Tegenwoordig worden personen die werkzaam zijn in de uitvaartbranche niet raar aangekeken door het werk dat ze uitvoeren. Het uitvoeren van werkzaamheden in de uitvaartbranche wordt gezien als werk...Show moreTegenwoordig worden personen die werkzaam zijn in de uitvaartbranche niet raar aangekeken door het werk dat ze uitvoeren. Het uitvoeren van werkzaamheden in de uitvaartbranche wordt gezien als werk dat nodig is en soms zelfs als het uitvoeren van de laatste wensen van personen. In het antieke Rome bestond dit beeld niet. De personen die werkzaam waren in de uitvaartbranche werden geweerd uit de gemeenschap en als ze de gemeenschap moesten betreden, werden ze verplicht om door middel van kleding en attributen anderen te waarschuwen voor hun komst. In dit onderzoek zal de oorzaak voor deze negatieve houding ten opzichte van uitvaartpersoneel worden vastgesteld. Hiernaast zal ook de sociale hiërarchie van het uitvaartpersoneel worden vastgesteld.Show less
This theses contains the basics of the Roman domestic religion of the first century b.c. and the first century a.d. The paper contains a lot of primairy sources as well as some archeological...Show moreThis theses contains the basics of the Roman domestic religion of the first century b.c. and the first century a.d. The paper contains a lot of primairy sources as well as some archeological evidence from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia.Show less
This paper seeks to give a plausible range of population figures for second century A.D. Antioch in Roman Syria. The first chapter estimates the physical extent of the city and its suburbs. The...Show moreThis paper seeks to give a plausible range of population figures for second century A.D. Antioch in Roman Syria. The first chapter estimates the physical extent of the city and its suburbs. The second chapter studies the size and productivity of Antioch’s territory. On the basis of urbanisation rates, urban and rural population densities and ‘carrying capacity’ various scenarios are sketched to determine more and less likely figures. In the final chapter several ideas are considered towards explaining the population of Antioch and its hinterland.Show less
Does the way in which the state of Israel used its ancient history correspond with archaeological finds? Or were Masada and Bethar used for hero-making...
De mortaliteit in Rome tijdens de vroege keizertijd is onmogelijk kwantitatief in kaart te brengen, vanwege een gebrek aan demografische bronnen uit de oudheid. Aangezien de Romeinse mortaliteit...Show moreDe mortaliteit in Rome tijdens de vroege keizertijd is onmogelijk kwantitatief in kaart te brengen, vanwege een gebrek aan demografische bronnen uit de oudheid. Aangezien de Romeinse mortaliteit echter grotendeels gestructureerd werd door infectieziektes, is het door studie hiervan wél mogelijk om een kwalitatieve analyse te maken. De drie “great killers of antiquity” – malaria, tuberculose en buiktyfus – worden in deze scriptie daarom aan een onderzoek onderworpen. Aan de hand van historische kennis en hypothesen over de situatie in Rome enerzijds en moderne ideeën uit de medische wereld anderzijds, wordt een inschatting gemaakt van de invloed van deze drie ziektes op de Romeinse mortaliteit. Breed geaccepteerde ideeën over infectieziektes in Rome blijken niet voor alle ziektes in gelijke mate op te gaan. De rol van bevolkingsdichtheid, sociaaleconomische status en hygiëne verschilt sterk per besproken infectieziekte. Ook is het niet bij alle ziektes mogelijk om immuniteit te verwerven, waardoor immigranten niet per se in het nadeel waren, zoals soms wel wordt aangenomen. Het mortaliteitsregime in Rome was zeer verschillend van dat van ons; andere ziektes dan nu vormden de belangrijkste doodsoorzaken en de mortaliteit (vooral de kindersterfte) was zeer hoog. De rol van infectieziektes in de Romeinse mortaliteit is meer complex dan algemeen wordt aangenomen.Show less
The study of the relation between acculturation and identity in the Roman world has come a long way in the last couple of decades. The renewed emphasis on exploring discrepant experiences has...Show moreThe study of the relation between acculturation and identity in the Roman world has come a long way in the last couple of decades. The renewed emphasis on exploring discrepant experiences has enabled us to better appreciate the myriad ways in which the empire’s inhabitants where part of a single political continuum, yet each partaking in its ongoing creation on their own terms, adapting elements from their own cultural matrices in the face of imperial realities, duties, possibilities and limits. As a result - although we are somewhat freed from the overly simplistic paradigm of ‘Romanisation’ - studying the formulation of identity in the Roman Empire has become an ever more complex business. One discrepant experience which we are familiar with is the one lived by the author Lucian of Samosata. He was one of the main exponents of the cultural movement known as the Second Sophistic, a period of cultural revival and renewed self-awareness throughout the Greek east - now subjugated but unified by Rome. Like many of his contemporaries, his intimate attachment to Greek culture and its classical heritage did not exclude him from recognizing himself as a loyal and engaged citizen of the empire, enjoying the securities and chances the larger Roman world had to offer. That being said, his The Wisdom of Nigrinus remains one of Lucian’s more obscure works - in more ways than one. At face value, the words of his fictional philosopher could be viewed as those of a dissenter, forming a rousing anti-Roman pamphlet, a philosophical treatise that is potentially legible as a sophist’s rallying cry for Greek resistance against Roman rule and imperial society. However, considering Lucian’s notorious penchant for satire, the authoritative tone of the dialogue’s main voice doesn’t sit well with our