PERSONAL DATAProf. Dr. phil. Sven Günther, M.A.Institute for the History of AncientCivilizationsNortheast Normal University5268 Renmin Street130024 Changchun, Jilin ProvincePeople’s Republic of Chinasveneca@aol.com / svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn* 25. Oktober 1978CAREER SUCCESSsince 09.2015: Full Professor for Classics and Ancient History at IHAC, NENU, Changchun (China)10.2013-09.2015: Akademischer Rat a.t. at the Department of Ancient History of the University of Bielefeld 08.2011-09.2013: Teacher (History / Latin) at the German School Tokyo Yokohama / Head of secondary school ibid. 2012-201308.2010-07.2011: Teacher (History / Latin) at the Anna-Schmidt-Schule, Frankfurt a.M.10.2006-07.2010: Research Associate at the Institute of Ancient History of the University of Mainz 12.2004-07.2006: Teacher (Latin) at Gymnasium Weierhof am Donnersberg, BolandenEDUCATION28.2.2008: Dr. phil. with the dissertation „Vectigalia nervos esse rei publicae – Die indirekten Steuern in der Römischen Kaiserzeit von Augustus bis Diokletian“ and the disputation on 28.2.2008, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz10.1998-03.2003: Magister-study of Ancient History, Middle and New History, Law at the University of Mainz 07.1989-06.1998:Gymnasium Weierhof am Donnersberg, Bolanden IMPORTANT FUNCTIONSsince 04.2017: Vice-director of the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC)since 09.2015: Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC)since 01.2014: Co-editor of the Marburger Beiträge zur Antiken Handels-, Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte (MBAH)
Why was Latin first sung in China? How did a she-wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus end up in ... more Why was Latin first sung in China? How did a she-wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus end up in Changchun, in Northeast China? And what does the Tacitus Trap have to do with Chinese Social Media? In our cross-cultural talk we guide you to the fascinating sides and developments of Western Classics in China and show what the Chinese perspective can contribute to global Classics in the world of today.
Chen Mo has studied German Studies (Germanistik) for her MA at the University of Heidelberg. Besides working as lecturer for German she is writing her PhD thesis on the reception of Classics in China and Germany at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations.
Sven Günther is full professor of Classics at, and vice-director of, the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilization. His research centers on socio-economic history of Greek and Roman times as well as on numismatics and reception history of ancient studies across the globe.
What are we doing at IHAC? Why did I become professor there? And how is Classics being taught, re... more What are we doing at IHAC? Why did I become professor there? And how is Classics being taught, researched, and lived there? An advertisement video produced by the Jilin Province to attract foreign talents.
Gems in Roman law mirror some of the important legal discourses of the Roman imperial period. Alo... more Gems in Roman law mirror some of the important legal discourses of the Roman imperial period. Along the categories “function”, “materiality” and “value” we hope to show that gems were integral part of the social, economic, and sometimes political and moral discourses as well as practices of the Romans, arguably very often and mainly a rather wealthy class of persons who could afford and talk about them. While moral and luxury discourses which we frequently find in literary sources played only a smaller role in the legal considerations it were rather practical issues, for instance related to artisanry, inheritance, and classification, that troubled not only the jurists, and they resulted from the specific functions and material aspects of gems. As high-value and overall distinct objects they prominently appear in legal regulations and thus obviously mattered.
The paper discusses the usage of disease-language in ancient Roman historiography of the Republic... more The paper discusses the usage of disease-language in ancient Roman historiography of the Republic and Early as well as Middle Empire. It aims at showing the respective frameworks and intentions of Roman historiographers in employing terms related to plagues and contagious diseases.
Fiscalità ed epigrafia nel mondo romano Nuove ricerche, 2024
The proceedings of the 2022 Catania conference address questions regarding the Roman fiscal admin... more The proceedings of the 2022 Catania conference address questions regarding the Roman fiscal administration, its actors, and the regulatory, socio-economic, and cultural frameworks as present(ed) in inscriptions all over the Imperium Romanum.
Trade and Seafaring in Antiquity Red Sea – Persian Gulf – Indian Ocean Proceedings of the 1st Muziris Workshop, Trier, 28th May 2021 Edited by Stefan Baumann, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Sebastian Fink, Sven Günther and Patrick Reinard, 2023
Modern Economics and the Ancient World Were the Ancients Rational Actors? Selected Papers from the Online Conference, 29–31 July 2021, 2023
The volume comprises peer-reviewed papers read at the Rational Actors conference that took place ... more The volume comprises peer-reviewed papers read at the Rational Actors conference that took place online from 29–31 July 2021.
Frames and Framing in Antiquity II: Selected Papers from the Second Frames and Framing Conference, 17-19 October 2021, 2023
The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the second conferen... more The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the second conference on “Frames and Framing in Antiquity,” held online from 17 to 19 October 2021 and jointly organized by the two editors, Sven Günther from the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China and Elisabeth Günther, then Classical Archaeology, University of Trier, Germany, now Institute for Classical Archaeology and Byzantine Archaeology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
The subtitle of the conference Frames and Framing in Antiquity II might cause severe
headaches: “sources in contexts – materiality, affordances, entanglements, and
communicative dynamics.” At first, we wonder, are sources not always to be
seen in their contexts? And if so, why would we load the critical assessment of
them with apparently rather trendy concepts which, at first sight, sound more
like buzzwords than useful analytical categories? These considerations lead us to
question what exactly this has to do at all with frames and framing (in antiquity),
which is in fact the main theme of this pioneering conference? The selected papers attempt to answer these questions.
Overall, the frame of paper arrangement makes it clear that we do not intend to utilise
a solely chronological order but also one where different sources and aspects of
them are fully considered. The material remains only provide us with information
about affordances offered to and about the lived experiences of the people in the past when carefully contextualised. Inscriptions (as well as coins, as shown
in this introduction) and the objects carrying them are particularly suitable for
multimodal frame analysis as they interact with spaces and viewers. Literary
sources create frameworks that have to be detected in order to not fall into the
trap of blindly following their narratives, discourses, and judgments. Hence,
sources should never be seen out of their contexts – a basic principle of historical
research – yet the careful consideration of their physical or mental “materiality”
in entanglement with the persons producing, shaping, and per/receiving them
might be the starting point to think further about the communicative dynamics
they embody, (still) mirror and unfold(ed), from the past until today.
OF RABID DOGS, HUNCHBACKED OXEN, AND INFERTILE GOATS IN ANCIENT BABYLONIA: STUDIES PRESENTED TO WU YUHONG ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY, 2021
The complete Festschrift for Wu Yuhong on the sad occasion of the death on 6 February 2023
The I... more The complete Festschrift for Wu Yuhong on the sad occasion of the death on 6 February 2023
The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University, Changchun, is deeply moved to convey the sad news of the passing of its colleague and former director Prof Wu Yuhong on 6 February 2023. As a dedicated researcher and teacher, Yuhong has built and substantially shaped modern Chinese Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies by educating the next two generations of Chinese Assyriologists, with many of them today holding key-positions at institutions for higher education in China. His broad international experience and research network made it possible to build long-lasting connections with renowned institutions, for the advantage of dozens of students, who over the years, have been able to conduct their studies around the world. His excellence in research is reflected in an impressive number of publications, both in Chinese and English, particularly focusing on the Ur III period. As professor at and ultimately as director of IHAC he worked hard that this unique institute, which was the first to offer study programs in Assyriology, Egyptology, and Classics in whole China and every year invites 4–5 international visiting professors to closely work with students and scholars, and its Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) become a point of reference in the fields worldwide. For celebrating his 70th birthday, academic friends and colleagues published a Festschrift in 2021 with appreciations, a list of publications, and 15 contributions, which all till last hoped to deliver in person to him and has been now made available open access on the sad occasion of his death. Letters of condolence may be directed to the institute’s address (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, 130024 Changchun, Jilin Province, China) or electronically to svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn.
The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the first conferenc... more The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the first conference on “Frames and Framing in Antiquity,” held online from 16 to 18 October 2020 and jointly organized by the two editors, Sven Günther from the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China and Elisabeth Günther, then Institute for Digital Humanities, University of Göttingen, Germany, now Classical Archaeology, University of Trier, Germany.
JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity. Papers Read at the International Conference in Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, 2021
JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coin... more JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity. Papers Read at the International Conference in Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, Changchun: The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2021; XI, 314 pp.; ISSN 1004-9371; EUR 50.00.
