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M.A. / The present dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part consists of the first three chapters, the theoretical content and the second part, which consists of the fourth and fifth chapters, is the research conducted according the conclusions drawn and the proposals. In the first chapter the compiled thesis deals with the reformation of the nation- state notion. This dissertation sought for the roots of the nation-state notion, which rise from the era of Enlightenment and encountered the particular features typical to their existence. The study then moves on to the formation of the Greek nation state. We witnessed its development and evolution from the ancient years until its creation. Its existence is worth being mentioned only after the emancipation from the Turkish occupation, as well as to the special features such as the language, culture and religion, features that were created during the antiquity. Furthermore, national identity was the main subject, whose infrastructure is the existence of “foreigners”. It is widely known that the individuals who belong to a particular group comply with common values and ideals but they reject elements which are considered to be unfamiliar and of a bad influence. As far as the Greek national identity is concerned, what came to light was that the roots stem from the ancient Greek civilization, which represents the modern Greek and the European civilization. National identity’s major features and functional elements such as education, language and church were revealed at the same time. In addition, the scientific interest was directed towards nationalism and ethnocentrism. The special features suitable for the creation of nationalism and the era in which it appeared were examined. Moreover, the causes and factors, which reformed, shaped and supported it were revealed some of which may be ideology, political parties, mass media, educational system, and the way of thinking to name a few. Finally, it was found that Greek nationalism was formed by the fall of Istanbul and was connected with the “Great Idea”. Therefore, the cultivation of the national ethics can be developed into ethnocentrism. This phenomenon can be interpreted in a different manner in relation with the existing political and historical state and the specific period of time. Later on, ethnocentrism’s existence, it’s originality, it’s creation and the consequences it might have had on the development of the student’s identity. It is cultivated properly when the education takes on a “traditional” role promoted to exemplify the particular national features. As a result, on the one hand the ethnocentrism secures the cultural continuation and homogeneity, but on the other hand it functions as a factor against bringing the students in contact with other people and civilizations. As far as it is concerned, the official state plays an important role providing books and educators who are summoned to materialize the aims of education. The second chapter presents economical, political, social and cultural changes which took place during the 20th century not only worldwide but also within the Greek society. These changes were particularly important and resulted in more and more people coming into contact with more than one civilizations and they were summoned to co-exist harmoniously, peacefully and creatively. This goal can be achieved only under the appropriate circumstances. Education should play this significant role in order to cultivate the ethno-cultural identity, the acceptance and the comprehension of “others” demonstrating them not only through warfare but also through culture. A lot conferences such as { the educational action of UNESCO, The Maastricht treaty) were held on this important issue at which was presented proposal (Green Bible and others). The conclusions of which culminated the A.T.P. and school text material, putting aside as much as possible the ethnocentrism other stereo types and negative conceptions towards “foreigners”. Instead they create suitable teaching circumstances for the understanding and tolerance of the ”foreigners” in order to co-exist peacefully. The third chapter presents the aim of the research ground of this project which has to do with the A.T.P., the school written text books and the concepts of the educators containing national centralized elements. It is known that students are encouraged to come in contact with knowledge, attitudes and values according to the educational policy of each government. The significance of both the school manual and A.T.P. as well as school textbooks, implements of the official state, that helped fulfill the aims, along with the concepts of the educator regarding the cultivation or not of ethnic centrism, were demonstrated. Furthermore, the third chapter continues with a summarized research in bibliography. From this summary culminated that the school manual, curriculum and the school text books from primary and elementary school, even though there were some improvements, remained national centralized and they are not relieved from negative comments and reviews about “foreign” people. Commonly, they present other peoples through battle, warfare and not through their culture and civilization. Moreover, problems