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- Convenor:
-
Helena Lopes
(CHAM, NOVA FCSH, UAc)
Send message to Convenor
- Location:
- Multiusos 3, Edifício I&D, Piso 4
- Start time:
- 15 July, 2015 at
Time zone: Europe/Lisbon
- Session slots:
- 4
Short Abstract:
For many people and civilizations, it was «the challenge of the Mediterranean» which pushed them «to a destination from which they could not escape». And «this challenge can also be a gift».
Long Abstract:
The Mediterranean was the great sea of Antiquity. And its waters, symbol of a changing world, allowed many men - Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, etc. - to find and to recognize themselves in their particularities. Later, Rome, which in just three centuries redesigned the world, ensured that the messages of the early times - of Egyptian, Phoenician and Greek spaces - penetrated this world. It added others - law and religion - and thus it was shaped Western civilization, which is Roman and Greek, but it is also African and Oriental, via a river whose waters "drew" the history of the world.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Paper short abstract:
Simultaneously conceived both as a “challenge” and as a “gift”, the Mediterranean Sea was an intriguing reality during Ancient Egypt’s history, an element whose perceptions changed dramatically from the Predynastic times to the Greco-Roman period.
Paper long abstract:
For the Ancient Egyptians, the Mediterranean was a permanent challenge. Unlike the freshwaters of the Nile, the Sea was not regarded as the ultimate source of life but as a possible genesis of tribulation and danger. Nevertheless, the "Great Green", as the people of the "Black Land" called it, presented an opportunity to establish new trading relationships, making it a way of increasing the Nilotic country's wealth. In fact, business and commercial contacts between Egypt and other Mediterranean territories (Anatolia, Crete, Greece, Cyclades…) have been attested since the transition from the Predynastic to the Early Dynastic periods.
This double aspect of the Mediterranean shaped the Ancient Egyptian men and women's political, economical, cultural and religious approaches to that aquatic element, which underwent profound changes in the Greco-Roman period. Moreover, the Mediterranean allowed the Egyptians not only to recognize themselves but also to interact with foreign peoples and cultures. The Mediterranean was thus a real "Sea of Dialogue" and was crucial in the Egyptian identity's building process throughout its history.
The aim of this paper is thus to understand how the Mediterranean was, at the same time, a "challenge" and a "gift" to the Ancient Egyptians.
Paper short abstract:
The Tale of Sinuhe is one of the most important Ancient Egyptian literary works and, among others, can be used as a source for understanding specific values of that society. More than the dealings with Asia, Sinuhe’s flight to Retjenu has an emphasis on the protagonist’s social identity.
Paper long abstract:
The Tale of Sinuhe is most of all an Egyptian tale, written by Egyptians and directed to an Egyptian audience. During Sinuhe's flight the reader is exposed to different lands, peoples and costumes. These characterizations of the foreign lands, some of them identified in literary and non-literary sources, should not be taken as a source to understand socio-cultural relationships in Asia, but as a metaphorical literary device to show the transformation of the main character in an outlander, in a foreign land.
The tale shows the transgression of Egyptian values, however, as it develops, the notion of native affiliation is reinforced, as well as its emphasis on the protagonist's social identity. What it reveals is the individual confronted by himself. Despite all the estrangement that "a Delta man seeing himself in Elephantine" could feel, any Egyptian reader would identify himself with the protagonist, recognizing him as an equal.
The aim of this paper is to analyse The Tale of Sinuhe as a cultural text, exploring both its normative and formative sphere. It as well aims to explore the role of cultural memory as the connection between the individual and its community in the development of social identity, during the Middle Kingdom.
Paper short abstract:
At the entrance of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple two of the largest statues ever built in pharaonic Egypt were erected. Although the cultic building has perished shortly after the pharaoh’s death, the imposing statues kept firm in their place and, centuries later, became a place of pilgrimage.