Byzantine gold coinage was immensely important in the political, social, and cultural life of the Near East and the Western Mediterranean during Late Antiquity and into the Middle Ages. Its significance can be judged from archaeological finds in Italy and Gaul as well as the Balkans, the Levant, and Northern Africa. Furthermore, from the 4th century onwards, Byzantine coins begin to appear along the Silk Roads, soon to be taken to countries in the Far East, including China. Since the end of the 19th century, over one hundred Byzantine gold coins and coin imitations have been found in China. The findspots are mainly located in the northern areas, in a crescent extending from Xinjiang in the northwest to the province of Liaoning in the northeast. Chronologically, they mainly belong to a period from the late 6th century to the mid-8th century, i.e., from the late Northern Dynasties to the middle of the Tang Dynasty period, and they reflect the prosperity, exchange, and communication which once existed along the Silk Roads. The international symposium on “Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity,” held at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) of Northeast Normal University (NENU), Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, aimed at delineating the political, economic, social, and cultural-religious conditions behind the flow of Byzantine gold coins not only into China but also within the broader Mediterranean region, into India, Central Asia, and Mongolia, as well as Southeast Asia. Even though some of the papers should be seen as very preliminary considerations on the respective subjects, all the investigations of specific coins in this volume contribute to the current development of building a more integrated and multifaceted picture of the world of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. We express our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues, students, and friends who have supported the symposium and its publication in various ways. Our special thanks are due to Dr. Rebecca Darley, Dr. Jonathan Jarrett, and Prof. Dr. David A. Warburton for their painstaking review of drafts of papers. Finally, we acknowledge our debt to the National Social Science Fund of China (Program Code 2016BSS007 with the title “Imitations of Byzantine Gold Coins and the Production of Luxuries in the Early Byzantine Empire”) and to the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University (“Grant for Discipline Construction in the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University”) for their generous financial support.
The double blind peer-reviewed papers of the fascicle 34/2 of the Journal of Ancient Civilization... more The double blind peer-reviewed papers of the fascicle 34/2 of the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) result from a conference at the Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung (Center for Inter-disciplinary Studies) of the University of Bielefeld (6–8 September 2017), and have been edited by the organizers, Sven Günther and Dorothea Rohde. Starting from the epoch-making work of August Boeckh on The Public Economy of Athens, which was published in 1817 and is still a reference work, the authors seek to review and update certain aspects of the public economic affairs in ancient Athens, from different perspectives and disciplines. The papers published here are the first results and a step towards a new public economy of Athens that has still to be written.
Der Sammelband ist dem im Jahr 2005 unerwartet verstorbenen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichtler H... more Der Sammelband ist dem im Jahr 2005 unerwartet verstorbenen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichtler Harald Winkel gewidmet. Daß Althistoriker auf diese Weise seiner gedenken, findet seinen Grund in der vielfältigen Verbundenheit der Beiträger zu Harald Winkel. Diese erstreckte sich unter anderem auf den Bereich der Wissenschaft, in dem Harald Winkel über die Grenzen seines Faches hinaus sich auch und gerade als Förderer althistorischer, wirtschaftsgeschichtlicher Projekte betätigte. Das chronologische Spektrum der versammelten Beiträge reicht von der späten römischen Republik bis in die Spätantike und spiegelt die gesamte Breite der wirtschaftsgeschichtlichen Forschung zur römischen Welt wider. Handel und handwerkliche Produktion werden ebenso thematisiert wie Rahmenbedingungen des wirtschaftlichen Lebens, beispielsweise die Hebung von Steuern oder aus der Spätantike überlieferte Wetterdaten. Nicht zuletzt werden auch Überlegungen zu wirtschaftlich relevanten Gegebenheiten im Umfeld der Ereignisgeschichte thematisiert, so etwa der Technologietransfer durch römische Kriegsgefangene oder die logistischen Probleme des Antonius samt seiner wichtigsten Unterstützerin Kleopatra im Kampf gegen Oktavian.
Die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrisen des 21. Jahrhunderts haben die Rolle der Wirtschaft als zentral... more Die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrisen des 21. Jahrhunderts haben die Rolle der Wirtschaft als zentrale Handlungskategorie menschlichen Seins und Handelns einmal mehr bewusst gemacht. Im Bereich der Antiken Wirtschaftsgeschichte wurde erst durch die neo-institutionalistische Theorie das primitivistische Bild einer regional begrenzten, für den Staat uninteressanten, technisch rückständigen Wirtschaft widerlegt.
Die Beiträge des Sammelbands nehmen diesen neuen Diskurs auf und beleuchten anhand des offenen Begriffs „Ordnungsrahmen“ das Thema Antike Ökonomie von mehreren Seiten, ohne sich auf neo-institutionalistische oder andere Theoreme zu beschränken. Dabei wird deutlich, dass einerseits „Ordnung“ und die durch sie vorgegebenen Rahmen das ökonomische Leben und Denken in der Antike entscheidend geprägt und gestaltet haben, andererseits dienen „Ordnungsrahmen“ aber der modernen Wissenschaft auch zur Verdeutlichung und Strukturierung der äußerst komplexen und beziehungsreichen ökonomischen Systeme. So spiegelt das breite Themenspektrum der Beiträge - von der mykenischen Frühgeschichte Griechenlands über Theorie und Praxis in der griechischen Klassik und im Hellenismus bis hin zu unterschiedlichen Aspekten der römischen Wirtschaft in Republik und Kaiserzeit - die Vielfältigkeit des Zuganges zur antiken Ökonomie wider und lenkt damit den Blick auf jeweils ganz bestimmte „Rahmen“ ökonomischen Handelns.
Alkuin - Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend
Ma... more Alkuin - Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend
Mathematik und Latein mit Alkuin, dem ersten "Kultusminister" Deutschlands
Mathematik und Latein sind die beiden grundlegenden "Sprachen" der abendländischen Weltbeschreibung. Für den modernen Menschen wollen diese beiden Basiswissenschaften aber nicht so recht zusammenpassen - schon gar nicht im Schulunterricht, wo beide Fächer bisher meist getrennte Wege gehen. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, initiierte das Alkuin-Projekt am Institut für Alte Geschichte der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz eine einzigartige Vernetzungsmöglichkeit der beiden Schulfächer: Eine mathematisch und sprachlich kommentierte Textausgabe der Alkuin, dem Berater Karls des Großen, zugeschriebenen "Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend".
Die in diesem Band zusammengetragenen 25 Aufgaben und Lösungen aus dem Bereich der sog. "Unterhaltungsmathematik" bergen nicht nur eine Vielfalt mathematischer Teildisziplinen wie Arithmetik, Geometrie und Anordnungsprobleme, sondern dokumentieren exemplarisch auch die "Hinüberrettung" des antiken Erbes in die neue Epoche, etwa in den schon den Ägyptern bekannten linearen Problemen mit einer oder mehreren Unbekannten oder noch weit mehr in den Aufgaben zu Erbschaftsfragen oder Vermessungsproblemen, die ganz in römischer Tradition stehen.
Leitgedanke des Alkuin-Projekts ist die Einsicht, dass die beiden Fächer Mathematik und Latein aus lernpsychologischer Sicht zwar optimal zusammenpassen, es jedoch an sinnvoller interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit - nicht zuletzt aufgrund mangelnder Textausgaben - hapert. Im Rahmen des Alkuin-Projekts haben Dr. Sven Günther vom Institut für Alte Geschichte der Universität Mainz und Studienrat Michael Pahlke vom Gymnasium Mainz-Gonsenheim gemeinsam mit Studierenden eine repräsentative Auswahl der "Propositiones" für den fächerübergreifenden Unterricht schülergerecht aufbereitet und zudem einen benutzerfreundlichen Lehrerkommentar mit Übersetzungen sowie mathematischen, sprachlichen und historischen Anmerkungen erstellt.
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This study is concerned with the vectigalia, indirect taxes levied during the time of the Roman E... more This study is concerned with the vectigalia, indirect taxes levied during the time of the Roman Empire. Starting with a basic definition of the term as opposed to tributus, direct taxes, the four main Roman indirect taxes (inheritance tax, emancipation tax, sales tax, and slave sales tax) are then analyzed. By taking into account archaeological, epigraphic, legal, numismatic and literary sources, the study explains the character of the individual taxes and analyzes their correlation to politics, administration, the law, economy and society. German text.
