Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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This thesis explores the way women in selected Euripidean tragedies engage with verbal communication and proposes that this female verbal repertoire can serve as a foundation for a feminist...Show moreThis thesis explores the way women in selected Euripidean tragedies engage with verbal communication and proposes that this female verbal repertoire can serve as a foundation for a feminist interpretation of the respective plays. Female interaction with verbal communication can be separated into three distinct categories: a) silence, b) song, and c) speech. Following this categorization, this thesis firstly delves into specific verses from Medea (259-268) and Hippolytus (710-723, 800-805) to indicate that female tragic silence entails a skillful manipulation of speech. Secondly, verses from Medea (410-430) and two fragments from Hypsipyle (752h 3-9, 759a 80-89) are examined to demonstrate how female tragic song can function as a lyrical form of feminine language. Thirdly, Pasiphae’s apologia (472e 4-12, 34-41) in the Cretans is analyzed to pinpoint how female tragic speech can be rhetorically constructed, serving as a springboard for self-exculpation and female empowerment. Drawing from French feminism and American post-structuralist feminism, this study orchestrates a dialogue between the Euripidean corpus and (post) modern feminist theory and indicates how a reader-oriented approach to the ancient texts can both honor a historically grounded reception of tragedy and suggest how modern audiences can imbue classical tragic texts with fresh meaning.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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What does it mean to be a good person? How should one behave? What is our soul like? How is it structured? And how does our soul affect our behaviour? These are questions that have occupied us...Show moreWhat does it mean to be a good person? How should one behave? What is our soul like? How is it structured? And how does our soul affect our behaviour? These are questions that have occupied us since the dawn of time. This thesis explores the ways in which Middle Platonist thinkers of the second century AD in particular approach such questions of good moral behaviour. As it turns out, these thinkers tend to focus on the human soul and its constitution in order to tackle moral conundrums. Therefore, the research question this thesis aims to answer is as follows: how do the Middle Platonists of the second century AD use the structure of the human soul in order to enforce practical ethics? By examining the works of Maximus of Tyre, Alcinous, and Galen – authors active in different genres within the Middle Platonic philosophical movement – through the lenses of both ancient psychology as well as ancient moral psychology, this thesis aims to advocate for the presence of a methodology of psychological morality in Middle Platonism: the structure of the human soul is noticeably being used in order to enforce ideal behaviour.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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In this thesis I analyze the reciprocal relationship between the farmer and the land, presented by Xenophon in his Socratic dialogue the Oeconomicus. I approach the text with an ecocritical...Show moreIn this thesis I analyze the reciprocal relationship between the farmer and the land, presented by Xenophon in his Socratic dialogue the Oeconomicus. I approach the text with an ecocritical perspective to shed new light on how Xenophon envisions and conceptualizes the natural world and the position of humankind within the natural world.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2024-03-02T00:00:00Z
This thesis tries to review the traditional categories of 'pagan' and 'Christian' in late antique Roman literature by studying the literary afterlife of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus. Symmachus is a...Show moreThis thesis tries to review the traditional categories of 'pagan' and 'Christian' in late antique Roman literature by studying the literary afterlife of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus. Symmachus is a figure that plays a prominent role in the invention of 'paganism' in late antique Christian apologetics. Through the lens of Ambrose's apologetic letters and Prudentius' epic poem 'Contra Symmachum', Symmachus has often been branded a 'prototypical pagan', even though his own works (especially Relatio 3) and Macrobius' near-contemporary 'Saturnalia' show very different pictures of the Roman senator. The case of the reception of Symmachus and the invention of 'paganism' in late antique literature highlight the biases of our reference system to interpret late antique literature.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
2023-12-30T00:00:00Z