and issues which concern all of us are not presented in the depth and coverage they should have been presented within the margin of European and worldwide dimensions in education, a fact which is increasingly discussed in our times. As far as the concept of the educators is concerned, what has risen is that those children, who originated from other nationalities, are more open-minded and tolerant to the presence of ‘foreigners’ and the propagation of ethnocentrism elements from education as well as the acceptance of new reality. Finally, the same chapter features the manuals and A.T.P. in which the research materialized and the appropriate method. The fourth chapter presents the research, which was held in the general Analytic Teaching Programme, and that of the subject lessons (Language, History, Geography, Environmental studies, and Religion) as well as the reverent school textbooks. The conclusions and proposals of the whole research procedure were also presented in the above research. It was noted that the general A.T.P., refers to the cultivation of national identity, respect and acceptance of ‘foreigner’ peoples, point that was regarded as remarkably positive. Perhaps due to the fact that the Analytic Teaching Programme has been written recently, it has taken into consideration new standards in world wide and Greek societies and the new role education has to play in this theme. The cultivation of European consciousness is also mentioned, element which could lead to a one new kind of national centralization known as euro centrism. The research in the subject of History grade 6th showed that the national identity is cultivated since social political, economical and religious life of Greece from the period of Turkish rule up until today, but the references of the current Greek state are scant. Therefore, the ‘foreigners’ presented through war and diplomatic relations, which they had with Greece and there are few cultural references to them. All the above culminate in the historical consciousness and judgment of students not being cultivated. As far as the subjects Greek Language grade 5th and grade 6th classes, it is noted that their foremost goal is Greece and its culture. Apart from the Anthology text book, all the references deal with the past and does not present the image of the current Greek state. Also, there is no reference to minorities, residing permanently in Greece. The references to ‘foreigners’ basically stem from passages which refer to wars between Greece against other peoples and passages of foreign literature are missing. It has to be mentioned that the Anthology text book comes in terms with the requirements of the A.T.P. and differs from that of the Language textbooks. Through the subjects of Geography of grade 5th and grade 6th classes students experience their first acquaintance with natural, and human environment in Greece 5th class and in the whole world, ( 5th class ). However, there is no mention in minorities as well as in groups of people who have emigrated permanently in Greece in the recent years. It is noted is that the European Union and its aims, which are presented fully in the textbook of 5th class. Also, in the same textbook cultural exchanges between Greek and other cultures are mentioned, elements which are missing from the corresponding text book in 6th grade which promote superiority and homogeneity in Greek culture. After their comparison, both books pose the issue of their inspection according to new standards. Hence, through both books the necessity of co-operation and supporting and the right of believing in different religions is promoted. The subject of Environmental studies of grade 4th attempts to acquaint the students with the geographical state of Greece, the ecosystem, the tradition and culture. Therefore, the cultural references deal fundamentally with the ancient Greek civilization. In regards to the ‘foreigners’ and E.U the references are briefly mentioned and the aims of the A.T.P are not fulfilled successfully. Finally, concerning the subject of Religion grade 6th through the research study on it, I came to the conclusion that the textbook is centered on Christianity and there are no references to other religions. As a consequence, only Christian consciousness is developed to the students and not the religious one, which is the aim of the A.T.P. This element does not develop a religious thinking and this aim is necessary for the prorogation of religious fanaticism and the acceptance of differentiation. A brief summary of the findings is presented in the fifth chapter, which was mentioned above through the research that was held in respect to Greece and to the ‘foreigners’ using the A.T.P. and the corresponding school manuals. Proposals on the improvement of school text books, the A.T.P., as well as proposals on the teachers {which has been studied through the summary of the research Bibliography) followed. In this way the new social and economical reality was taken into account as it is formed in the present era which imposes the educational liberation from national centralization and its implementation with European and worldwide standards to cultivate peace, the acceptance of others and the harmonious co-existence among peoples all over the world for their own best interest.