The paper analyzes Graeco-Roman coins that depict manual labour and reflects on the identity cons... more The paper analyzes Graeco-Roman coins that depict manual labour and reflects on the identity construction through this media.
Languages of Science between Western and Eastern Civilizations Herausgegeben von: Carlo Ferrari , Fabio Guidetti und Chiara Ombretta Tommasi, 2024
The paper discusses the degree to which classical references, tropes and stereotypes helped formi... more The paper discusses the degree to which classical references, tropes and stereotypes helped forming the view of China in the early modern age and anchored into a „globalization“ discourse of European Christian literati by analyzing G.P. Maffei’s Historiae Indicae, Book 6.
Why was Latin first sung in China? How did a she-wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus end up in ... more Why was Latin first sung in China? How did a she-wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus end up in Changchun, in Northeast China? And what does the Tacitus Trap have to do with Chinese Social Media? In our cross-cultural talk we guide you to the fascinating sides and developments of Western Classics in China and show what the Chinese perspective can contribute to global Classics in the world of today.
Chen Mo has studied German Studies (Germanistik) for her MA at the University of Heidelberg. Besides working as lecturer for German she is writing her PhD thesis on the reception of Classics in China and Germany at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations.
Sven Günther is full professor of Classics at, and vice-director of, the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilization. His research centers on socio-economic history of Greek and Roman times as well as on numismatics and reception history of ancient studies across the globe.
What are we doing at IHAC? Why did I become professor there? And how is Classics being taught, re... more What are we doing at IHAC? Why did I become professor there? And how is Classics being taught, researched, and lived there? An advertisement video produced by the Jilin Province to attract foreign talents.
Gems in Roman law mirror some of the important legal discourses of the Roman imperial period. Alo... more Gems in Roman law mirror some of the important legal discourses of the Roman imperial period. Along the categories “function”, “materiality” and “value” we hope to show that gems were integral part of the social, economic, and sometimes political and moral discourses as well as practices of the Romans, arguably very often and mainly a rather wealthy class of persons who could afford and talk about them. While moral and luxury discourses which we frequently find in literary sources played only a smaller role in the legal considerations it were rather practical issues, for instance related to artisanry, inheritance, and classification, that troubled not only the jurists, and they resulted from the specific functions and material aspects of gems. As high-value and overall distinct objects they prominently appear in legal regulations and thus obviously mattered.
The paper discusses the usage of disease-language in ancient Roman historiography of the Republic... more The paper discusses the usage of disease-language in ancient Roman historiography of the Republic and Early as well as Middle Empire. It aims at showing the respective frameworks and intentions of Roman historiographers in employing terms related to plagues and contagious diseases.
Fiscalità ed epigrafia nel mondo romano Nuove ricerche, 2024
The proceedings of the 2022 Catania conference address questions regarding the Roman fiscal admin... more The proceedings of the 2022 Catania conference address questions regarding the Roman fiscal administration, its actors, and the regulatory, socio-economic, and cultural frameworks as present(ed) in inscriptions all over the Imperium Romanum.
Trade and Seafaring in Antiquity Red Sea – Persian Gulf – Indian Ocean Proceedings of the 1st Muziris Workshop, Trier, 28th May 2021 Edited by Stefan Baumann, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Sebastian Fink, Sven Günther and Patrick Reinard, 2023
Modern Economics and the Ancient World Were the Ancients Rational Actors? Selected Papers from the Online Conference, 29–31 July 2021, 2023
The volume comprises peer-reviewed papers read at the Rational Actors conference that took place ... more The volume comprises peer-reviewed papers read at the Rational Actors conference that took place online from 29–31 July 2021.
Frames and Framing in Antiquity II: Selected Papers from the Second Frames and Framing Conference, 17-19 October 2021, 2023
The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the second conferen... more The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the second conference on “Frames and Framing in Antiquity,” held online from 17 to 19 October 2021 and jointly organized by the two editors, Sven Günther from the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China and Elisabeth Günther, then Classical Archaeology, University of Trier, Germany, now Institute for Classical Archaeology and Byzantine Archaeology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
The subtitle of the conference Frames and Framing in Antiquity II might cause severe
headaches: “sources in contexts – materiality, affordances, entanglements, and
communicative dynamics.” At first, we wonder, are sources not always to be
seen in their contexts? And if so, why would we load the critical assessment of
them with apparently rather trendy concepts which, at first sight, sound more
like buzzwords than useful analytical categories? These considerations lead us to
question what exactly this has to do at all with frames and framing (in antiquity),
which is in fact the main theme of this pioneering conference? The selected papers attempt to answer these questions.
Overall, the frame of paper arrangement makes it clear that we do not intend to utilise
a solely chronological order but also one where different sources and aspects of
them are fully considered. The material remains only provide us with information
about affordances offered to and about the lived experiences of the people in the past when carefully contextualised. Inscriptions (as well as coins, as shown
in this introduction) and the objects carrying them are particularly suitable for
multimodal frame analysis as they interact with spaces and viewers. Literary
sources create frameworks that have to be detected in order to not fall into the
trap of blindly following their narratives, discourses, and judgments. Hence,
sources should never be seen out of their contexts – a basic principle of historical
research – yet the careful consideration of their physical or mental “materiality”
in entanglement with the persons producing, shaping, and per/receiving them
might be the starting point to think further about the communicative dynamics
they embody, (still) mirror and unfold(ed), from the past until today.
OF RABID DOGS, HUNCHBACKED OXEN, AND INFERTILE GOATS IN ANCIENT BABYLONIA: STUDIES PRESENTED TO WU YUHONG ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY, 2021
The complete Festschrift for Wu Yuhong on the sad occasion of the death on 6 February 2023
The I... more The complete Festschrift for Wu Yuhong on the sad occasion of the death on 6 February 2023
The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University, Changchun, is deeply moved to convey the sad news of the passing of its colleague and former director Prof Wu Yuhong on 6 February 2023. As a dedicated researcher and teacher, Yuhong has built and substantially shaped modern Chinese Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies by educating the next two generations of Chinese Assyriologists, with many of them today holding key-positions at institutions for higher education in China. His broad international experience and research network made it possible to build long-lasting connections with renowned institutions, for the advantage of dozens of students, who over the years, have been able to conduct their studies around the world. His excellence in research is reflected in an impressive number of publications, both in Chinese and English, particularly focusing on the Ur III period. As professor at and ultimately as director of IHAC he worked hard that this unique institute, which was the first to offer study programs in Assyriology, Egyptology, and Classics in whole China and every year invites 4–5 international visiting professors to closely work with students and scholars, and its Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) become a point of reference in the fields worldwide. For celebrating his 70th birthday, academic friends and colleagues published a Festschrift in 2021 with appreciations, a list of publications, and 15 contributions, which all till last hoped to deliver in person to him and has been now made available open access on the sad occasion of his death. Letters of condolence may be directed to the institute’s address (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, 130024 Changchun, Jilin Province, China) or electronically to svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn.
The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the first conferenc... more The present volume comprises selected, double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the first conference on “Frames and Framing in Antiquity,” held online from 16 to 18 October 2020 and jointly organized by the two editors, Sven Günther from the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China and Elisabeth Günther, then Institute for Digital Humanities, University of Göttingen, Germany, now Classical Archaeology, University of Trier, Germany.
JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity. Papers Read at the International Conference in Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, 2021
JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coin... more JAC-Supplements 8: Sven Günther, Li Qiang, Lin Ying, and Claudia Sode (eds.), Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity. Papers Read at the International Conference in Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, Changchun: The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2021; XI, 314 pp.; ISSN 1004-9371; EUR 50.00.
