likely thrived too because of spontaneous veneration of Rome's subjects, as well as the aid of grassroots initiatives.Show less
I examine the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the first of the Mauryan Emperors. It focuses on Chandragupta’s kingship within an Indian context by turning its focus away from the frequent comparisons...Show moreI examine the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the first of the Mauryan Emperors. It focuses on Chandragupta’s kingship within an Indian context by turning its focus away from the frequent comparisons made between Indian and Western (read Greco-Roman) rulers. I examine the ways in which Chandragupta was able to maintain his authority and ensure the obedience of his subjects so successfully when his more established predecessors had failed so miserably. I conclude by referring to my original research aim, one that looked to explore how Chandragupta and Kautilya administered the Mauryan Empire and maintained the support and obedience of the Indian people despite exploiting their subjects to a similar extent as the universally despised Dhana Nanda. Kautilya’s Brahmanical-political theology depicted an unrealistic portrayal of a paternalistic king, albeit one who was more than willing to revert to the use of danda than his subjects would hope. Its influence on Mauryan policy was felt more in the autonomy it gave Chandragupta to act amorally, utilising apaddharma whenever he felt it necessary. The emphasis on universal artha gave way, as Chandragupta based his actions around the idea that the ‘the artha of the king and his associates alone is supreme’. Chandragupta prioritized internal security to the extent that peripheral regions of the Empire were isolated and their economic development stunted while Pataliputra and its citizens benefitted from the policy of expansion and exploitation.Show less
This thesis researches the failed Romanization of first-century Judaea. It interprets this period by using Millett's theory on Romanization to research the development of the indigenous elites of...Show moreThis thesis researches the failed Romanization of first-century Judaea. It interprets this period by using Millett's theory on Romanization to research the development of the indigenous elites of Judaea and their role in the causes of the Jewish War in 67-70CE.Show less
Het werkstuk richt zich op de mens-dier relaties tussen mens en hond binnen de antieke Griekse en Romeinse samenlevingen. Hierbij wordt gekeken naar mogelijke functionele en symbolische relaties.
The purpose of this study is to examine the foreign policy of the Greek city-state of Syracuse between the second half of the fifth and the first half of the fourth centuries BC, and in particular...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine the foreign policy of the Greek city-state of Syracuse between the second half of the fifth and the first half of the fourth centuries BC, and in particular from the beginning of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC, to the death of Dionysius the Elder in 367 BC. This study is specifically focused on ancient contemporary as well as modern perceptions of Syracuse as an imperialist, expansionist power. The study aims to demonstrate that Syracuse was a typical city-state which to a large extent reacted to external events and pursued a limited and modest foreign policy aimed at preserving the city in light of an increasingly unstable political environment, while occasionally taking advantage of unique opportunities to pursue limited expansion. By the end of the study, the reader should be able to discern the bias of ancient authors, understand their motivations, and form a more pragmatic and realistic assessment of Syracusan foreign policy. It will be demonstrated that Syracuse was a typical city-state with limited resources, and well-defined, consistent goals, as opposed to the more adventurous imperialistic and at times opportunistic goals ascribed to Syracuse by authors influenced by Classical Athenian imperialism. It will be shown how and why Syracuse fell short of the exaggerated expectations of friend and foe alike, concerning the city’s capabilities and the role which it was envisaged playing in various regions of the Classical world.Show less
This work analyses the police apparatus of early imperial Rome. The research is embedded in existing theories about policing and explores by what means the Roman state managed to police early...Show moreThis work analyses the police apparatus of early imperial Rome. The research is embedded in existing theories about policing and explores by what means the Roman state managed to police early imperial Rome.Show less
The central question in this thesis is what the role of Christianity was in the transition from the Roman into the Merovingian period in Cologne and Maastricht. The hypothesis is that the...Show moreThe central question in this thesis is what the role of Christianity was in the transition from the Roman into the Merovingian period in Cologne and Maastricht. The hypothesis is that the Merovingian elite used Christianity as a way to legitimize their power. In a city as Cologne there is much more evidence available, but even in the small castellum Maastricht, there is evidence to support this theory. Christianity played a significant role in the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in both Maastricht and Cologne. Christianity became a significant sign of continuity.Show less
This thesis looks at the use of the Roman imperial alimenta which was established by the emperor Trajan at the turn of the second century AD. The alimenta sought to provide subsistence in the form...Show moreThis thesis looks at the use of the Roman imperial alimenta which was established by the emperor Trajan at the turn of the second century AD. The alimenta sought to provide subsistence in the form of small cash payments to aid parents in providing for their children. While such schemes had existed for some time in the form of private endowments, one must wonder why Trajan should choose to establish a much larger system stretching across Italy. The scale of such an undertaking had never been performed exclusively for children in the past and one must wonder how their place and role in society had changed by this time to make their investment worthwhile. As such this thesis looks at the demographic, economic and symbolic value's to be found in children and the value of such investment to the stability of Trajan's rule.Show less
