Other Classics Commons^™

Sexual And Erotic Transgression Through Aesthetic History: A Study Of Algernon Charles Swinburne, Ronny F. Ford

Beyond the Margins: A Journal of Graduate Literary Scholarship

This article examines the relationship between Algernon Charles Swinburne’s poetic writing and history, especially in regards to how he explores sexual transgressions. The article begins with how aestheticism works in tangent with history to further these transgressions within a historical context and especially within the realm of Victorian Christianity. Next, Swinburne’s medieval aesthetics in “The Leper” will be analyzed in regards specifically necrophilia and the taking care of a leper, and how the writing of this poem was both a condemnation of Christianity and an accidental upholding of it. The violent homoeroticism and monstrous femininity of “Anactoria” are also looked …

A Living Faith: Christianity’S Pre-Constantine Survival, Derek Allen Seifert

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Précis

In my thesis, I argue that the beliefs and practices of Christianity helped it to not only coexist with but survive beyond the cults that were prevalent and more established. To demonstrate this, I compare Christianity with said cults. In my first chapter, I examine three mystery cults, looking at the factors that gave them their popularity. In the second chapter, I discuss Christianity. Citing authors such as Tacitus and Pliny, I reveal the ill reception given to Christianity. I then use sources, such as Saint Justin Martyr, Saint Cyprian, and Saint Dionysius, to explain what exactly Christians believed …

On A Defense Of Democracy: How Roman Delatores And Emperors Dismantled Libertas And Established The Principate In The Early Roman Empire, Justin R. Scott

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Precis

My thesis argues that the delatores’ legal and political actions restricted political freedom and cemented a shift in authority from the Roman Senate to the Roman Emperor. This thesis utilizes primary works from Cicero, Dio, Pliny the Younger, Quintilian, Suetonius, and works from Tacitus, that had lived under the times when the delatores held the most power and influence over Rome. I also include secondary scholarship about how historians have understood the impact of the delatores on the Roman political and legal systems, all of which explain who the delatores were and how they impacted Roman society after …

The Galileo Affair In Context: An Investigation Of Influences On The Church During Galileo’S 1633 Trial, Evan W. Lamping

Honors Bachelor of Arts

This paper explores the context of the 1616 trial of Galileo within the history of the geocentric and heliocentric theories of the solar system, as well as some factors that may have initiated this trial or influenced the result. Some of these factors include the criticism of contemporary Reformers, Galileo’s relationship with the Pope, and recently uncovered Vatican documents accusing Galileo of atomism. These last two are found in Pietro Redondi’s book Galileo Eretico, which alleges that Pope Urban VIII spared Galileo by having him investigated for holding heliocentric views, instead of letting him face potential charges of heresy …

The Impact Of Ancient Doctor-Patient Relationship Standards On Modern Bedside Manner, James P. Stebbins

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Precis

An examination of the oaths surrounding the doctor-patient relationships in the healthcare systems of antiquity, as well as those of the early Medieval period and modernity, reveals that the modern concept of bedside manner is one with roots throughout history, and has changed according to the predominant religion of the time. This is done by comparing the oaths taken by physicians across these periods, and examining how they outline the tenets of the relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider. I also provide examples of religious beliefs and how they interact with medical practice to show how bedside …

Experimental Archaeology And Brewing Beer: A Modern Reproduction Of The "Hymn To Ninkasi", Mahayla Roscoe

Honor Scholar Theses

Alcoholic beverages, and beer in particular, have had an extensive impact on human civilization. People have been brewing beer for thousands of years, and some scholars even argue that it was humanity’s thirst for beer rather than a hunger for bread that motivated the domestication of cereal grains ca. 9500-8000 B.C.E. If this argument is to be believed, beer would have acted as a precursor to the Neolithic Revolution and inspired people to develop agrarian economies and abandon their nomadic lifestyle. By the time that the Sumerian civilization in ancient Mesopotamia arose, beer production was a well-known and respected craft. …

Lost In Translation, Presumption, And Interpretation: Adam, Noah, And The Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology Of The Creation And The Flood, Saad D. Abulhab