Byzantine gold coinage was immensely important in the political, social, and cultural life of the Near East and the Western Mediterranean during Late Antiquity and into the Middle Ages. Its significance can be judged from archaeological finds in Italy and Gaul as well as the Balkans, the Levant, and Northern Africa. Furthermore, from the 4th century onwards, Byzantine coins begin to appear along the Silk Roads, soon to be taken to countries in the Far East, including China. Since the end of the 19th century, over one hundred Byzantine gold coins and coin imitations have been found in China. The findspots are mainly located in the northern areas, in a crescent extending from Xinjiang in the northwest to the province of Liaoning in the northeast. Chronologically, they mainly belong to a period from the late 6th century to the mid-8th century, i.e., from the late Northern Dynasties to the middle of the Tang Dynasty period, and they reflect the prosperity, exchange, and communication which once existed along the Silk Roads. The international symposium on “Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity,” held at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) of Northeast Normal University (NENU), Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, aimed at delineating the political, economic, social, and cultural-religious conditions behind the flow of Byzantine gold coins not only into China but also within the broader Mediterranean region, into India, Central Asia, and Mongolia, as well as Southeast Asia. Even though some of the papers should be seen as very preliminary considerations on the respective subjects, all the investigations of specific coins in this volume contribute to the current development of building a more integrated and multifaceted picture of the world of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. We express our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues, students, and friends who have supported the symposium and its publication in various ways. Our special thanks are due to Dr. Rebecca Darley, Dr. Jonathan Jarrett, and Prof. Dr. David A. Warburton for their painstaking review of drafts of papers. Finally, we acknowledge our debt to the National Social Science Fund of China (Program Code 2016BSS007 with the title “Imitations of Byzantine Gold Coins and the Production of Luxuries in the Early Byzantine Empire”) and to the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University (“Grant for Discipline Construction in the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University”) for their generous financial support.
The double blind peer-reviewed papers of the fascicle 34/2 of the Journal of Ancient Civilization... more The double blind peer-reviewed papers of the fascicle 34/2 of the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) result from a conference at the Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung (Center for Inter-disciplinary Studies) of the University of Bielefeld (6–8 September 2017), and have been edited by the organizers, Sven Günther and Dorothea Rohde. Starting from the epoch-making work of August Boeckh on The Public Economy of Athens, which was published in 1817 and is still a reference work, the authors seek to review and update certain aspects of the public economic affairs in ancient Athens, from different perspectives and disciplines. The papers published here are the first results and a step towards a new public economy of Athens that has still to be written.
Der Sammelband ist dem im Jahr 2005 unerwartet verstorbenen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichtler H... more Der Sammelband ist dem im Jahr 2005 unerwartet verstorbenen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichtler Harald Winkel gewidmet. Daß Althistoriker auf diese Weise seiner gedenken, findet seinen Grund in der vielfältigen Verbundenheit der Beiträger zu Harald Winkel. Diese erstreckte sich unter anderem auf den Bereich der Wissenschaft, in dem Harald Winkel über die Grenzen seines Faches hinaus sich auch und gerade als Förderer althistorischer, wirtschaftsgeschichtlicher Projekte betätigte. Das chronologische Spektrum der versammelten Beiträge reicht von der späten römischen Republik bis in die Spätantike und spiegelt die gesamte Breite der wirtschaftsgeschichtlichen Forschung zur römischen Welt wider. Handel und handwerkliche Produktion werden ebenso thematisiert wie Rahmenbedingungen des wirtschaftlichen Lebens, beispielsweise die Hebung von Steuern oder aus der Spätantike überlieferte Wetterdaten. Nicht zuletzt werden auch Überlegungen zu wirtschaftlich relevanten Gegebenheiten im Umfeld der Ereignisgeschichte thematisiert, so etwa der Technologietransfer durch römische Kriegsgefangene oder die logistischen Probleme des Antonius samt seiner wichtigsten Unterstützerin Kleopatra im Kampf gegen Oktavian.
Die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrisen des 21. Jahrhunderts haben die Rolle der Wirtschaft als zentral... more Die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrisen des 21. Jahrhunderts haben die Rolle der Wirtschaft als zentrale Handlungskategorie menschlichen Seins und Handelns einmal mehr bewusst gemacht. Im Bereich der Antiken Wirtschaftsgeschichte wurde erst durch die neo-institutionalistische Theorie das primitivistische Bild einer regional begrenzten, für den Staat uninteressanten, technisch rückständigen Wirtschaft widerlegt.
Die Beiträge des Sammelbands nehmen diesen neuen Diskurs auf und beleuchten anhand des offenen Begriffs „Ordnungsrahmen“ das Thema Antike Ökonomie von mehreren Seiten, ohne sich auf neo-institutionalistische oder andere Theoreme zu beschränken. Dabei wird deutlich, dass einerseits „Ordnung“ und die durch sie vorgegebenen Rahmen das ökonomische Leben und Denken in der Antike entscheidend geprägt und gestaltet haben, andererseits dienen „Ordnungsrahmen“ aber der modernen Wissenschaft auch zur Verdeutlichung und Strukturierung der äußerst komplexen und beziehungsreichen ökonomischen Systeme. So spiegelt das breite Themenspektrum der Beiträge - von der mykenischen Frühgeschichte Griechenlands über Theorie und Praxis in der griechischen Klassik und im Hellenismus bis hin zu unterschiedlichen Aspekten der römischen Wirtschaft in Republik und Kaiserzeit - die Vielfältigkeit des Zuganges zur antiken Ökonomie wider und lenkt damit den Blick auf jeweils ganz bestimmte „Rahmen“ ökonomischen Handelns.
Alkuin - Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend
Ma... more Alkuin - Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend
Mathematik und Latein mit Alkuin, dem ersten "Kultusminister" Deutschlands
Mathematik und Latein sind die beiden grundlegenden "Sprachen" der abendländischen Weltbeschreibung. Für den modernen Menschen wollen diese beiden Basiswissenschaften aber nicht so recht zusammenpassen - schon gar nicht im Schulunterricht, wo beide Fächer bisher meist getrennte Wege gehen. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, initiierte das Alkuin-Projekt am Institut für Alte Geschichte der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz eine einzigartige Vernetzungsmöglichkeit der beiden Schulfächer: Eine mathematisch und sprachlich kommentierte Textausgabe der Alkuin, dem Berater Karls des Großen, zugeschriebenen "Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend".
Die in diesem Band zusammengetragenen 25 Aufgaben und Lösungen aus dem Bereich der sog. "Unterhaltungsmathematik" bergen nicht nur eine Vielfalt mathematischer Teildisziplinen wie Arithmetik, Geometrie und Anordnungsprobleme, sondern dokumentieren exemplarisch auch die "Hinüberrettung" des antiken Erbes in die neue Epoche, etwa in den schon den Ägyptern bekannten linearen Problemen mit einer oder mehreren Unbekannten oder noch weit mehr in den Aufgaben zu Erbschaftsfragen oder Vermessungsproblemen, die ganz in römischer Tradition stehen.
Leitgedanke des Alkuin-Projekts ist die Einsicht, dass die beiden Fächer Mathematik und Latein aus lernpsychologischer Sicht zwar optimal zusammenpassen, es jedoch an sinnvoller interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit - nicht zuletzt aufgrund mangelnder Textausgaben - hapert. Im Rahmen des Alkuin-Projekts haben Dr. Sven Günther vom Institut für Alte Geschichte der Universität Mainz und Studienrat Michael Pahlke vom Gymnasium Mainz-Gonsenheim gemeinsam mit Studierenden eine repräsentative Auswahl der "Propositiones" für den fächerübergreifenden Unterricht schülergerecht aufbereitet und zudem einen benutzerfreundlichen Lehrerkommentar mit Übersetzungen sowie mathematischen, sprachlichen und historischen Anmerkungen erstellt.
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This study is concerned with the vectigalia, indirect taxes levied during the time of the Roman E... more This study is concerned with the vectigalia, indirect taxes levied during the time of the Roman Empire. Starting with a basic definition of the term as opposed to tributus, direct taxes, the four main Roman indirect taxes (inheritance tax, emancipation tax, sales tax, and slave sales tax) are then analyzed. By taking into account archaeological, epigraphic, legal, numismatic and literary sources, the study explains the character of the individual taxes and analyzes their correlation to politics, administration, the law, economy and society. German text.
The paper analyzes Graeco-Roman coins that depict manual labour and reflects on the identity cons... more The paper analyzes Graeco-Roman coins that depict manual labour and reflects on the identity construction through this media.
Languages of Science between Western and Eastern Civilizations Herausgegeben von: Carlo Ferrari , Fabio Guidetti und Chiara Ombretta Tommasi, 2024
The paper discusses the degree to which classical references, tropes and stereotypes helped formi... more The paper discusses the degree to which classical references, tropes and stereotypes helped forming the view of China in the early modern age and anchored into a „globalization“ discourse of European Christian literati by analyzing G.P. Maffei’s Historiae Indicae, Book 6.