This research project investigates the relationship between pain and the practices of explaining and narrating it to others. Current scholarship argues that the representation of suffering became, during the Imperial period, an increasingly effective and popular strategy for cultivating authority and that this explains the success of Christian culture’s representation of itself as a community of sufferers. One criticism of this approach is that the experience of pain has often been assumed, rather than analysed. Here, I investigate the nature of pain by attending to its intimate relationship with language; pain was connected to the strategies used to communicate that experience to others. I will show that writers throughout the Imperial period were concerned with questions about how to communicate pain and how that act of communication shaped, managed, and alleviated the experience. I investigate this culture along three axes. Part 1, ‘The Sublime Representation of Pain’, investigates the way different authors thought about the capacity of sublime language and rhetorical techniques such as enargeia to effectively communicate pain. I argue that for writers such as Longinus, the sublime offers an opportunity to replicate the traumatic experience of the pain sufferer in the audience or listener—pain is narrated to the audience through a traumatic communicative mode. Contrarily, I show how authors such as Plutarch and Galen were particularly concerned to desublimate the representation of pain, reducing the affective power of images of pain by promoting the audience’s conscious engagement with the text or representational medium. Part 2, ‘Medical Narratives’, examines a conflict between Galen and Aristides over the way language and narrative signified or referred to painful experiences. I show how both writers negotiate the way pain destroys and transcends ordered, structured, narrative by engaging in a process of narrative translation. I will illuminate the difference between scientific, diagnostic narratives which explain and rationalise pain experiences (in the case of Galen) and those which attempt to give witness to the nebulous, ineffable qualities of pain. In Part 3, ‘Narrating Cures’ I investigate ancient practices of psychotherapy. I show how various philosophical consolations were underpinned by an understanding of the power of pain to continually return and overwhelm the individual. I show further that the Greek romances engage in a type of talking cure: the novels use narration and story-telling to help assert the protagonists’ distance from their past traumatic experiences and, thus, allow the individual to overcome their painful past.

Demokratie, verstanden als politische wie ökonomische Teilhabe größerer Teile der Bevölkerung und eine Kultur von geregelter Konkurrenz, Innovation und Austausch haben zu einem für die Vormoderne ganz außergewöhnlich hohen Wirtschaftswachstum und damit mittelbar zur bekannten kulturellen Blüte der griechischen Welt geführt. Nicht weniger als dies ist die These des beeindruckenden Buches, das weit über die Alte Geschichte hinaus Interesse wecken und für Debatten sorgen wird – eben gerade, weil nicht die (bekannten) Errungenschaften der Griechen im Mittelpunkt stehen, sondern deren institutionelle Bedingungen. Das lädt zu Anschlussfragen auch in anderen Epochen und sogar für die Gegenwart ein.

In the world in which we are living today many people, especially Christians, wonder why people should talk about homosexuality. For many past years, the Christian Church, especially in East Africa, considered herself more or less immune from many of the challenges, experienced by the rest of the world, particularly the Western world. However, as the church now continues to grow in numbers and expand its territories, these problems start to appear in the church also all over East Africa. Increasingly the consciousness of the society is being raised concerning social-ethical issues such as women's rights, battered children, single parent families, teenage pregnancy, wife beating and of course homosexuality. As a result such issues are widely discussed within the church and outside, sometimes causing a rift within the church. Such has been the case with homosexuality. Recently at a Seventh-day Adventist Church camp meeting in East Africa, a debate in a Bible study on the ethics of homosexuality as perceived by the Seventh-day Adventist Church paved the way for divisions in the church, which has left church members in four categories (groups) namely: culturalist, rejectionist, reinterpretationist and the reaffirmationist. Unfortunately the debate closed without a definite conclusion as to what should be the normative basis for the theological ethical evaluation of homosexuality by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in East Africa. The issue was whether the Bible, culture or both the Bible and culture should be the normative basis and also as to what theological ethical guidance does the Bible provide for the ethical evaluation of homosexuality in the present-day context. The dissertation surveys definitions and causes of sexuality, and traces some of the background from the pre-modem to the postmodern era reflecting on the definitions and causes of homosexuality, and it also traces some of the historical background regarding homosexual practices and views on homosexuality. It also discusses and assesses the Cultural beliefs on homosexuality in East Africa. The study also looks at the Biblical texts that refer to or are thought to refer to homosexuality and "examines" the claims made in much of the "gays" literature with reference to these texts. Other texts used by over-zealous Christians bent on finding condemnation of homosexuality through Scripture. During the East African pre modem era, sexuality, including homosexuality was not publicly discussed. The whole subject was encircled by a halo of secrecy and hedged around by innumerable East African taboos. When this silence is combined with the absence of written documentation on the cultures and histories of