Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre

Etre autre : le port des masques comme enjeu identitaire Dans la perspective d'offrir aux doctorants romands issus de diverses disciplines une formation post-grade originale, nous proposons un séminaire-bloc composé de deux demi-journées thématiques afin de réinterroger les enjeux liés au port du masque et au déguisement. Lundi 30 octobre.

En Pluto, la última comedia conservada de Aristófanes, los cuerpos ocupan el primer plano: están sustancialmente integrados al desenvolvimiento de la trama. El cuerpo ciego del dios de la riqueza, por ejemplo, es la causa de los males que aquejan a Atenas (los únicos ricos son los perversos) y también la solución del problema (a través de la curación de ese cuerpo enfermo). Este trabajo se propone ahondar en los modos, usos y regulaciones de la representación y aprehensión de los cuerpos en esta comedia, esencialmente en lo que respecta a la amenaza que significan la enfermedad y la vejez en ellos, así como explorar las experiencias sensoriales y afectivas que transitan en la relación con el mundo que los rodea.

The theatre at Kalydon in Aitolia – known only since a few decades – has already attracted a lot of attention due to its square orchestra and rectilinear benches for seating. The Danish-Greek collaborative project responsible for investigating the theatre presents in this two-volume publication results of the excavation and documentation, including all finds such as tile, pottery, metals and coins, made during the excavations. The traditional analysis of the building is supplemented by an archaeoacoustic analysis comparing acoustic advantages and disadvantages between the square and semicircular design.

This review comprehensively identifies and discusses the nature and importance of this book. It notes:
"Throughout, the extent of knowledge on show and the ability to weave together different strands of inquiry is incredibly impressive. The authors move gracefully across the different areas, exploring in detail a huge number of examples, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of Pompeii as they go"
"This is an important book with a rigorous central thesis that is extensively and meticulously explained in a beautifully presented volume with a high number of colour illustrations. It provides a new and sophisticated take on the theatricality of Pompeii, and it will, I suspect, come to be seen as a perfect reflection of early twenty-first century preoccupations with the theatrical and performative in our understanding of life in the ancient world"

Magnetic prospecting is one of the most widely used methods for archaeological prospection in the world. Noise both of natural [main factors are inclined magnetization, complex geological (archaeological) structure of investigated sites, and uneven terrain relief] and artificial origin (different iron-containing targets, electric power lines, etc.) strongly obscure interpretation of observed magnetic anomalies. For quantitative analysis of magnetic anomalies produced by archaeological targets under aforementioned conditions a non-conventional interpreting system has been developed. Methodology of magnetic anomalies interpretation from models of thin bed and horizontal circular cylinder (sphere) in conditions of oblique magnetization, rugged relief and unknown level of the total magnetic field by the use of improved versions of characteristic point and tangents has been earlier suggested. However, many archaeological targets have geometrical form of thick bed, thin horizontal plate and intermediate between these two models. In this paper methodology of magnetic anomalies produced by thick bed models in complex environments is explicitly described. It is shown that quantitative analysis of magnetic anomalies due to intermediate (between the thick bed and thin horizontal plate) targets could be successfully carried out by the use of methodology developed for the thick bed model. In the case of thin horizontal plate with a large horizontal extent, the two measured anomalies may be interpreted as anomalies from thin beds. The interpretation methodology was successfully tested both on typical models and on real archaeological targets with some success.

Magnetic prospecting is the most widely used method for the investigation of archaeological remains in the world. This method is often applied before and during various engineering explorations (e.g., road construction, preparing areas for various types of buildings) and areas of agricultural utilization. Considering an extremely high concentration of archaeological sites of different ages in Israeli territory, prompt geophysical-archaeological assessment of areas allocated for engineering and agricultural utilization is a necessary preliminary component of the design process. However, noise, both of natural and artificial origin, enormously complicates the interpretation of observed magnetic anomalies. The most significant disturbing factors are oblique magnetization (magnetization vector in the Israeli territory is inclined about 45°), complex geological structure (presence of a variety of disturbing bodies) of the investigated site, the influence of rugged topography, as well as influence of modern iron-containing objects. The non-conventional procedures developed by the authors are intended for application in such complicated environments and include eliminating noise from various sources, selection of 'useful' anomalies against the noise background, qualitative and quantitative interpretation of anomalies, and three-dimensional physical-geological modeling. Effective integration of these procedures with other interpretation methods allowed the rapid localization of tens of archaeological remains and their protection from unpremeditated destruction.

Dieser Beitrag untersucht den Theaterbegriff als eine facettenreiche Denkfigur, die Tacitus im Dialogus de oratoribus benutzt, um den Unterschied zwischen den früheren Epochen der römischen Geschichte und der kaiserzeitlichen Alleinherrschaft zu verdeutlichen. Während in der späten Republik und unter Augustus die performative Kraft der Beredsamkeit bzw. der Dichtung mit der emotionalen Wirkung einer theatralischen Aufführung assoziiert werden konnte, wird das Theater in der postaugusteischen Kultur laut dem Dialogus zum Synonym der substanzlosen Nachahmung und somit der absoluten Ohnmacht der Sprache. Dieser Eindruck wird besonders dadurch verstärkt, dass, während sich die Tragödie als die einzige literarische Gattung erweist, die im kaiserzeitlichen Rom noch imstande ist, eine mit der republikanischen Beredsamkeit vergleichbare Wirkung zu

In this article I would like to focus on one research topic: how ancient tragedians manipulated their drama plots (based on Greek mythology) so as to use them for influencing Athenian “international policies.” Those were not any mistakes or airs of nonchalance on the part of the Athenian tragedians; it was just their carefully premeditated strategy of creating persuasive messages to function as pure propaganda. I am chiefly directing my attention to the topic of how the Athenians established their relations with the allies. Meaning the closest neighbours as well as some of those who did not belong in the circle of the Hellenic civilization. I have decided to devote all of my attention to Aeschylus’ and Euripides’ works, as both of them were obvious supporters of the democratic faction. I focused my attention on the texts: Aeschylus: The Suppliants, Oresteia; Euripides: Heracleidae, Andromache, Archelaus,Temenos.

Late Hellenistic-Early Roman Imperial Period red slip wares obtained from Cıngırt Kayası during the 2012-2014 seasons excavations constitute this study’s subject. As in many Hellenistic settlements, it is observed that the black slip pottery gradually gave way to red slip pottery in the Late Hellenistic Period at Cıngırt Kayası. The increasing dominance of the Kingdom of Pontos in the Black Sea Region in the 2nd century BC and the political and military activity under the rule of Mithradates VI, and the establishment of Roman domination in the following period led to the diversification of Cıngırt Kayası ceramic finds and made it possible to follow that historical process through the ceramics unearthed. The vast majority of red slip wares unearthed at Cıngırt Kayası are associated with this period. At Cıngırt Kayası, the vessels that make up the quality tableware were imported from different centers. Wares with simple slip; Rhodian and Knidian wares; Eastern Sigillata A, Eastern Sigillata C, Pergamon Sigillata, and Bosporan Sigillata wares and locally produced wares constitute the red slip tableware of Cıngırt Kayası. Parallel to the increase in Bosporus Sigillata in the Northern Black Sea Region with the Mithradates wars, it is quite remarkable that the density of Bosporus Sigillata at Cıngırt Kayası is also quite high. This is important in terms of constituting the archaeological evidence that the necessary logistics for the defense-oriented military settlement center such as Cıngırt Kayası of the Pontos Kingdom, which struggled with the Romans for Anatolian domination, was carried out through the Northern Black Sea Region. It is understood that this commercial relationship continued throughout the 1st century AD.