This thesis examines the model that Clement proposes for dealing with wealth by placing it in the context of the intellectual milieu of his time. In order to do this, Clement’s text, the Quis Dives...Show moreThis thesis examines the model that Clement proposes for dealing with wealth by placing it in the context of the intellectual milieu of his time. In order to do this, Clement’s text, the Quis Dives Salvetur, will form the focus of the research. An analysis of the text will identify the problem Clement tries to address and the solution he proposes. His argument contains many elements reminiscent of other philosophical or religious traditions that must have been part of Clement’s intellectual repertoire. They were part of a language shared between members of the cultural elite, but Clement also consciously uses them to show a contrast or common ground with Christianity. Identifying some of these elements will uncover new depths in Clement’s message in the QDS.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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Catullus’s poetry is known for its freshness, for its potent mixture of sensuality, crude language and erudition, for its fast-and-loose playing with rules and norms both sexual and poetic. But how...Show moreCatullus’s poetry is known for its freshness, for its potent mixture of sensuality, crude language and erudition, for its fast-and-loose playing with rules and norms both sexual and poetic. But how ‘antinormative’ is Catullus really? How much of his play with ancient norms can a modern reader understand? And can modern creative translation serve as an analytical tool to interpret Catullus’s poetry? With Wiegman and Wilson’s (2015) approach to antinormativity in the field of queer studies as guide, this thesis looks at the norm as not just a static limit, but rather as a dynamic average that generates potential for change. Thus, the first chapter examines the presence of (anti)normativity, that is a dynamic movement between acceptance and rejection of the poetic and sexual norms of his time, in five of Catullus’s poems through close reading. The second chapter examines the question of creative translation, in the form of Isobel Williams’s oft-praised translation, which according to reviewer Ed Bedford (2021) manages to grasp Catullus’s meaning more astutely than almost any other translation. Williams’s chosen context for her translations, that of shibari, or Japanese rope bondage, provides a unique perspective on Catullus that forces her to make changes that both emphasize and hide nuances in the Latin. A close reading of Williams’s versions of the same five Catullan poems proves that her creative translation does indeed provide opportunities as an analytical tool, in opening our minds to interpretations of Catullus’s poetry we would not have thought of otherwise. So this thesis shows that both Catullus’s writing and Isobel Williams’s mode of translation can be called (anti)normative. Both authors engage in a dynamic movement of both acceptance and rejection, and it is precisely this movement that gives them strength.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Cassius Dio's 'Roman History' contains multiple colorful anecdotes concerning women with significant political power. Dio depicts powerful women in the act of mutilating corpses, cheating on their...Show moreCassius Dio's 'Roman History' contains multiple colorful anecdotes concerning women with significant political power. Dio depicts powerful women in the act of mutilating corpses, cheating on their husbands and pursuing money and power at all cost. The question I set out to answer in this thesis is: how does Dio characterize women close to the seat of Roman power? And, more precisely, what gender stereotypes does he deploy in depicting these women? The women on whom this thesis will focus are Messalina and Agrippina, who were both married to emperor Claudius at one point, as well as Fulvia, the wife of Mark of Antony. The characterization of women in Cassius Dio’s work and the part that gender norms play in Dio’s negative characterization of someone have received little scholarly attention so far. While Cassius Dio’s portrayals of Agrippina and Messalina have been compared to each other, Fulvia has not been compared to either of these women before, although there are grounds for doing so: both Agrippina and Fulvia are accused of defiling the heads of political opponents. Each chapter of this thesis is dedicated to one of these three women. The most important part of each chapter will consist of close readings of passages I have chosen to highlight because they contain Dio’s most preposterous claims about these women. Such close readings can highlight not just how ancient ideas of gender are expressed within a large narrative structure, but also how they are reflected on a small scale, such as the choice of vocabulary. We will see how Cassius Dio incorporates the previous historiographical tradition concerning these women in his own narrative, while also innovating this tradition by exaggerating certain claims and adding elements to his narrative that have no precedent in the extant literary tradition. Fulvia, Messalina and Agrippina are all portrayed as crossing the boundaries of their female gender because they were involved in politics to a degree that was not acceptable for a Roman matron. But whereas Agrippina and Fulvia are explicitly ‘masculinized’ and their political involvement is stressed, Cassius Dio’s Messalina appears as an apolitical woman in the grip of vices that were considered to be typically feminine.