many parts of East Africa, the difficulties of accessing traditional understanding of homosexuality and sexuality become immense. One can conclude that it will be a serious mistake for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in East Africa to make East African culture normative in the ethical evaluation of homosexuality since: (i) Oral East African tradition does not really provide any moral view on homosexuality. To read into the silence on homosexuality the moral condemnation of homosexuality is not acceptable. (ii) Homosexual practices, in a ritualized form, are not foreign to East African culture. (iii) The strong condemnation of homosexuality in East Africa is often politically and ideologically inspired. This dissertation advocates the need for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in East Africa to use the Bible alone, Old and New Testament, being the written word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, as the infallible revelation of God's will. The Bible is the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and trustworthy record of God's acts in history and therefore is central in any formulation concerning homosexuality, whether theological or ethical evaluation and therefore should be used as the only normative basis for the ethical evaluation of homosexuality. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

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L’une des questions primordiales dans l’étude de l’Antiquité tardive concerne le passage de l’ancienne religion polythéiste au christianisme. Or, les découvertes archéologiques faites dans la partie orientale du Bassin méditerranéen ont révélé de nombreux pavements chrétiens (ou juifs) tardifs décorés de riches mosaïques polychromes réutilisant des figures issues de la tradition iconographique grecque, parmi lesquelles des personnifications d’éléments cosmologiques. On rencontre ainsi des éléments du temps, comme les quatre Saisons (Tropai) ou les Mois (Ménès), la Terre (Gê) parfois accompagnée de ses Fruits (Karpoi), certains astres comme le Soleil (Hélios), la Lune (Séléné), parfois accompagnés du Zodiaque, l’Élément marin féminin (Thalassa) ou masculin (Okéanos, Abyssos) et les quatre Fleuves du Paradis (Géon, Phison, Tigre et Euphrate). Cette présente thèse se propose d’étudier chacune de ces personnifications, leur iconographie et leur symbolique, en contexte religieux, mais aussi profane, dans une analyse stylistique et comparative. Cette étude a ainsi pour but de mettre en relief la spécificité de cette partie orientale de l’Empire romain, entre le IVe et le VIe siècle, et d’insister sur la pérennité de la culture grecque et de ses traditions iconographiques, malgré un changement de religion officielle. / One of the primordial questions in the study of Late Antiquity concerns the transition from the ancient polytheistic religion to Christianity. The archaeological discoveries that have been made in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin have revealed a number of late Christian (or Jewish) pavements decorated with rich polychrome mosaics that reuse figures stemming from the Greek iconographic tradition, which include personifications of cosmological elements. In this manner elements of time can be encountered, such as the Four Seasons (Tropai) or the Months (Menes), the Earth (Ge) sometimes surrounded by her Fruits (Karpoi), specific celestial bodies such as the Sun (Helios), the Moon (Selene), sometimes accompanied by the Zodiac, the female marine Element (Thalassa) or the male (Okeanos, Abyssos) and the four Rivers of Paradise (Geon, Phison, Tiger and Euphrates). This thesis makes a stylistic and comparative analysis of each of these personifications, their iconography and their symbolism, in a religious context, but also in a secular one. The object of this study is to emphasise the specificity of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire between the Fourth and the Sixth centuries. And also to insist in particular on the longevity of the Greek culture and its iconographic traditions, despite an official change in religion.

In this thesis we explore the period of renewal that Athens experienced during the second century AD. This century saw Athens at the peak of her cultural prominence in the Roman Empire: the city was the centre of the League of the Panhellenion and hosted a vibrant sophistic scene that attracted orators from across the Greek world, developments which were ideologically fuelled by contemporary conceptions of Classical Athens. While this Athenian 'golden age' is a standard feature of scholarship on Greek culture under Rome, my thesis delves further to explore the renewal of the urban and rural landscapes at this time and the relationship between that process and constructions of Athenian identity. We approach the renewal of second-century Athens through four lenses: past and present in the Ilissos area; the rhetoric of the Panhellenion; elite conflict and competition; and the character of the Attic countryside. My central conclusions are as follows: 1. The renewal of Athens was effected chiefly by Hadrian and the Athenian elite and was modelled on an ideal Athenian past, strategically manipulated to suit present purpose; the attractions of the fifth-century golden age for this programme of renewal meant that politically contentious history of radical democracy and aggressive imperialism had to be safely rewritten. 2. Athens and Attica retained their uniquely integrated character in the second century. Rural Attica was the subject of a powerful sacro-idyllic ideology and played a vital role in concepts of Athenian identity, while simultaneously serving as a functional landscape of production and inhabitation. 3. The true socio-economic importance of the Attic countryside as a settled and productive landscape should be investigated without unduly privileging the limited evidence from survey, and by combining all available sources, both literary and documentary, with attention to their content, cultural context and ideological relevance.