For example : martyrdom and imitation in early Christian texts and art

This volume explores the phenomenon of Christian martyrdom and ideas of “following Christ,” in particular focusing on theological and pragmatic difficulties in the early Christian period. How can martyrs successfully follow Christ without themselves entering into a competition with Christ? What happens when the idea of following Christ so faithfully as to experience martyrdom becomes impossible because of the fundamentally different living situation of the faithful? How are model and imitation shaped in comparison to pagan exempla? Contributions from archaeology, classical philology, ancient history, theology, and art history suggest some answers to these questions, drawing equally on ancient literature and material culture

Phaeacians at the birthday party: A.P. 11.44 (Philodemus) and its epic background

Dans son célèbre poème d’invitation adressé à Pison, Philodème se réfère explicitement à l’épisode phéacien d’Homère, quand il décrit les plaisirs qui attendent son hôte. Par voie de conséquence, la discussion portant sur les allusions épiques du poème de Philodème se sont principalement concentrées sur le copieux banquet à Schérie. Cet article montre que, à côté du modèle phéacien, Philodème évoque aussi le séjour d’Ulysse dans l’humble cabane d’Eumée. L’allusion à ces deux scènes homériques d’hospitalité permet de souligner la combinaison de biens matériels et immatériels qui caractérise le festin à venir de Philodème. L’allusion à Homère souligne également le sous-entendu poétique de l’épigramme en général et, de manière plus spécifique, permet de clarifier la signification très controversée du vers 7.Nel suo celebre carme di invito a Pisone, Filodemo fa esplicito riferimento all’episodio omerico dei Feaci quando descrive i piaceri che attendono i suoi ospiti. La discussione delle allusioni epiche nel carme di Filodemo si è di conseguenza concentrata soprattutto sull’abbondante banchetto a Scheria. Questo articolo intende mostrare che, insieme al modello feace, Filodemo evoca anche il soggiorno di Odisseo nell’umile capanna di Eumeo. L’allusione a due scene omeriche di accoglienza aiuta a mettere in evidenza la combinazione di beni materiali e immateriali che contraddistingue l’imminente festa di Filodemo. L’allusione ad Omero, inoltre, sottolinea le implicazioni poetiche dell’epigramma in generale e, più specificamente, aiuta a chiarificare il dibattuto significato del verso 7.In his famous invitation poem to Piso, Philodemus explicitly refers to the Homeric Phaeacian episode when he describes the pleasures awaiting his guest. As a consequence, the discussion of epic allusions in Philodemus’ poem has mostly focused on the lavish banquet on Scheria. This article argues that along with the Phaeacian model, Philodemus also evokes Odysseus’ stay in Eumaius’ humble hut. The allusion to the two adjacent Homeric hospitality scenes helps to underscore the combination of material and immaterial goods characteristic for Philodemus’ prospective feast. The allusion to Homer also underscores the poetical implication of the epigram in general and, more specifically, helps to clarify the much debated meaning of verse 7

Description of Fear as a Narrative Device in the Historiae Alexandri Magni of Curtius Rufus

Der Beitrag untersucht die Darstellung von Furcht in den Historiae Alexandri Magni des Curtius Rufus anhand der zahlreichen Verschwörungsszenen. Diese sind für eine Analyse besonders geeignet, weil ein wirklicher oder geplanter Hochverrat bei Herrscher und Untergebenen furchtsame Gefühle erzeugen kann und sich somit eine Vielzahl möglicher Perspektiven auf diese Emotion eröffnet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die vom Autor suggerierte Zweiteilung des Werks in eine tendenziell positive und eine tendenziell negative Phase der Alexanderherrschaft auch in der Darstellung von Furcht sichtbar ist und damit bereits bekannte Ordnungsstruk-turen innerhalb des Werks unterstreicht. Diese Zweiteilung ist besonders bei der Darstellung der Furcht von Untergebenen sichtbar, weniger bei Alexander selbst. Dieses Ergebnis bestätigt das auffällige Interesse des Curtius an Nebenfiguren, das in der Forschung noch nicht systematisch untersucht wurde. Die Übernahme der Perspektive von Nebenfiguren bei der Darstellung von Furcht hat Parallelen im politischen und philosophischen Schrifttum der späten Republik und frühen Kaiserzeit

Literarisches Schaffen als imitatio Christi in der Augustinusvita des Possidius

In Christian hagiography, the successful imitatio Christi of a saint – especially if he or she is not a martyr – is frequently demonstrated by miracles. Yet, in the life of Saint Augustin, written by Possidius, miracles are rarely mentioned. Instead, Possidius introduces a new element: Augustine’s literary achievements which have a similar edifying effect as the wonders of other saints and even surpass them as they speak not only to those present, but also to future generations. The substitution of traditional miracles by literary works is surprising since Christ did not leave any writings of his own. For Possidius, the decisive point is the edifying effect of such literary achievements. When he prays to become an imitator et aemulator of Augustine, he ultimately wishes to lend a comparable service to the Christians as his teacher. While Augustine was concerned with the defense and preservation of the faith against heretic groups, Possidius sees his task in defending Augustinus’ legacy in the face of the Vandal invasion of North Africa. The bold idea that he may, in his own way, become a second Augustine is facilitated by the fact that Augustine is portrayed as a new Ambrose in Possidius’ Life

Raumkonzepte und Antikenrezeption in Abdelaziz Ferrahs Roman "Moi, Saint Augustin"

This paper explores the ways in which Abdelaziz Ferrah includes concepts of space (and time) in his novel about the churchfather St. Augustine. In the novel, Augustine is a berber firmly rooted in his local identity. Metaphors taken from the landscape of Africa are frequently used to characterize him and other Africans. While this literary technique is not new (it is also used e.g. by Léopold Sédhar Senghor and has parallels in ancient climate-theories) Ferrah extends it also to the monuments of pre-Roman Africa. Seeing these monuments allows the berbers of the novel to connect deeply with their past and even to fuse past and present. The paper focuses on the particularly striking scene in the city of Dougga, where Ferrah’s Augstin travels to visit the famous Numidian mausoleum. It compares this approach to that of the historical church-father who valued liturgical remembrance over a physical monument, It then shows how Ferrah’s interpretation is relevant for the reappropriation of St. Augustine in the modern Maghreb