In order to better grasp the influence of Roman infrastructure on adjacent urban areas, some 25 cities near the ancient Via Egnatia in Greece have been studied to compare their political, economic...Show moreIn order to better grasp the influence of Roman infrastructure on adjacent urban areas, some 25 cities near the ancient Via Egnatia in Greece have been studied to compare their political, economic and social status before and after the construction of this Roman highway. With this comparison, the impact a Roman road could have had on cities and their development can be mapped more precisely.Show less
This thesis focusses on the impact of restless souls on the Roman societal equilibrium. It looks into the relation that these percieved restless souls had to the social, ritual and juridical order...Show moreThis thesis focusses on the impact of restless souls on the Roman societal equilibrium. It looks into the relation that these percieved restless souls had to the social, ritual and juridical order and transgressions. This is done within the framework of death, funerals and ghost stories.Show less
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
An in-depth look at political alliances in the late Republic, using Lucius Sergius Catilina as a case study. This thesis rejects the idea of a two-party system or division between so-called...Show moreAn in-depth look at political alliances in the late Republic, using Lucius Sergius Catilina as a case study. This thesis rejects the idea of a two-party system or division between so-called populares and optimates, and rather argues for a system of dynamic and fluid alliances.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