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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This thesis examines Strabo’s conception of the relationship between Greek and Roman culture in his description of Magna Graecia, as outlined in chapter 5.4 and book 6 of his Geography. Sub...Show moreThis thesis examines Strabo’s conception of the relationship between Greek and Roman culture in his description of Magna Graecia, as outlined in chapter 5.4 and book 6 of his Geography. Sub-questions that receive attention include: What is Strabo’s attitude towards Roman rule? To what extent does Strabo view one of the two cultures as superior or the foundation of the other culture in the region? How does he characterize the interaction between the cultures? In what ways does he convey these views?Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2024-06-30T00:00:00Z
The Roman Empire of the first and second centuries AD was a multinational society that was characterized by migration and mobility. In this multicultural society, people of many different ethnical...Show moreThe Roman Empire of the first and second centuries AD was a multinational society that was characterized by migration and mobility. In this multicultural society, people of many different ethnical and cultural backgrounds had to find a way to live together and deal with cultural differences. One of these people was the satirist Lucian of Samosata (ca. AD 125-180). Although this Hellenized author lived in and travelled through the Roman Empire, he was Syrian by birth and had enjoyed Greek education. Therefore, he could be considered a migrant author who moved in-between multiple identities. Lucian’s status as a foreigner and migrant appears to have influenced his writings. He frequently stages foreigners who try to find the best way to relate themselves to other cultures and deal with the negative sentiments of host cultures. In this thesis, I argue that Lucian in his works provides different perspectives on such challenges of travelling and migration. Approaching Lucian’s 'Assembly of the Gods', 'On Hired Companions', 'Scythian', and 'Anacharsis' as migrant literature, I use the acculturation theory of Berry (1992; 1997) to analyse how Lucian in these works reflects on cultural interaction in the Roman Empire of his own time. In the first chapter, I argue that Lucian’s 'Assembly of the Gods' can be read as a parody of Roman criticism of (Greek) foreigners, and I discuss how Lucian uses this parody to plea for cultural tolerance and prevent cultural segregation. In the second chapter, I argue that Lucian in his 'On Hired Companions' uses two different perspectives on the interaction between Greeks and Romans to advocate for cultural separation and to discourage Greek attempts to integrate into Roman households. In the last chapter, I argue that Lucian in his 'Scythian' and 'Anacharsis' provides three different examples of acculturation and presents his own autonomous integration as the most desirable acculturation strategy. In this chapter, I also explain how Lucian’s various perspectives on integration and separation can be reconciled, arguing that the four works together guide both foreigners and host cultures in the creation of a culturally tolerant society.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis focuses on the philosophical meaning of literal silence in the later Platonic tradition (first to sixth century AD). With ‘literal silence’ I mean the phenomenon or act of silence...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the philosophical meaning of literal silence in the later Platonic tradition (first to sixth century AD). With ‘literal silence’ I mean the phenomenon or act of silence itself that is explicitly indicated in a text. As this thesis shows, silence is not a static but a dynamic concept whose meaning is transformed over time. The first chapter treats the silent philosopher trope in the (Neo)Pythagorean tradition and shows that silence was seen as a philosophical virtue and a (better) alternative to language. These types of silence were intentional and immanent, and also often communicative. The second chapter focuses on quietness as a characteristic of the first principle and as an ontological posture in Middle Platonic and Neoplatonic thought. In this philosophical development, silence is no longer immanent to speech but transcends the human capacity for language. In the last chapter, I show how the thoughts on the limits of language impact the dialectical method and the literary form of some Christian Platonic dialogues that stand out for their silent interlocutors. The conclusion reflects on the different instances of silence and shows how their meanings flow into each other while being transformed throughout antiquity with every author.Show less
