This thesis discusses the differences in the descriptions of and the attitudes towards female courage in the literature of the Classical period. Male authors of this period wrote extensively of the martial and virtuous courage of men, andreíā, yet in some instances labelled courage instead as tólma or thrásos. Tólma and thrásos are even more commonly used in descriptions of female courage, audacity or rashness. How these three words could be used in relation to men and women is discussed, and the fundamental belief of the Classical period that women were not capable of courage is encountered. As courage was outside the nature, phúsis, of a woman, her actions were always more likely to be viewed as tólma or thrásos. To what extent the literature of the period can reflect the lived experience of the ancient Athenian is unknown. However, it is concluded that literary works both impact and are impacted by social and cultural values, such as the view that women should not or could not be courageous.

The focus of this thesis is Roman bird-shaped glass vessels from the 1 st and 2 nd centuries AD. The vessels were containers for cosmetics and distinguished themselves from other types of unguentaria in that once they had been filled with cosmetic powder, the vessels were reheated and sealed shut by fire. The only way to extract the content was to break the tip of the bird’s tail; only then could the powder be sprinkled out. While ancient glass is a well-established field of research, studies concerning bird-shaped vessels are scarce. The present study, situated in Roman age Greece, is concerned with the sensory experiences that these objects evoked in their users and attempts to reflect the ancient lived experience of the vessels. In order to speculate on possible sensory stimuli, contextual aspects concerning where, why, and by whom these vessels were used are explored. Based on these contextual aspects, the bird-shaped vessels are studied in hypothetical scenarios where potential multisensory experiences are explored.

No description available.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the meaning of instances of classical reception and uses of Antiquity within student clubs and societies at Stockholm University. The analysis is structured around a variety of factors, concerning the names and symbols of local student associations, as well as their social events and theatrical projects. There are notable differences to be found between societies targeting Classics students and those aimed at other student groups. Even though instances of classical reception are present in many different types of student associations, they take on a particular meaning for Classics students, who are more invested in the accuracy of the references than others. The theoretical framework of Swedish scholar Peter Aronsson is used to explain these differences. Furthermore, the study indicates that all student organisations are somewhat dependent on the classical tradition existent within academia.

This thesis discusses the differences in the descriptions of and the attitudes towards female courage in the literature of the Classical period. Male authors of this period wrote extensively of the martial and virtuous courage of men, andreíā, yet in some instances instead labelled courage as tólma or thrásos. Tólma and thrásos are even more commonly used in descriptions of female courage, audacity or rashness. How these three words could be used in relation to men and women is discussed, and the fundamental belief of the Classical period that women were not capable of courage is encountered. As courage was outside the nature, phúsis, of a woman, her actions were always more likely to be viewed as tólma or thrásos. To what extent the literature of the period can reflect the lived experience of the ancient Athenian is unknown. However, it is concluded that literary works both impact and are impacted by social and cultural values, such as the view that women should not or could not be courageous.

Medea is, even though a mythological woman from ancient Greece, very popular today and her story feels modern, which many recent adaptations clearly prove. How can this ancient material be so applicable and thought-provoking to discuss today? This study shows how different translators and authors have interpreted and re-imagined Medea to make her feel relevant to their contemporary societies. Focus is put on Medea’s roles as a woman and a foreigner, because these aspects are especially relevant today. The following research compares three Swedish translations of Euripides Medea from 1860, 1931 and 2012 with each other and analyses three modern adaptations (a movie by Lars von Trier, a novel by Christa Wolf and a play by Viktor Tjerneld) to reveal similarities and differences in the reception of the ancient material. This is achieved by a close reading and analysis of the source material with a theoretical approach that focusses on classical reception and drama theory. The results show that the different translations only differ in nuanced details because all of them try to stay as true as possible to the ancient Greek original. Only the prefaces and character lists written by the translators reveal significant differences in the values that they express and that are signs of their contemporary societies. The modern adaptations offer more possibilities for changing the original depending on which aspects are important during the time of publication. The results show that Medea’s role as an independent woman is important today, but also that her role as a foreigner becomes even more significant as the debates about refugees are getting more evident in our society.

