Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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This thesis aimed at understanding better pilgrimage in antiquity, through the case study of Aelius Aristides. Through close reading of the Hieroi Logoi, an autobiography written by Aristides, I...Show moreThis thesis aimed at understanding better pilgrimage in antiquity, through the case study of Aelius Aristides. Through close reading of the Hieroi Logoi, an autobiography written by Aristides, I concluded that the initial working definition of pilgrimage should be adapted, which resulted in a new definition: "pilgrimage is travel towards a special place to make contact with the god, in order to give something to the god to get something in return which solves a problem the pilgrim has", furthermore I proposed some ideas for a new typology of pilgrimage, thus trying to understand better pilgrimage in antiquity.Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
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In this thesis social-anthropological theory about pilgrimage is applied to a case of pilgrimage in antiquity, as described in the Hieroi Logoi of Aelius Aristides, a autobiographical series of six...Show moreIn this thesis social-anthropological theory about pilgrimage is applied to a case of pilgrimage in antiquity, as described in the Hieroi Logoi of Aelius Aristides, a autobiographical series of six books. It aims to show how the theory can help understand pilgrimage in antiquity better, in this case from the viewpoint of landscape, movement and narrative. By studying the text through close reading, conclusions were formulated about the influence of the illness on Aristides' pilgrimages and about the usefulness of the theories used.Show less
