Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons^™

The Function Of Mythology And Religion In Ancient Greek Society., Cara Leigh Sailors

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient Greeks are prime subjects of study for those wishing to understand the roles that religion and mythology play in a society and how the two interact with each other. This paper covers what I feel after my study of Greek mythology and religion are the eight functions of mythology: history, education, explanation - both of the natural world and the culture of each society, legality, genesis, what happens after death, and entertainment; as well as the two function of religion: civic and spiritual. In the first chapter, in order to show each of the mythological functions, I summarize …

A Psychological And Philosophical Understanding Of Death: An Analysis Of Platonic And Epicurean Philosophy In Modern America, Alexina Hupp

Honors Bachelor of Arts

The following research intends to discuss various issues surrounding death, first, by examining the study of death through the history of psychology, then through two separate philosophical accounts from Plato and Epicurus. Plato and Epicurus offer a conversation about the universality of death and how death ought to be considered and conceived by a society. This conversation between differing views suggests two varying ideas about how to cope with death; one offers a spiritual approach, wherein the soul is immortal and the other offers a scientific approach that death represents the end of all life, with absolutely no hope of …

The Mythological Perspective Of Modern Media: Cross-Cultural Consciousness And Modern Myths, Rebecca E. Evans

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This piece assesses the cultural implications of modern narratives that incorporate classical mythology, specifically focusing on the hero’s journey. When the similarities of different myths across different cultures are analyzed, it becomes clear that there are modern analogs that incorporate mythic qualities and cultural values. These mythic foundations are analyzed here in popular works like Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Legend of Zelda, where the hero’s journey becomes an almost universal experience that inspires cross-cultural consciousness. The hero’s journey has evolved from a simple literary tool into a cross-cultural touchstone that shapes narratives into familiar works of cultural significance across …

Roman Slavery: A Study Of Roman Society And Its Dependence On Slaves., Andrew Mason Burks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rome's dependence upon slaves has been well established in terms of economics and general society. This paper, however, seeks to demonstrate this dependence, during the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, through detailed examples of slave use in various areas of Roman life. The areas covered include agriculture, industry, domestic life, the state, entertainment, intellectual life, military, religion, and the use of female slaves. A look at manumission demonstrates Rome's growing awareness of this dependence. Through this discussion, it becomes apparent that Roman society existed during this time as it did due to slavery. Rome depended …

Sha’Atnez – The Biblical Prohibition Against Wearing Mixed Wool And Linen Together And The Observance And Enforcement Of The Command In The Orthodox Jewish Communities Today, Orit Shamir

Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD

Jewish law forbids Sha’atnez – wearing mixed wool and linen together was forbidden for the Jewish population. The article will first explain the meaning and acronym of sha’atnez, and then review the sha’atnez textiles which were found in the Land of Israel. The possible reasons for the prohibition of sha’atnez will be presented and remarks on observance and enforcement of the law in Orthodox Jewish communities today will be made according to ethnographic investigation.²

The concept of sha’atnez: Jewish law forbids sha’atnez – wearing garments of mixed wool and linen. This is mentioned twice in the Hebrew Bible: …

Feminine Monstrosity: Medusa Through The Ages, Meredith Kate Wolkom

Senior Projects Spring 2022

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

What Was So Attractive In Artemis/Diana Worship, And What Was The Rationale For Christians Not To Follow Pagan Ideology?, Georg Filippou

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

The last few decades of archaeological research in Ephesus have revealed new insights into the context of Paul’s writings. In the past many commentators have assumed that the Artemis cult was sex-saturated at the time of Paul, and therefore interpreted the biblical texts from that perspective. However, more recent scholarship has suggested the opposite. Mystery religions elevated the status of women. In the creation narrative of Artemis, the woman was born first. In refraining from everything that is part of a marriage, women could reach salvation. It is therefore not surprising that Paul addressed issues connected to women (creation, marriage, …

Aristotle's Account Of The Virtue Of Courage In Nicomachean Ethics Iii.6-9, Howard J. Curzer

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

Aristotle's account of courage exhibits several general principles of his architectonic. First, Aristotle applies to courage what I have called the doctrine of disjoint spheres. (1) Each virtue has its own sphere completely separate from the spheres of all other virtues. Aristotle then goes on to narrow the sphere of courage by insisting correctly that courage governs only situations involving both fear and confidence. Aristotle does not make the mistake of further restricting courage to life-threatening situations. Like his accounts of other virtues, Aristotle's account of courage involves several different parameters. (2) Each virtue is a disposition for getting all …

Gender Dynamics In Classical Athens, William Breitweiser

Honors Theses

To the modern reader, ancient Greece may seem like a highly male dominated culture. The writings that come from this period suggest that men had authority over the women in their lives and that women were subordinate to the men in their lives. However, there were many ways that women could gain a substantial amount of power in ancient Greece. In my thesis, I look particularly at the city of Athens during the classical period and discuss how strict gender inequality was implemented. The first section of my analysis deals with how young men and women were brought up in …

Pliny The Younger & Mt. Vesuvius, Taylor Huxlrey

Classics Ancient Science Fair

Pliny the Younger's letters painted a beautiful picture of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. His letters are thought to have allowed modern volcanoligists to discover information about the eruption and the destruction of Pompeii. This presentation discusses how impactful these letters truly were.