Publications and Research

The common, biblical believes in an initial, single human creation, and a subsequent survival of a punishing, catastrophic flood were among the key forming pillars of the Near East monotheist religions. The other key pillar was, arguably, the belief in the existence of a one, supreme god and creator. However, neither the two stories of human creation and catastrophic flood, nor the belief in one supreme god, were originally introduced by these monotheist religions. Key inscriptions from ancient Mesopotamia have clearly indicated that various versions of these beliefs were commonplace for thousands of years before. Despite the differences in details, …

The Fatale Monstrum And The Nasty Woman: Public Portrayals Of Cleopatra Vii And Hillary Rodham Clinton, Emma Baker

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

The Pen And The Heart: Studies In Christian Latin Writing Of The Fourth And Fifth Centuries, Rachel Abigail Hodes

Senior Projects Spring 2020

This project explores three autobiographical texts from the fourth and fifth centuries: Augustine’s Confessions, Proba’s Cento, and Paulinus’ Eucharisticon. In a world filled with varying literary traditions, the self-definition of life writing becomes a literary act. While Augustine aligns himself with ascetics and frames his text around scriptural prose, Proba synthesizes a Biblical story into classical form by relying upon Virgilian hexameter, and Paulinus creates a piece that represents the sacramental bread and body through its tension between poetic form and Augustinian Christian message. How does life writing locate itself through its reliance on tradition and imitation, …

The Reliable Revisionist, Caitlyn Schaffer

Philosophy: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The present text explores how the topic of head and heart is much more complicated than one would expect, according to Paul Henne and Walter Sinnot-Armstrong, contributors of Neuroexistentialism. “Does Neuroscience Undermine Morality” aims at figuring out the problem of which moral judgments we can trust, judgments from one’s head (revisionism) or judgments from one’s heart (conservatism). My hypothesis suggests the opposite of the authors, I believe that if you are a revisionist, your first order intuitions are reliable. After setting the framework, I make three main arguments. (A.) If you are able to self-correct then you can identify errors …

Ivan And His Doubles: The Failure Of Intellect In The Brothers Karamazov, Alex Donley

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

The purpose of this research is to explore Dostoevsky’s theodicy in The Brothers Karamazov, including key critical commentary that enhances an understanding of the text. One of the novel’s title characters, Ivan, embodies the emerging spirit of intellectualism and freethinking in nineteenth-century Europe. He confronts the Christian concept of God in two famous speeches. First, Ivan’s “Rebellion” epitomizes the problem of evil by asking why an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God allows earthy atrocities. Second, Ivan’s “Grand Inquisitor” rejects the moral freedom given to men, reasoning that it is too great a burden for mankind to bear. These arguments remain relevant …

The Design And Implementation Of Aida: Ancient Inscription Database And Analytics System, M Parvez Rashid

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

AIDA, the Ancient Inscription Database and Analytic system can be used to translate and analyze ancient Minoan language. The AIDA system currently stores three types of ancient Minoan inscriptions: Linear A, Cretan Hieroglyph and Phaistos Disk inscriptions. In addition, AIDA provides candidate syllabic values and translations of Minoan words and inscriptions into English. The AIDA system allows the users to change these candidate phonetic assignments to the Linear A, Cretan Hieroglyph and Phaistos symbols. Hence the AIDA system provides for various scholars not only a convenient online resource to browse Minoan inscriptions but also provides an analysis tool to explore …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Ancient Roman Gardens, Devlin F. Daley

Honors Theses

My research takes a psychologically influenced approach to the study of archaeological remains to explore the experiential nature of ancient gardens in the Roman domus and villa of the Campania region of southern Italy. I argue that significant factors of spatial and social theory drove the intended experience in space and in the curated environment of the garden. I focus on the architecture of these spaces, such as peristyles and reflecting pools, from which walking paths and movement through space can be reconstructed. I also dive into understanding the remains of horticulture, including different plants and trees that would have …

Cicero And His Exploration Of Frienship, Madison Brown-Moffitt

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons Cicero had for writing on morals and friendships following the Civil Wars between Pompey and Caesar. This exploration uses a great deal of background information, detailing Cicero’s relationships with Pompey and Caesar, before addressing several of his works that address friendship, and finally looking at how his philosophical musings influenced his friendship with a man named Matius. The relationships that Cicero had are the inspiration for his writings, and as such are given appropriate attention before moving on to the works that were inspired by the events in Cicero’s life.