The paper reviews the scholarly discussion about the so-called Tiberian Livia/Pax denarii which h... more The paper reviews the scholarly discussion about the so-called Tiberian Livia/Pax denarii which have been frequently linked to the famous Tribute Penny logion of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels.
The article examines the historical context of a copy of the <em>Lupa Capitolina</em> which is ho... more The article examines the historical context of a copy of the <em>Lupa Capitolina</em> which is housed in a seminar room of the School of History of Culture at Northeast Normal University, Changchun. The study of contemporary newspapers reveals that the statue copy was donated as a diplomatic gift by the fascist-led Italian Economic Mission to Japan to the City of Changchun, then Xinjing/Hsinking in the Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo on 4 June 1938, and thus should not be dated to 1942, not related to direct diplomatic contacts between the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and Manchukuo’s Chief Executive, the former and last Chinese Qing Dynasty emperor Puyi, as claimed by the commemorative plate applied to the Changchun <em>Lupa</em> statue. Moreover, the shewolf with twins was an important <em>tessera</em> in the ideologically loaded <em>Romanità</em>-mosaic of Mussolini who used it for his propaganda of a Third Rome in the capital city of his fascist regime, the territory of the former <em>Imperium Romanum</em> the imperial glory of which he wished to restore with all (violent) means, and worldwide, especially in autocratic states that took a friendly stance to his regime. Thus, the copy of the <em>Lupa Capitolina</em> in Changchun, which was found without the twins after WW2 by a Chinese professor of Northeast Normal University, is an important object of cultural memory that reminds of the use and abuse of ancient heritage in the not-so-distant past, and the importance of tracing the exact historical context to not fall into modern traps of framing.
Read about how to interpret the famous EID MAR coin type of Brutus and the degree to which it has... more Read about how to interpret the famous EID MAR coin type of Brutus and the degree to which it has something to do with liberty & freedom
A rare off-metal strike of Tetricus I from the mint of Trier is presented in this paper together ... more A rare off-metal strike of Tetricus I from the mint of Trier is presented in this paper together with some considerations about its historical context
Journal of Greco-Roman Studies 62/3 (2023), 127-147., 2023
The paper analyzes the reception of classical antiquity in the period of the
German Revolution of... more The paper analyzes the reception of classical antiquity in the period of the German Revolution of 1848/9. Though concepts such as ‘liberty’ and ‘law’ that could be easily linked to ancient roots were omnipresent in the German discourse of that time (aside the topic of ‘unity’) the actual reception of ancient ideas and iconographic schemes is scarce and ambiguous. It is argued that this is due to the different frameworks in which classical antiquity was re- and perceived in German intellectual circles of the 19th century: the classical concepts of individual libertas and Roman law (ius) as well as virtuous Romanitas were already framed as being ‘contaminated’ with a French color, hence the German emphasis on two figures, namely, actively fighting, not subjugated Germania and Arminius, aka Hermann, as defenders of German liberty and unity against the ill-famed radical ‘democratic’ French Revolution and the ‘invasive’ Napoleon stance. In this regard it is interesting to see that such view of classical antiquity gained ground in different political spectrums, from right to left wing, and pathed the way for a specific German view of the ancient past in the 19th and partly 20th century, at least in some circles. [Keywords]: German Revolution of 1848/9 – reception of antiquity – nationalism – liberty – frames and framing – Germania – Arminius aka Hermann
The paper discusses scratches on coins of Magnentius, which might indicate personal "damnatio mem... more The paper discusses scratches on coins of Magnentius, which might indicate personal "damnatio memoriae" of this emperor
ARCHIMÈDE Archéologie et histoire ancienne N°10 , 2023
With the rise of New Fiscal History, models of predatory state behavior, and the application of p... more With the rise of New Fiscal History, models of predatory state behavior, and the application of political culture studies within the field, debate over the character of Roman taxation has regained momentum. While important topics such as the institutions of the Roman tax regime, the relationship of its actors to taxpayers, and the competitive character of the Roman elite in the field of public finances have been studied anew within these frameworks, the discursive character of the sources has rarely been questioned and analyzed. Yet, the writings of contemporary authors such as Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust, as well as historiographic records from later periods do connect fiscal information with political, social, economic, or moral discourses. Hence, the task of this paper is to reveal the ancient frameworks within which taxes were perceived and presented in three case studies, and to juxtapose these with current debates in order to demonstrate the extent to which ancient and modern authors frame(d) perceptions of Roman taxation in the Republican period.
Trade and Seafaring in Antiquity Red Sea – Persian Gulf – Indian Ocean Proceedings of the 1st Muziris Workshop, Trier, 28th May 2021 Edited by Stefan Baumann, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Sebastian Fink, Sven Günther and Patrick Reinard, 2023
Starting from the analytical concept of patterns that are arguably a nec- essary heuristic step t... more Starting from the analytical concept of patterns that are arguably a nec- essary heuristic step to take before concluding on ethnographic topoi, the article aims to show that for the Seres appearing in Greek and Latin sources such patterns are existing and can help us to understand how ethnographic topoi and narratives could evolve on them. Regarding the Seres, the silk and the oikumenē-ruled-by-Au- gustus pattern, the latter arguably itself becoming a topos over time, formed the starting point for later detailed narratives about this distant and actually not very well-known people. Yet, this could only appear in the discourse-context of Rome’s expansion to the East and several commanders’ and eventually Augustus’ claim to control the oikumenē and to be the point of reference for all, within or outside the Imperium Romanum. Keywords: Augustus – Imperium Romanum – oikumenē – patterns – Seres
Finance matters—not least in(civil)war.Even beyond the financial measure in itself to finance the... more Finance matters—not least in(civil)war.Even beyond the financial measure in itself to finance the war there is the potentiality to construct a concept of a friendly leader,or an enemy who breaks with the(unwritten)rules of politics.A small episode in Caesar’s Bellum Civile clearly shows how to play with words to undermine authority—here Pompeius’:
The recent and ongoing debate about the character of(not only)ancient economies reveals that the ... more The recent and ongoing debate about the character of(not only)ancient economies reveals that the traditional rivalry between‘primitivist-substantivist’and‘modernist-formalist’views has defi nitely come to an end although a more or less conscious afterlife and shaping of minds still exists.1As such,new
The paper addresses the research question of how the communication between the orator Cicero and ... more The paper addresses the research question of how the communication between the orator Cicero and his audience functioned by looking at Cicero’s earliest extant speech, the Pro Quinctio. Therein, the legal performance of the parties as well as their presentation by Cicero, Quinctius’ advocate, play a decisive role, and reveal important details as to how controversial business affairs were framed, and finally settled, by law of procedure, particularly the praetorian edict and its formulas. However, it will be further shown that these legal frames in economic affairs were only one part of the story: socio-political, socio-economic, and moral frames were added by Cicero at weak “legal” points, thus forming a net of sub-frames underneath the main legal frame, in order to convince the audience, particularly the judge(s), of his client’s rights.
For the full paper, contact me/ Recent research has emphasised that economic growth and a compara... more For the full paper, contact me/ Recent research has emphasised that economic growth and a comparatively low level of inequality in fifth- and fourth-century BCE Athens rested on the stability and reliability of her public democratic institutions and the vivid competition and specialisation within that framework. With Xenophon, however, we have an author who proposes an alternative—not only in his commonly cited Oeconomicus and Vectigalia but in all his extant writings—by integrating economic matters, and capital in particular, into his model of a perfectly organised and ruled society. Based on the theoretical approach of “regulatory frames”, which explains the dynamic communication process between author and audience via the extant work, I shall argue that Xenophon’s model of capital, economy and society is grounded in mainly Athenian discourses, common at that time, about utility, stability/instability, reliability/lack of trust, economic as well as social competition and risk management. Xenophon gives tentative answers to the question of how a perfect socio-economic system should work, by creating an alternative framework that tends to be extremely elastic, utility-yet community-oriented and totalitarian.
Based on Pierre Nora’s concept of ‘lieu de mémoire’ and Jan & Aleida Assman’s model of ‘Cultural ... more Based on Pierre Nora’s concept of ‘lieu de mémoire’ and Jan & Aleida Assman’s model of ‘Cultural and Communicative Memory’ this event aims to identify and explore important historical objects of reference for the formation of Chinese-European narratives throughout history. A public lecture by the founding director of the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany) on the topic “The Concept of ‘lieux de memoires’ (‘places ofmemory’/’Erinnerungsorte’). Attractive Visualizing – Easy Learning – Communicative Remembrance of History by Testimonials/Temains/Objects of History” and a subsequent workshop on three case-studies each presented by a tandem of a Chinese and European researchers will set the frame for an intensive reflection on different perspectives on these objects. This event will be the starting point for a larger joint project that aims at engaging a larger audience in a fruitful discourse about Chinese-European joint history & cultural memory.
