This project examines the prevalence of acclamation formulas inscribed on late Roman amulets. It argues that acclamations in amuletic form were believed to have the power to protect due to the powers that people in late antiquity attributed to actual acclamatory performance. Crowds shouted acclamations in public gatherings and liturgical processions for a variety of pragmatic reasons, including voicing dissent against an emperor or in response to natural disasters. Late antique texts also demonstrate that crowds were thought to possess extraordinary, even miraculous, qualities when shouting acclamations. Crowds chanted “Kyrie Eleison” to ward off plagues. Chanting “Holy, Holy, Holy” was believed to invoke angelic presence. This late antique culture of attributing efficacy to acclamatory performance should direct how we interpret the appearance of acclamations on amulets. These amulets illustrate the range of acclamations that constituted a veritable repertoire of efficacious formulas which could be materialized in portable or visual form for protection. Whereas prior scholarship on such acclamations focused primarily on their political and theological meanings, this thesis demonstrates how their functions extended well beyond communication. Inscribing an amulet with a popular chant recalls the memory of these powerful performances and extends that power in material form. This thesis further illustrates that this material efficacy of amulets could be integrated into the built environment when inscribed on monumental building stones or as graffiti in the streets of late antique towns.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/42022 |
| Date | 10 February 2021 |
| Creators | Henry, Andrew Mark |
| Contributors | Frankfurter, David |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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