The Iconography Of The Gold And Silver Coinage Of Philip Ii Of Macedon And Alexander The Great, Nisha N. Ramracha

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The history of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great has been tremendously studied through ancient sources and archaeology. One approach has been through numismatics: a comprehensive study of currency in the form of coins and additional media for transactions, trade, payment and otherwise. This form of research gives scholars an economic perspective on the lives and campaigns of these renowned Macedonian Argead kings through statistical calculations in the form of weights, di-axes, ascertaining inauguration dates as well as appraisal of metals such as gold, silver and bronze in ancient economies, and deducing the locations of mints and various …

The Russian Five, Austin M. Doub

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This paper explores Russian culture beginning in the mid nineteenth-century as the leading group of composers and musicians known as the Moguchaya Kuchka, or The Russian Five, sought to influence Russian culture and develop a pure school of Russian music amidst rampant Westernization. Comprised of César Cui, Aleksandr Borodin, Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nikolay Rimksy-Korsakov, this group of inspired musicians, steeped in Russian society, worked to remove outside cultural influences and create a uniquely Russian sound in their compositions. Under the progressive reign of Tsar Peter the Great and the subsequent leadership of Tsar Peter the great, the nation …

“I See” Said The Blind Man; “I Know” Said Oedipus: An Analysis Of Physical And Metaphysical Sight Through Greek Tragedy And Philosophy, Emma Barlow

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Sight in the ancient world is best understood through Greek tragedy and philosophy. There is a certain duality of sight that is present in tragedy – physical and metaphysical. Physical sight is represented through “vision” and “sight” itself. Metaphysical sight is represented through “knowing” and “understanding”. Physical and metaphysical sight do not necessarily need each other, but the combination of the two results in higher wisdom, something that is sought by one of the most prominent figures in Greek tragedy, Oedipus. In fact, Oedipus Tyrannus, Heracles, and Prometheus Bound best exemplify the duality of sight in tragedy. The seers in …

Reevaluating The Nika Riot & Placing It In Conversation With The Antioch Riot Of 387, Ty A. Richer

Honors Bachelor of Arts

The reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, from 527 to 565, despite its many high points and achievements, was a struggle for him and his people. One of his most famous, or infamous, challenges was during the Nika riots. During this time Justinian sees the people of Constantinople attempt to crown a usurper as emperor instead of him. As Justinian convened with his advisors, hiding from the mob in his palace, one question must have rung true in his mind: how did this happen? This presentation answers this question while also giving an overview to the time and the people …

Tales As Old As Time: The Progression Of Classic Story Themes From Fairy Tales To Disney Films, Delaney N. Kunkle

Selected Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the original purpose of the most familiar fairy tales based on the state of society at the time of their conception, including the stories of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen. The thesis will then compare these original themes to the themes of the Disney films they inspired, taking into account the cultural and historical factors that produced the final film. In addition, the thesis will take note of the modern interpretations of both the fairy tales and the films based on the viewpoint of our current society. In …

Comparing Ancient To Modern: How Ancient Greece And Rome Provide Insight For Citizenship And Immigration In The 21st Century, Viktoria Schumacher

Honors Bachelor of Arts

I believe that when searching for solutions to current migration crises and problems with the US immigration system, we must turn to ancient examples. The Ancient Greeks provided examples of both what not to do and what to do when faced with mass migration and a sudden increase in the population of citizens. Additionally, Ancient Rome demonstrated a necessity for a clear definition of citizenship and multiple mechanisms for its extension. The United States has struggled to establish a system which retains exclusivity while still providing assistance in the wake of large groups of displaced people. Ideas from Ancient Greece …