Paper long abstract:
Built during a reign known for its attention to the Arts, the colossal statues known as Memnon Colossi were part of Amenhotep III's mortuary temple. However, these sculptures gained popularity centuries later, in the Roman Epoch, receiving visitors from various points of the Ancient World.
Amenhotep III's mortuary temple disappeared shortly after his reign. On the one hand, the building was partly destroyed by an earthquake in the thirteenth century B.C., and on the other, what remained of it was used by the pharaohs of the nineteenth dynasty to build their own mortuary temples.
In this paper we wish to demonstrate how a symbol - in this case, a statue representing a king of the eighteenth dynasty - can be "usurped" and reused later in time. The appropriation of one of the statues occurred in the Roman Period after another earthquake made alterations to its structure, causing it to produce sound. The noises that came out of the sculpture were perceived as a manifestation of the divine and eventually it was associated with Memnon, a roman hero that died in Troy. Thus the name by which we still call the colossal statues today.
The statues that once had the magical function of protecting the pharaoh's temple were by the time of the Romans a pilgrimage site, where people came to witness the mystical phenomenon and engrave a sign of their presence on the statue itself, attesting their communication with the divine.
Paper short abstract:
Artifacts with similarities to the Egyptian cylindrical pendants and the oracular amuletic decree cases were found in several Mediterranean regions, suggesting that there was a diffusion of these two kinds of objects.
Paper long abstract:
Ancient Egyptians developed a diversified set of magical mechanisms for child protection. Among amulets, we can emphasize two kinds of objects which have some physical similarities and that were to be used suspending with a string in the neck: the cylindrical pendants and the oracular amuletic decree cases. The former had a cylindrical shape, although its exterior decoration could differ. Some were hollow and could contain inside amulets, garnets, and possibly papyrus. The latter consisted in small papyrus rolls which contained divine promises of protection towards several perils, which were kept inside cylindrical cases.
The aim of our communication is to make a comparison with artifacts found in Mediterranean regions which contain Egyptian motifs. Thus, we intend to perceive if there was a diffusion of Egyptian models among Mediterranean civilizations.
Paper short abstract:
The Mediterranean was always perceived as a challenge by the Mesopotamian kings. Sometimes it was the last border, other times it was only a distant aspiration. Thus, how was it seen by Middle-Assyrian kings, who led an inland empire, but who were drawn to its shores?
Paper long abstract:
At least since Akkadian period the Mesopotamian rulers were drawn to the Mediterranean, the "upper sea". It was the final frontier whose control allowed kings to repeat the mythical deeds of Sargon of Akkad (c. 2340 BC), who accomplished the first unification of Mesopotamia.
During the second half of 2nd millennium BC, after gaining control of the Upper Tigris and Euphrates Assyria paid attention to its old southern enemy, Babylonia. However, the Mediterranean was still on its horizon, both symbolic and strategically. At same time, New Kingdom of Egypt and Hatti were battling for the dominance of the oriental Mediterranean coast.
Facing these two major powers, Tukulti-Ninurta I (1243-1207 BC) addressed the Mediterranean issue in a more subtle form, by trying to strength the ties with Ugarit and other Syrian cities. A century later, Tiglath-Pileser I (1114-1076 BBC) was favored by the fall of Hatti and the Egyptian retraction, which allowed a more direct approach. Phoenicians cities were conquered and the king promenaded through the Mediterranean sea. Soon after his death the Assyria kingdom entered a fast decline bestowing the "Upper sea" to its unreachable character, which lasted until the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
By analyzing royal inscriptions and other written sources we aim to identify the ways Middle-Assyrian kings acted upon the Mediterranean and its symbolic value, promoting a discussion about possible similarities with other Near-Eastern rulers.
Paper short abstract:
Different religious traditions took part on the genesis of monotheistic thought in ancient Mediterranean world. The exaltation of Ištar is a perfect case-study to (re)take the discussion on the many aspects and contributions that the encounter between ancient civilizations brought to this matter.