Join the Byzantine Lecture Series 2021 @IHAC and register under the email -address of Dr Li Qiang... more Join the Byzantine Lecture Series 2021 @IHAC and register under the email -address of Dr Li Qiang (see pdf)
Were the ancients rational actors? Is the rational-actor model a suitable tool to analyze their b... more Were the ancients rational actors? Is the rational-actor model a suitable tool to analyze their behavior? We want to answer the question in different ways. One way would be to ask the ancient texts directly. Another could be to use the rational-actor model to analyze the behavior of the ancients (in the economy, politics, or any other area of social life) and see whether the results are plausible. In our conference, we explore the chances and limits of these approaches. The underlying question in each section is the extent of rational activity and actions that can be discovered by various methods of analyzing ancient societies across the globe. In particular, the papers focus on one of the following panel topics: 1.) Ancient texts: From theory to practice – How did the ancients think economy, and how do we reconstruct the ancient thoughts?; 2.) Economic analysis of the economy (e.g., landed property and real estate / financial investments / demand and supply); 3.) Economic analysis of politics and of other areas of social life (e.g., institutions and institutional change / taxation / public spending / social networks / law / religion / moral behavior).
We cordially invite you to our
first Muziris-Workshop "Trade and Seafaring in the Red Sea, Persi... more We cordially invite you to our
first Muziris-Workshop "Trade and Seafaring in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean in Antiquity",
on Friday, 28 May 2021, online via zoom,
organized by Stefan Baumann (Univ. Trier), Kerstin Droß-Krüpe (RUB), Sebastian Fink (Univ. Innsbruck), Sven Günther (IHAC, NENU) and Patrick Reinard (Univ. Trier).
Please find the program in the pdf (all times are CET summer time). To receive the zoom link and further information please send a registration request to sveneca@aol.com or svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn
Frames and Framing in Antiquity II builds on the results and discussions of the first conference ... more Frames and Framing in Antiquity II builds on the results and discussions of the first conference (IHAC & IfDH, 16-18 October 2020) and aims at linking different ancient source materials, contexts, and actors in order to explore entanglements, communicative dynamics, and affordances of frames and framing. While ancient source categories (literary texts, inscriptions, coins, papyri/ostraca, archaeological remains) are often treated separately we seek to analyze interrelations, interdependencies, and entanglements of these sources within their respective contexts. sources materiality entanglements communicative dynamics affordances
16-18 October 2020
Online via Zoom (all times Central European Time, i.e. UTC+2)
Registration und... more 16-18 October 2020 Online via Zoom (all times Central European Time, i.e. UTC+2) Registration under: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn Key-note speaker: Prof. Dr. Hartmut Leppin (University of Frankfurt) Organizers: Sven Günther (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, Changchun) & Elisabeth Günther (Institute for Digital Humanities, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)
Frames and framing have entered the public discourse already before covid-19 but have recently become a hotly debated issue due to the styling of news, for instance in social media, that partly replace other possibilities of social communication at the moment. Based on models from the field of sociology, psychology, and communication studies, “frames” describe how people understand, react to, and are influenced by situations and activities (frame analysis). The phenomenon of “framing” assesses how individuals or institutions might use, modify, or challenge existing frameworks by creating new frames, or add new slots and fillers to common frames. Thus, the concept of framing is a useful tool for a broad range of disciplines since communication is viewed as a complex entanglement of sender, receiver, and medium and their related frames and not as a one-directional process of sending information from A to B. In recent years, frame analysis has also gained attention in the field of ancient studies, particularly in ancient history and linguistics as well as classical archaeology with a specific focus on visual studies. However, the model’s full potential is yet to be exploited as it is still not comprehensively tested against the various ancient sources. Hence, the conference attempts to fill this obvious gap by assessing the theoretical tool-set as well as the application of such models to case-studies.
The dimensions of frame and framing models will be discussed in five panels, with each paper lasting 5-7 minutes followed by a respondent and an open question slot: Panel I: From Theory to Practice Panel II: Greek Frames and Modern Perception Panel III: Greek and Roman Frames Panel IV: Framing Strategies in the Late Roman Republic and Early Empire Panel V: Framing Narratives in Archaeology
The key-note speech will be given by Professor Hartmut Leppin (University of Frankfurt) on the concept of parrhesia (“free speech”) in antiquity. We warmly welcome participants to register under: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn to receive the link to the online platform (Zoom) and further information as well as abstracts of the conference papers.
Frames and framing have entered the public discourse already before covid-19 but have recently be... more Frames and framing have entered the public discourse already before covid-19 but have recently become a hotly debated issue due to the styling of news, for instance in social media, that partly replace other possibilities of social communication at the moment. Based on models from the field of sociology, psychology, and communication studies, "frames" describe how people understand, react to, and are influenced by situations and activities (frame analysis). The phenomenon of "framing" assesses how individuals or institutions might use, modify, or challenge existing frameworks by creating new frames, or add new slots and fillers to common frames. Thus, the concept of framing is a useful tool for a broad range of disciplines since communication is viewed as a complex entanglement of sender, receiver, and medium and their related frames and not as a one-directional process of sending information from A to B. In recent years, frame analysis has also gained attention in the field of ancient studies, particularly in ancient history and linguistics as well as classical archaeology with a specific focus on visual studies. However, the model's full potential is yet to be exploited as it is still not comprehensively tested against the various ancient sources. Hence, the conference attempts to fill this obvious gap by assessing the theoretical tool-set as well as the application of such models to case-studies. The dimensions of frame and framing models will be discussed in five panels, with each paper lasting 5-7 minutes followed by a respondent and an open question slot: Panel I: From Theory to Practice Panel II: Greek Frames and Modern Perception Panel III: Greek and Roman Frames Panel IV: Framing Strategies in the Late Roman Republic and Early Empire Panel V: Framing Narratives in Archaeology The keynote speech will be given by Professor Hartmut Leppin (University of Frankfurt) on the concept of parrhesia ("free speech") in antiquity. We warmly welcome participants to register under: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn to receive the link to the online platform (Zoom) and further information as well as abstracts of the conference papers.
Interview with Chunyi Liu from Wen Hui Daily, Shanghai, about the standardisation of Latin and Gr... more Interview with Chunyi Liu from Wen Hui Daily, Shanghai, about the standardisation of Latin and Greek in China, and the future of Classics
15-minutes documentary on occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Institute for the History of An... more 15-minutes documentary on occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China, with English subtitles
The paper analyzes the use of "epidemic language" in Latin historians. Based on a search of terms... more The paper analyzes the use of "epidemic language" in Latin historians. Based on a search of terms such as contagium/-io, lues, morbus, pestis/pestifer/pestilentia, and tabes it examines the frames and framing effects of this language and argues for a critical reflection of such language use, then and now.
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Chen Mo has studied German Studies (Germanistik) for her MA at the University of Heidelberg. Besides working as lecturer for German she is writing her PhD thesis on the reception of Classics in China and Germany at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations.
Sven Günther is full professor of Classics at, and vice-director of, the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilization. His research centers on socio-economic history of Greek and Roman times as well as on numismatics and reception history of ancient studies across the globe.
Books by Sven Guenther
The subtitle of the conference Frames and Framing in Antiquity II might cause severe
headaches: “sources in contexts – materiality, affordances, entanglements, and
communicative dynamics.” At first, we wonder, are sources not always to be
seen in their contexts? And if so, why would we load the critical assessment of
them with apparently rather trendy concepts which, at first sight, sound more
like buzzwords than useful analytical categories? These considerations lead us to
question what exactly this has to do at all with frames and framing (in antiquity),
which is in fact the main theme of this pioneering conference? The selected papers attempt to answer these questions.
