News from the Ancient World

Ancient history summer riddle

Which (ancient Greek) formula can be made up from the letters on the muffins from the summer barbecue? The closing date for solutions by postcard or inscription is 31.09.23.

Forum Antiquity III - Farewell to Prof. Dr. Schanbacher

Open to colleagues of the TUD, representatives of Jurisprudence, the Institute of History and - of course - Dresden Classical Studies gathered to attend the last session of the lecture on Roman legal history on July 6, 2023 and thus bid farewell to our esteemed colleague in his productive retirement - not without the declared hope that he and his legal-historical expertise may remain with us in the context of our activities!

Opuscula - new series

At the interface between history and law: the new series Opuscula - Quaderni di Studi Romanistici, founded by Pierangelo Buongiorno at the Università di Macerata. The very first volume brings together weighty contributions on the constitution and political culture of the Roman Republic after Sulla, accessible online here: https: //eum.unimc.it/it/catalogo/813-poteri-pubblici-conflitti-istituzionali-e-cultura-politica-dopo-silla. Further exciting volumes will follow - e sono molto lieto e onorato che Dresda faccia parte del comitato scientifico.

Ancient history on site - Crete

Thanks to the Whitsun vacations, it was finally possible to study some well-known and even more unknown objects in situ on Crete. Ancient history highlights of the so-called Megalonissos were the town charter of Gortyn, the sanctuary of Asklepios in Lissos and the new archaeological museums of Chania and Messara with rich finds from the Minoans, Greeks and Romans. The most important thing, however, remains the understanding of the topography of the settlements on sheltered hills with a good view (and control) over the fertile plains, whether Rhizenia, Eléftherna or Éliros, which can only be experienced on site.And even if the Minotaur himself remained hidden in the labyrinth, the traces of the Minoans were highly impressive - and, together with the beautiful book by Diamantis Panagiotopoulos, a good preparation for the large overview lecture in the coming winter semester, when it will also be about the cultures before the Greeks.

Inaugural lecture: Populism in Antiquity? (May 17, 2023)

After welcoming remarks by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Heike Greschke, and the Managing Director of the Institute of History, Prof. Dr. Andreas Rutz, the topic "Populism in Antiquity?" offered Prof. Dr. Christoph Lundgreen the opportunity to present some of the results of ongoing projects. Prof. Dr. Christoph Lundgreen had the opportunity to present some results from ongoing projects as well as methodological principles for research and teaching in the coming years. At the end of the event with Saxon specialties, there were many discussions in various rounds, on populimus as well as on interdisciplinary cooperation and also on the so-called "Tacitus Trap" from the last issue of the Economist.

Stimulating Academy Days in Berlin (May 11-13, 2023):

Thursday and Friday intensive discussions on ambiguity and ambivalence in medicine, literature and law - as well as the Roman Republic; organized by Erik Schilling & Jakob Lenz as a workshop of the @Jungen Akademie. On Saturday, the Salon Sophie Charlotte with discussions on Immanuel Kant, war of exhaustion and the perspective of the global South on Ukraine in the Leibniz Hall; on lateral thinkers, populists and demogagons; in the Einstein Hall, on the perspectives of neuroscience and philosophy on free will in the AvH room and finally by Jürgen Renn on the new interdisciplinary MPI in Jena on geoanthropology; many thanks to the @BBAW for the successful evening.

Sculpture meets text (May 4, 2023)

Focusing on the Dresden Maenad, presented by Sascha Kansteiner, the audience listened to texts by Callistratos on the original statue of Scopas and by Euripides and Diodorus on Dionysus and his cult - read in Ancient Greek and German by Mario Baumann. A stimulating evening of Dresden Classical Studies and a successful cooperation between the Dresden-concept partners SKD and TUD!

Excursion to Rome (March 25-30, 2023)

After intensive preparation last winter semester, a total of 18 students from the field of Classical Studies went on an excursion to Rome from March 25 to 30. Supported by the TUD's Ancient History and Classical Philology departments and the Italian colleagues Silvia Orlandi and Fabio Guidetti, the program included the Forums, Colosseum and Pantheon as well as the newly opened Domus Aurea of Emperor Nero and the magnificent Museum Centrale Montemartini. In terms of time and themes, the tour covered the period from the Scipion tombs on the Via Appia to the ara pacis of Augustus and the frescoes and mosaics of the numerous churches, from Republican Rome to Christian late antiquity - and the eternal city was explored intensively. Filled with numerous impressions and discussions on site for further research and teaching, the summer semester can now begin!

08.12.2022 Christmas party in the SKD's Collection of Classical Antiquities

To round off the year, the Ancient History team had the great pleasure of attending a guided tour of the SKD's sculpture collection - by none other than the collection's curator, Dr. Sascha Kansteiner. From details of the reconstruction attempts at the Dresden Maenad to the uniquely beautiful presentation of the statues in the Zwinger's Hall of Antiquities, which was specially designed by Gottfried Semper and has just been renovated, it was a highly stimulating evening - thank you very much, Mr. Kansteiner!

07.12.2022 Forum Ancient Smells

On the occasion of the research stay of Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Squillace (Università della Calabria) in Dresden as part of a return fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (link), the Forum Antike of WiSe 23/24 took place under the motto "Smell in Antiquity" - with exciting lectures by experts on the topic as well as smell samples at the end: oranges, incense, bergamot.

30.11.2022 Drawing of the judges with Prof Dr Harter-Uibopuu

May the text of Ath. Pol. 63-69 for the appointment of Athenian courts may be difficult, with the help of a replica cleroterion and other accessories, Prof. Dr. Kaja Harter-Uibopuu guided DAK students and staff safely through the complex procedure and assigned some of us to two courts - thank you very much, dear Kaja!