Paper long abstract:
The Judeo-Christian worldview is considered one of the most emblematic of the multiple roots for Western Civilization. It was born on the oriental Mediterranean coast, a place where different people from all over the Ancient Middle East met and exchanged on many levels. On what concerns religious thought, we can claim that these groups share a somewhat similar metaphysical horizon: the cosmos was created and commanded by the numen, which was, therefore, present in every single life form, object, act, word.
The numen was understood in different forms and by different names depending on the context, but a common trait can be identified: the polytheistic framework. However, during the 1st millennium BC something changed: the belief in a single deity arose, leading to a cultural revolution in religious behavior and thought. But was this a complete and radical novelty? Certainly not. We can trace a trend in the West Semitic and Mesopotamian communities, as well as in Egypt, throughout the 2nd millennium BC, characterized by the exaltation of the chief god (Marduk, Aššur, Amon). These different but similar religious experiences left their print on the minds of those who "created" monotheism.
With this paper we will present another stream: the cult of Ištar, a goddess who sustained a ruling position on Mesopotamian pantheon, throughout time and space. More than revisiting Max Müller pathway on henotheistic role for the formation of Judeo-Christian monotheism, we aim to contribute to the scientific discussion concerning the religious interchange and dialogue in the Mediterranean.
Paper short abstract:
Prophecy reflects the way the semitic world in the Ancient Near East thought about political and religious order and the way gods communicated with the king. Prophetic texts consisted on a literary record of history and of interference of gods on political order.
Paper long abstract:
Prophecy is a phenomenon which is characteristic of Semitic religions in the ancient Near East, namely of Mesopotamia and Biblical Israel, reflecting a certain concept of divinity and its relationship and communication with man. We will study prophecy as an important part of these pre-classic religions, analysing its convergences and its specificities. The prophetic text is another dimension of the phenomenon. The literary dimension of oracle will have an important impact on prophetic literature production, a significant part of corpus and of theological structure of the so-called monotheistic religions.
Prophetism is an important feature concerning religions from ancient semitic world expressing man's anxiety toward his fate. Similarities between biblical prophecy and mesopotamian prophecies (Mari and Assyria) are obvious and we may consider a general phenomenon with common features. It is mainly communication between god and man and we must differenciate the oracle from the text with its teological characteristics and developments.
But prophecy is also a phenomenon that reflects an ideology and political thought. We are going to analyse the religious and political and ideological perspectives of prophecy in the ancient Near East.
Paper short abstract:
Laelius De Amiticia was written by Cicero in the 1st century B.C. This small book about friendship has been the fount of many authors throughout the centuries. In the 16th century the Portuguese André Rodrigues Eborense and the Italian Matheus Ricci were also inspired by this Roman work.
Paper long abstract:
In 44 B. C. Cicero wrote Laelius De Amicitia. Since Roman times and throughout the centuries, this little work about friendship has inspired many authors in different perspectives, either as a whole or divided in small sentences, called sententiae, which could be organized in anthologies on the theme of friendship. In the 16th century the Portuguese André Rodrigues Eborense (1498-1573) prepared two anthologies of sententiae and, among other classical works, he used Laelius De Amicitia for the theme of friendship. These two Portuguese works would be the fount of inspiration for Matheus Ricci, S. J. (1552-1610), to write his book On friendship in Chinese, as a gift to the Chinese Prince Jian'an, Qian Zhai.
In this paper we aim to study the common sententiae used first by Cicero and used later by André Rodrigues Eborense and Matheus Ricci, S. J., in different times and in different social contexts as one of the highest human and universal values between two human beings.
Paper short abstract:
Aiming the preservation of “pure Greek culture” in a supposedly “degenerated environment”, the Roman administration of Egypt imposed a series of rules to establish a cultural purge. The Gnomon of Idios Logos was in charge of the supervision and punishment of any transgressions.