Overall, the frame of paper arrangement makes it clear that we do not intend to utilise
a solely chronological order but also one where different sources and aspects of
them are fully considered. The material remains only provide us with information
about affordances offered to and about the lived experiences of the people in the past when carefully contextualised. Inscriptions (as well as coins, as shown
in this introduction) and the objects carrying them are particularly suitable for
multimodal frame analysis as they interact with spaces and viewers. Literary
sources create frameworks that have to be detected in order to not fall into the
trap of blindly following their narratives, discourses, and judgments. Hence,
sources should never be seen out of their contexts – a basic principle of historical
research – yet the careful consideration of their physical or mental “materiality”
in entanglement with the persons producing, shaping, and per/receiving them
might be the starting point to think further about the communicative dynamics
they embody, (still) mirror and unfold(ed), from the past until today.
The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University, Changchun, is deeply moved to convey the sad news of the passing of its colleague and former director Prof Wu Yuhong on 6 February 2023. As a dedicated researcher and teacher, Yuhong has built and substantially shaped modern Chinese Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies by educating the next two generations of Chinese Assyriologists, with many of them today holding key-positions at institutions for higher education in China. His broad international experience and research network made it possible to build long-lasting connections with renowned institutions, for the advantage of dozens of students, who over the years, have been able to conduct their studies around the world. His excellence in research is reflected in an impressive number of publications, both in Chinese and English, particularly focusing on the Ur III period. As professor at and ultimately as director of IHAC he worked hard that this unique institute, which was the first to offer study programs in Assyriology, Egyptology, and Classics in whole China and every year invites 4–5 international visiting professors to closely work with students and scholars, and its Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) become a point of reference in the fields worldwide. For celebrating his 70th birthday, academic friends and colleagues published a Festschrift in 2021 with appreciations, a list of publications, and 15 contributions, which all till last hoped to deliver in person to him and has been now made available open access on the sad occasion of his death. Letters of condolence may be directed to the institute’s address (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, 130024 Changchun, Jilin Province, China) or electronically to svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn.
Byzantine gold coinage was immensely important in the political, social, and cultural life of the Near East and the Western Mediterranean during Late Antiquity and into the Middle Ages. Its significance can be judged from archaeological finds in Italy and Gaul as well as the Balkans, the Levant, and Northern Africa. Furthermore, from the 4th century onwards, Byzantine coins begin to appear along the Silk Roads, soon to be taken to countries in the Far East, including China.
Since the end of the 19th century, over one hundred Byzantine gold coins and coin imitations have been found in China. The findspots are mainly located in the northern areas, in a crescent extending from Xinjiang in the northwest to the province of Liaoning in the northeast. Chronologically, they mainly belong to a period from the late 6th century to the mid-8th century, i.e., from the late Northern Dynasties to the middle of the Tang Dynasty period, and they reflect the prosperity, exchange, and communication which once existed along the Silk Roads.
The international symposium on “Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity,” held at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) of Northeast Normal University (NENU), Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, aimed at delineating the political, economic, social, and cultural-religious conditions behind the flow of Byzantine gold coins not only into China but also within the broader Mediterranean region, into India, Central Asia, and Mongolia, as well as Southeast Asia. Even though some of the papers should be seen as very preliminary considerations on the respective subjects, all the investigations of specific coins in this volume contribute to the current development of building a more integrated and multifaceted picture of the world of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.
We express our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues, students, and friends who have supported the symposium and its publication in various ways. Our special thanks are due to Dr. Rebecca Darley, Dr. Jonathan Jarrett, and Prof. Dr. David A. Warburton for their painstaking review of drafts of papers. Finally, we acknowledge our debt to the National Social Science Fund of China (Program Code 2016BSS007 with the title “Imitations of Byzantine Gold Coins and the Production of Luxuries in the Early Byzantine Empire”) and to the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University (“Grant for Discipline Construction in the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University”) for their generous financial support.
Die Beiträge des Sammelbands nehmen diesen neuen Diskurs auf und beleuchten anhand des offenen Begriffs „Ordnungsrahmen“ das Thema Antike Ökonomie von mehreren Seiten, ohne sich auf neo-institutionalistische oder andere Theoreme zu beschränken. Dabei wird deutlich, dass einerseits „Ordnung“ und die durch sie vorgegebenen Rahmen das ökonomische Leben und Denken in der Antike entscheidend geprägt und gestaltet haben, andererseits dienen „Ordnungsrahmen“ aber der modernen Wissenschaft auch zur Verdeutlichung und Strukturierung der äußerst komplexen und beziehungsreichen ökonomischen Systeme. So spiegelt das breite Themenspektrum der Beiträge - von der mykenischen Frühgeschichte Griechenlands über Theorie und Praxis in der griechischen Klassik und im Hellenismus bis hin zu unterschiedlichen Aspekten der römischen Wirtschaft in Republik und Kaiserzeit - die Vielfältigkeit des Zuganges zur antiken Ökonomie wider und lenkt damit den Blick auf jeweils ganz bestimmte „Rahmen“ ökonomischen Handelns.
Mathematik und Latein mit Alkuin, dem ersten "Kultusminister" Deutschlands
Mathematik und Latein sind die beiden grundlegenden "Sprachen" der abendländischen Weltbeschreibung. Für den modernen Menschen wollen diese beiden Basiswissenschaften aber nicht so recht zusammenpassen - schon gar nicht im Schulunterricht, wo beide Fächer bisher meist getrennte Wege gehen. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, initiierte das Alkuin-Projekt am Institut für Alte Geschichte der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz eine einzigartige Vernetzungsmöglichkeit der beiden Schulfächer: Eine mathematisch und sprachlich kommentierte Textausgabe der Alkuin, dem Berater Karls des Großen, zugeschriebenen "Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend".
Die in diesem Band zusammengetragenen 25 Aufgaben und Lösungen aus dem Bereich der sog. "Unterhaltungsmathematik" bergen nicht nur eine Vielfalt mathematischer Teildisziplinen wie Arithmetik, Geometrie und Anordnungsprobleme, sondern dokumentieren exemplarisch auch die "Hinüberrettung" des antiken Erbes in die neue Epoche, etwa in den schon den Ägyptern bekannten linearen Problemen mit einer oder mehreren Unbekannten oder noch weit mehr in den Aufgaben zu Erbschaftsfragen oder Vermessungsproblemen, die ganz in römischer Tradition stehen.
Leitgedanke des Alkuin-Projekts ist die Einsicht, dass die beiden Fächer Mathematik und Latein aus lernpsychologischer Sicht zwar optimal zusammenpassen, es jedoch an sinnvoller interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit - nicht zuletzt aufgrund mangelnder Textausgaben - hapert. Im Rahmen des Alkuin-Projekts haben Dr. Sven Günther vom Institut für Alte Geschichte der Universität Mainz und Studienrat Michael Pahlke vom Gymnasium Mainz-Gonsenheim gemeinsam mit Studierenden eine repräsentative Auswahl der "Propositiones" für den fächerübergreifenden Unterricht schülergerecht aufbereitet und zudem einen benutzerfreundlichen Lehrerkommentar mit Übersetzungen sowie mathematischen, sprachlichen und historischen Anmerkungen erstellt.
"
Papers by Sven Guenther
Chen Mo has studied German Studies (Germanistik) for her MA at the University of Heidelberg. Besides working as lecturer for German she is writing her PhD thesis on the reception of Classics in China and Germany at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations.
Sven Günther is full professor of Classics at, and vice-director of, the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilization. His research centers on socio-economic history of Greek and Roman times as well as on numismatics and reception history of ancient studies across the globe.
The subtitle of the conference Frames and Framing in Antiquity II might cause severe
headaches: “sources in contexts – materiality, affordances, entanglements, and
communicative dynamics.” At first, we wonder, are sources not always to be
seen in their contexts? And if so, why would we load the critical assessment of
them with apparently rather trendy concepts which, at first sight, sound more
like buzzwords than useful analytical categories? These considerations lead us to
question what exactly this has to do at all with frames and framing (in antiquity),
which is in fact the main theme of this pioneering conference? The selected papers attempt to answer these questions.
Overall, the frame of paper arrangement makes it clear that we do not intend to utilise
a solely chronological order but also one where different sources and aspects of
them are fully considered. The material remains only provide us with information
about affordances offered to and about the lived experiences of the people in the past when carefully contextualised. Inscriptions (as well as coins, as shown
in this introduction) and the objects carrying them are particularly suitable for
multimodal frame analysis as they interact with spaces and viewers. Literary
sources create frameworks that have to be detected in order to not fall into the
trap of blindly following their narratives, discourses, and judgments. Hence,
sources should never be seen out of their contexts – a basic principle of historical
research – yet the careful consideration of their physical or mental “materiality”
in entanglement with the persons producing, shaping, and per/receiving them
might be the starting point to think further about the communicative dynamics
they embody, (still) mirror and unfold(ed), from the past until today.