expectations of the author. All things considered, the ambiguous Nigrinus dialogue yields important information about the state of the intercultural dialogue between Rome and the Greek east. At the same time, the dialogue stands as a testament to Lucian’s skill in imitating and experimenting with classical formats of literature, tying his reflections on high imperial society to the large repository of images of the classical world, creating a narrative universe in which contemporary satire is injected with a dose of cultural heritage that adds a sense of purpose and history to it. It is the general aim of this essay to map the multiple avenues available to construct a cohesive sense of identity within the Roman Empire in the second century C.E., specifically as they are explored by Lucian. Aside from evaluating the dialogue’s subject-matter, I have sought to dissect the lineage and effect of the form and style which Lucian has used in its composition. To this end, I have drawn from the various theoretical models that have been formulated in an attempt to reinvigorate the recent debate on Roman culture and the conterminous formulation of identity. In the same spirit of eclecticism displayed by influential scholars such as Jane Webster, Greg Woolf and Tim Whitmarsh, I have endeavoured to illuminate how its specific composition reflects its mixed literary heritage, to recognize the significance of the ways Lucian has chosen to comment on imperial culture and society, and in what sense his creative negotiation between cultures in literature reflects the ongoing transformation of imperial Roman culture in his day. In turn, Lucian grants us an opportunity to adjust our newest assumptions, and further refine our perception of Roman history.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
2012-08-31T00:00:00Z
This thesis explores two theoretical approaches of the dynamic interaction between religion and politics. In a case study, examining the sanctuary of Hera Akraia near the modern village of...Show moreThis thesis explores two theoretical approaches of the dynamic interaction between religion and politics. In a case study, examining the sanctuary of Hera Akraia near the modern village of Perachora, these theories are put to the test.Show less
De Grieks-Romeinse droomtraditie waar het in dit stuk over gaat, is slechts een onderdeel van de Grieks-Romeinse cultuur. Net als andere tradities, was de droomtraditie onderhevig aan acculturatie....Show moreDe Grieks-Romeinse droomtraditie waar het in dit stuk over gaat, is slechts een onderdeel van de Grieks-Romeinse cultuur. Net als andere tradities, was de droomtraditie onderhevig aan acculturatie. Waar het dus om gaat is te onderzoeken hoe Grieks-Romeins de beschreven droomtradities wel niet waren. Jaren-, zelfs eeuwenlange contacten binnen de mediterrane wereld vormden de culturen die zich in de oudheid ontwikkelden.Show less
Na de kerstening van Constantijn de Grote in 312 is het christendom de officiele godsdienst van het Romeinse Rijk. De invloed van de christelijke kerk op de wetgeving van de keizers van 312 tot 429...Show moreNa de kerstening van Constantijn de Grote in 312 is het christendom de officiele godsdienst van het Romeinse Rijk. De invloed van de christelijke kerk op de wetgeving van de keizers van 312 tot 429 die de joden betrof wordt onderzocht.Show less
In this thesis I have examined if and how indigenous religion in north-western Europe (specifically Roman Britain and northern Gaul) changed after the Roman colonization. The basis of my research...Show moreIn this thesis I have examined if and how indigenous religion in north-western Europe (specifically Roman Britain and northern Gaul) changed after the Roman colonization. The basis of my research is the idea that agriculture is a very important factor in shaping culture and religion. Ton Derks (1998) has stated that in northern Gaul, the southern territories were much more accepting of Roman religious customs because the agricultural basis of their society, namely arable farming, was the same as that of the Romans. In the north, were stockbreeding was much more important, people were much less accepting of Roman culture and as a consequence religious habits did not change much after the Roman conquest. In other words, the core of people's beliefs remained the same. I have applied this theory to Roman Britain, as the differences between the highland and lowland zones present us with a very similar agricultural division. This research has shown that, while indigenous religion and world views did become more Roman (especially in the areas were arable farming was more important than stockbreeding), native populations also attempted to preserve, or create new local traditions to retain their own identity. Such changes were not always directly related to local forms of agriculture, but areas were arable farming was dominant were far more susceptible to them than the more conservative pastoral zones.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
In this MPhil-thesis the author examines the nature of the later Roman economy by focusing on a papyrological archive from the 4th century A.D. The late antique economy is a combination of a...Show moreIn this MPhil-thesis the author examines the nature of the later Roman economy by focusing on a papyrological archive from the 4th century A.D. The late antique economy is a combination of a monetary economy and a barter economy, which is reflected in the papyrological material. The Roman empire had to adapt itself to rapidly changing circumstances from the 3rd century onwards, the fiscal system from the reign of Diocletian onwards is a perfect example of the way the Romans adapted their economy to the new circumstances. The main focus in this thesis is on an archive of ca. 50 papyri from Oxyrhynchus , Egypt, called the archive of Papnuthis and Dorotheus; two brothers levying taxes in the Oxyrhynchite nome.Show less