Paper long abstract:
After the Roman conquest of Egypt by Octavian Augustus, the country underwent a radical social reformulation. Aiming the preservation of "pure Greek culture" in a supposedly "degenerated environment", the Roman administration of Egypt imposed a series of rules to establish some sort of cultural purge. The Gnomon of Idios Logos (Office of Special Issues) was in charge of the supervision and administrative punishment of any transgressions.
However, how to explain that Roman perception of a Greek-Macedonian cultural degeneration? Why Greeks in Egypt never considered themselves less Greeks under their own eyes? This is a debate on the process of formation of a cultural identity and the way the 'Other' interact with such construction.
Thus, the list of rules for the right behavior dictated by the Gnomon of Idios Logos will be used as key-point to promote a debate on the Roman look over the Hellenistic civilization developed in Egypt.
Paper short abstract:
The goddess Isis is a paradigmatic example of how a deity is reconfigured in response to new and shifting political, social, economic and cultural contexts. Between the centuries IV and I B.C., the worship of Isis reveals how an Egyptian goddess becomes an all-encompassing Mediterranean goddess.
Paper long abstract:
The cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis crosses over all Pharaonic history up to Ptolemaic period, when it became one of the main deities of Alexandria. In the capital of the Ptolemies, the old Osiris-Isis couple of the multimillenary pharaonic tradition gave way to the inseparable duo Sarapis-Isis. Although without a shrine in the temenos of the Serapeum, Isis had several temples in the island of Pharos and in the islet of Lochias.
While maintaining its traditional attributes of nursing mother goddess (Isis Lactans), Isis is the protective deity of navigation and of sailors (Isis Pelagia and Isis Euploia). She was also depicted either in a traditional way or with new imagery with Greek garments (chiton or peplos and himation).
Transcending Nilotic borders and spreading throughout the Mediterranean, the cult of Isis was the subject of multiple processes of assimilation and appropriation. The Mediterranean Isiac diaspora cult points out to a new level of worship: the transformation of an Egyptian goddess, with a local referent, into a universal goddess.
A most important issue in this dialogue between civilization, which the cult of Isis allows, is to better understand how its coexistence in time (several centuries) and space (different regions) has shaped the iconographic and symbolic images as well as ritual codes and mythological imaginaries that highly diversified communities had about the ancient Egyptian goddess.
Furthermore, numerous areotologies or laudatory texts on the Isiac diaspora have allowed us to identify the image that the faithful outside Egypt had of the goddess, its attributes, its functions and its mythological story.
Paper short abstract:
The famous Apuleius' novel is a brilliant Carrefour of Mediterranean cultural exchanges in the 2nd century ad, where Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultural data are artistically mixed, not only to amuse but also to edify the reader's spirituality.
Paper long abstract:
Located in Greece, this Milesian novel accounts, in the first person, the adventures of Lucius, changed in a donkey. Persecuted by the goddess Fortune, he is submitted to several probations till he gets Isis' mercy, the Egyptian goddess, who gives him back the human body. Then Lucius consecrates himself to the Goddess. He will be her priest in Rome, integrating the Postophorus' college and the quinquenal Decurion's group.
Paper short abstract:
Greek novel was a literary genre developed during the Hellenistic age. Though it was a genre created for girls, it shows us how easily people could travel around different regions of the Mediterranean.
Paper long abstract:
By the end of Hellenistic age the Greeks developed a new literary genre: the novel. At least five of these novels arrived to nowadays. These are simple stories, whose main characters are usually a young couple, who fall in love with each other. Yet, a series of circumstances take them apart, travelling around the Hellenistic world, suffering all sorts of adventures, distresses and even harassment until they meet again and live happily for ever.
This genre illustrates, on the one hand, some of the policy of Alexander, when he built his empire: the cultural unity of Greece, Macedonia and the other Hellenistic Kingdoms. But, on the other hand, it illustrates the difference between Classical and Hellenistic Greece. It also constitutes a way of telling the readers about the different habits of people living around the Mediterranean.
This paper intends to show how relevant Greek novel can be as a way to describe Greek life in the Hellenistic age.