This study aims to examine the historical accuracy and historical usage in Ubisofts video-game Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The study also examines the game’s potential to be used in teaching history in the upper secondary schools. The tools of the analysis are based on four different categorization models to analyze historical games and their didactic abilities. I have made some modifications to the different models, mainly because of the time-limit of this study. Furthermore, I have presented a crucial and relevant selection of previous research in the field of historical computer games, along with a summarizing description of the game-series Assassin’s Creed. The results from this study shows that the game is heavily influenced by history, and the historical accuracy can be noticed throughout the game. However, the game mixes the historical accuracy with fictional and fantastic elements in order to make the story and narrative of the game more intriguing and playable. The potential of the game in the upper secondary school is found to be problematic, mainly because of the time-limit and economical aspects. Nevertheless, the historical content of the game can easily be connected to the national curriculum, which means that the potential of making use of the game in the classroom should not be entirely dismissed.

Amber has been a recurring luxury around the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years in various cultures. This study treats the first two centuries AD in the Roman Empire. The early centuries of the Empire saw a brief period of relative calm in which Baltic amber became a fashion in Rome. The purpose of this investigation is to explain how and why amber journeyed from the northern oceans of Germania into Rome, and how it expressed itself in the Empire. The Amber Road between the Baltic Sea and Rome is well trodden by modern researchers, but very little has been written about why amber arrived in various contexts. The questions are on the topics of the amber’s origin, how it was consumed and by whom. Throughout the study, the agency of amber is considered in order to approach the source material from a new angle. The first chapter investigates what effect the geographical origin and trade had on the agency of amber. The first part of the second chapter discusses amber in material culture as well as examples of amber items in ancient texts. The second part of the second chapter analyses perfume vessels made from amber. The last chapter is on the topic of amber as a luxury. The discussion and conclusion argues that rich women were major consumers of amber in Rome.

Between 1961 and 1963 a large terraced Etruscan building on the southside of the Acropolis at the archaeological site of San Giovenale in Italy was excavated. The building, named House K, remained largely unpublished and unstudied throughout the years, leaving our picture of the ancient settlement at San Giovenale incomplete. This thesis aims to get a better understanding of the Etruscan architecture, settlement, culture, and society at San Giovenale, by doing an architectural analysis of the building of House K, using unpublished field journals, drawings, and photographs. By comparing the architecture of House K and any structural elements immediately connected with the building, to other structures at San Giovenale, as well as other Etruscan sites, this thesis set out to learn: what kind of structure House K is; what function it had; what its relative dating is; what role it played in the settlement at San Giovenale; and what it can tell us regarding the society and culture at San Giovenale. Using environment-behaviour relations and building archaeology, the study first examined the structural elements of House K, before comparing House K to other structures at San Giovenale built 700–400 BCE. Thereafter, the study looked at parallels outside of San Giovenale, looking at the sites of Acquarossa, Luni sul Mignone, Poggio Civitate, Cerveteri, Pyrgi, Montetosto, Vulci, and Narce. Finally, a discussion was had regarding the character and function of House K, whether it was public, private, sacred, or profane. In the course of the study, an architectural chronology of San Giovenale was established, which dated the construction date of House K to between c. 565 BCE and the late 6th century BCE. The interpretation of the function of House K that seems most probable is that it was a monumental building complex of administrative, political and/or religious significance, which probably also acted as a residence for the ruling elite at San Giovenale – in other words: a palazzo. House K being a palazzo would mean that there was a centralised authority at San Giovenale, suggesting that there was some sort of ruler or leader at the top of the social hierarchy, splitting the social division at San Giovenale further than it was previously believed to have been.

The aim of this study is to examine and analyse how the Alexandrian prefect Orestes of late antiquity and his management of the events of 414-415 were depicted in the ancient sources: Socrates Scholasticus, John of Nikiu and Damascius. By applying S. Brownes rhetoric analysis to remove the authors “filters” in their depiction and then applying French & Ravens bases of power to analyse how prefect Orestes power were depicted. Th analyses also applies the bases of power on bishop Cyril and philosopher Hypatia as the study found it difficult to analyses the prefect without them. The result of the analysis and discussion mainly found that the depiction of the prefect Orestes is affected by the rhetoric “filterers” of the three ancient authors. The study also found that the depiction of prefect Orestes and how he managed the events between 414-415 is always dependent on the office of prefectures authority and power. This what French & Raven call legitimate power. Prefect Orestes actions were based on the office of prefecture authority and power, in accordance to the social structure and cultural rules. He was always depicted as the prefect not the person Orestes.