Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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This ethnographic research takes an in-depth look at the identities of refugees (and other border-crossers), refugee communities and politics of belonging. Through the ethnographic method of...Show moreThis ethnographic research takes an in-depth look at the identities of refugees (and other border-crossers), refugee communities and politics of belonging. Through the ethnographic method of narrative approach, it explores the perceptions of refugees on their identity, communities and work and shows how these affect and are affected by politics of belonging. Using ethnographic methods of participant observation and informal interviews in the geographic area of Athens and Piraeus, Greece, I explore contested refugee narratives about refugee identity, refugee communities and work. I use “refugee communities” and “work”, as the main lens through which to discuss what protects, supports or helps them outside and aside of the humanitarian and the asylum system. I discuss the terms of “refugee” and “refugee community”, showing the complex ways people and theory make sense of them. The main argument of my analysis is that, dealing with the so called “refugee crisis”, also means examining our perceptions on the contested narratives around refugee identities and making the choice to “stay close” to people, who already make up part of our societies.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
2023-03-02T00:00:00Z
The response of Greek literature to Roman domination varied through different eras, authors and texts. During the so-called “Second Sophistic”, the renewed interest of the literate Greek elite for...Show moreThe response of Greek literature to Roman domination varied through different eras, authors and texts. During the so-called “Second Sophistic”, the renewed interest of the literate Greek elite for the accomplishments of the classical past led to a renegotiation of the relationship with Rome. The present paper examines the role of Rome in the Panathenaicus of Aelius Aristides. Basing my analysis on the rhetorical device of “figured speech”, I examine the rhetorical function of Rome inside the speech, its relationship with Athens, as well as the emerging stance of Aristides towards Roman rulership. I support that Aristides downsizes the status of Rome to extoll the greatness of Athens, while at the same time giving voice to his general hesitation towards the empire by highlighting the Greek cultural preeminence over the Romans. In this way, I hope to cover the relevant research gap, since scholarship on the relationship of Aristides with Rome is predominantly based on the homonymous oration, while the Panathenaicus has been mostly analyzed on the base of Athenian religious preeminence over the emperor.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
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
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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In what way can the two seemingly different parts of Isocrates’ Panegyricus be regarded as contributing to a specific goal? This is the question that my thesis will address. On the one hand,...Show moreIn what way can the two seemingly different parts of Isocrates’ Panegyricus be regarded as contributing to a specific goal? This is the question that my thesis will address. On the one hand, Isocrates seems to praise Athens and desire Athenian hegemony, while on the other hand the Panegyricus also advocates panhellenism. This thesis will argue that these two seemingly different parts of the speech can be seen as coherent and do in fact contribute to one goal, by researching Isocrates’ use of rhetorical strategies.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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In this thesis I have done research on expressions of ethnic identity in Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. This concept has mostly been researched by means of sociological and...Show moreIn this thesis I have done research on expressions of ethnic identity in Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. This concept has mostly been researched by means of sociological and anthropological studies. However, I utilized coinage as an archaeological proxy to further contribute to its understanding. In the context of these two cities were ethnic proclamations used to conceal true purposes of achieving social, political and economic goals. Identities were effortlessly constructed, discarded, replaced or reactivated in a new form. In Athens ethnic identities were expressed in three phases which ultimately led to a dominant position in the eastern Mediterranean. In Ephesos an Ionian descent was expressed to root their ancestry deep in the history of the Greek mainland for political and military support. The implementation of coinage has shown how deeply embedded the expressed ethnic identities were in the social and political landscape of Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. Furthermore I have suggested an alternative view to symbolism on early Greek coins. In this thesis I have suggested that from the fifth century BC onwards, when coinage trade networks expanded beyond local spheres, message broadcasting became a part of coinage. This study therefore has subsequently made way for a better understanding of early coinage in the Greek world.Show less
This thesis is on Greece in Late Antiquity. There is much attention for Roman Greece, but mostly, this attention goes to the periods of the Late Republic and the Early Empire. The period of Late...Show moreThis thesis is on Greece in Late Antiquity. There is much attention for Roman Greece, but mostly, this attention goes to the periods of the Late Republic and the Early Empire. The period of Late Roman Greece is less discussed. This thesis gives an overview on the historical background of the Late Roman period, it gives an overview of the archeaological data that have been found for all Roman periods in four major Greek cities Argos, Athens, Thessaloniki and Corinth and an overview of the most well-known surveys in Greece. By combining all these information this thesis decribes the situation of Late Roman Greece. What effects had the events in the Late Roman Empire on the people living in the Greek cities? And what on the people living in the countryside? What effects had the situation in the Greek cities on the countryside, and vice versa?Show less
In this thesis the political, social, demographical and geographical relationships between the demes of Attica and the city of Athens are investigated. Because of the size of the polis and the...Show moreIn this thesis the political, social, demographical and geographical relationships between the demes of Attica and the city of Athens are investigated. Because of the size of the polis and the political organization of it Athens was an anomaly in the ancient world. Democracy was first implemented in Attica in 508/7 and therefore Athens played a unique role in history. The large number of settlements, or demes, that together formed the polis of Athens shared political power in the Ecclesia and the Boulé and although this power was never divided among them equally, the system worked for almost two centuries. Many demes housed larger populations than a normal-sized polis outside of Attica did so we must wonder how they were organized and how their size influenced their political power in the polis of Athens. Through archaeological remains and written sources the importance of several unique demes is clarified and the balance of power that existed in democratic Athens is confirmed. Through research we come to find out that very large demes located in the rural or coastal areas could very well have less political power than a much smaller deme within the city-walls of Athens. The reason for this is simple, the Ecclesia, or assembly, was the only legislative power in the polis and the great majority of its members came from the direct vicinity of the city since they were the only ones able to participate in the democratic processes of the polis on a daily basis. The rural and coastal areas of Attica therefore wielded less legislative power despite their superiority in numbers of inhabitants. Through equal representation in the Boulé the demes retained a certain amount of power though so the system, that was implemented by Kleisthenes in 508/7, essentially worked.Show less