The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University, Changchun, is deeply moved to convey the sad news of the passing of its colleague and former director Prof Wu Yuhong on 6 February 2023. As a dedicated researcher and teacher, Yuhong has built and substantially shaped modern Chinese Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies by educating the next two generations of Chinese Assyriologists, with many of them today holding key-positions at institutions for higher education in China. His broad international experience and research network made it possible to build long-lasting connections with renowned institutions, for the advantage of dozens of students, who over the years, have been able to conduct their studies around the world. His excellence in research is reflected in an impressive number of publications, both in Chinese and English, particularly focusing on the Ur III period. As professor at and ultimately as director of IHAC he worked hard that this unique institute, which was the first to offer study programs in Assyriology, Egyptology, and Classics in whole China and every year invites 4–5 international visiting professors to closely work with students and scholars, and its Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC) become a point of reference in the fields worldwide. For celebrating his 70th birthday, academic friends and colleagues published a Festschrift in 2021 with appreciations, a list of publications, and 15 contributions, which all till last hoped to deliver in person to him and has been now made available open access on the sad occasion of his death. Letters of condolence may be directed to the institute’s address (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, 130024 Changchun, Jilin Province, China) or electronically to svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn.
Byzantine gold coinage was immensely important in the political, social, and cultural life of the Near East and the Western Mediterranean during Late Antiquity and into the Middle Ages. Its significance can be judged from archaeological finds in Italy and Gaul as well as the Balkans, the Levant, and Northern Africa. Furthermore, from the 4th century onwards, Byzantine coins begin to appear along the Silk Roads, soon to be taken to countries in the Far East, including China.
Since the end of the 19th century, over one hundred Byzantine gold coins and coin imitations have been found in China. The findspots are mainly located in the northern areas, in a crescent extending from Xinjiang in the northwest to the province of Liaoning in the northeast. Chronologically, they mainly belong to a period from the late 6th century to the mid-8th century, i.e., from the late Northern Dynasties to the middle of the Tang Dynasty period, and they reflect the prosperity, exchange, and communication which once existed along the Silk Roads.
The international symposium on “Byzantine Gold Coins in the World of Late Antiquity,” held at the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) of Northeast Normal University (NENU), Changchun, China, 23–26 June 2017, aimed at delineating the political, economic, social, and cultural-religious conditions behind the flow of Byzantine gold coins not only into China but also within the broader Mediterranean region, into India, Central Asia, and Mongolia, as well as Southeast Asia. Even though some of the papers should be seen as very preliminary considerations on the respective subjects, all the investigations of specific coins in this volume contribute to the current development of building a more integrated and multifaceted picture of the world of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.
We express our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues, students, and friends who have supported the symposium and its publication in various ways. Our special thanks are due to Dr. Rebecca Darley, Dr. Jonathan Jarrett, and Prof. Dr. David A. Warburton for their painstaking review of drafts of papers. Finally, we acknowledge our debt to the National Social Science Fund of China (Program Code 2016BSS007 with the title “Imitations of Byzantine Gold Coins and the Production of Luxuries in the Early Byzantine Empire”) and to the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University (“Grant for Discipline Construction in the History Department of Sun Yat-sen University”) for their generous financial support.
Die Beiträge des Sammelbands nehmen diesen neuen Diskurs auf und beleuchten anhand des offenen Begriffs „Ordnungsrahmen“ das Thema Antike Ökonomie von mehreren Seiten, ohne sich auf neo-institutionalistische oder andere Theoreme zu beschränken. Dabei wird deutlich, dass einerseits „Ordnung“ und die durch sie vorgegebenen Rahmen das ökonomische Leben und Denken in der Antike entscheidend geprägt und gestaltet haben, andererseits dienen „Ordnungsrahmen“ aber der modernen Wissenschaft auch zur Verdeutlichung und Strukturierung der äußerst komplexen und beziehungsreichen ökonomischen Systeme. So spiegelt das breite Themenspektrum der Beiträge - von der mykenischen Frühgeschichte Griechenlands über Theorie und Praxis in der griechischen Klassik und im Hellenismus bis hin zu unterschiedlichen Aspekten der römischen Wirtschaft in Republik und Kaiserzeit - die Vielfältigkeit des Zuganges zur antiken Ökonomie wider und lenkt damit den Blick auf jeweils ganz bestimmte „Rahmen“ ökonomischen Handelns.
Mathematik und Latein mit Alkuin, dem ersten "Kultusminister" Deutschlands
Mathematik und Latein sind die beiden grundlegenden "Sprachen" der abendländischen Weltbeschreibung. Für den modernen Menschen wollen diese beiden Basiswissenschaften aber nicht so recht zusammenpassen - schon gar nicht im Schulunterricht, wo beide Fächer bisher meist getrennte Wege gehen. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, initiierte das Alkuin-Projekt am Institut für Alte Geschichte der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz eine einzigartige Vernetzungsmöglichkeit der beiden Schulfächer: Eine mathematisch und sprachlich kommentierte Textausgabe der Alkuin, dem Berater Karls des Großen, zugeschriebenen "Propositiones ad acuendos iuvenes / Aufgaben zur Schärfung des Geistes der Jugend".
Die in diesem Band zusammengetragenen 25 Aufgaben und Lösungen aus dem Bereich der sog. "Unterhaltungsmathematik" bergen nicht nur eine Vielfalt mathematischer Teildisziplinen wie Arithmetik, Geometrie und Anordnungsprobleme, sondern dokumentieren exemplarisch auch die "Hinüberrettung" des antiken Erbes in die neue Epoche, etwa in den schon den Ägyptern bekannten linearen Problemen mit einer oder mehreren Unbekannten oder noch weit mehr in den Aufgaben zu Erbschaftsfragen oder Vermessungsproblemen, die ganz in römischer Tradition stehen.
Leitgedanke des Alkuin-Projekts ist die Einsicht, dass die beiden Fächer Mathematik und Latein aus lernpsychologischer Sicht zwar optimal zusammenpassen, es jedoch an sinnvoller interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit - nicht zuletzt aufgrund mangelnder Textausgaben - hapert. Im Rahmen des Alkuin-Projekts haben Dr. Sven Günther vom Institut für Alte Geschichte der Universität Mainz und Studienrat Michael Pahlke vom Gymnasium Mainz-Gonsenheim gemeinsam mit Studierenden eine repräsentative Auswahl der "Propositiones" für den fächerübergreifenden Unterricht schülergerecht aufbereitet und zudem einen benutzerfreundlichen Lehrerkommentar mit Übersetzungen sowie mathematischen, sprachlichen und historischen Anmerkungen erstellt.
"
German Revolution of 1848/9. Though concepts such as ‘liberty’ and ‘law’ that could be easily linked to ancient roots were omnipresent in the German discourse of that time (aside the topic of ‘unity’) the actual reception of ancient ideas and iconographic schemes is scarce and ambiguous. It is argued that this is due to the different frameworks in which classical antiquity was re- and perceived in German intellectual circles of the 19th century: the classical concepts of individual libertas and Roman law (ius) as well as virtuous Romanitas were already framed as being ‘contaminated’ with a French color, hence the German emphasis on two figures, namely, actively fighting, not subjugated Germania and Arminius, aka Hermann, as defenders of German liberty and unity against the ill-famed radical ‘democratic’ French Revolution and the ‘invasive’ Napoleon stance. In this regard it is interesting to see that such view of classical antiquity gained ground in different political spectrums, from right to left wing, and pathed the way for a specific German view of the ancient past in the 19th and partly 20th century, at least in some circles.
[Keywords]: German Revolution of 1848/9 – reception of antiquity –
nationalism – liberty – frames and framing – Germania –
Arminius aka Hermann
While important topics such as the institutions of the Roman tax regime, the relationship of its actors to taxpayers, and the competitive character of the Roman elite in the field of public finances have been studied anew within these frameworks, the discursive character of the sources has rarely
been questioned and analyzed. Yet, the writings of contemporary authors such as Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust, as well as historiographic records from later periods do connect fiscal information with political, social, economic, or moral discourses. Hence, the task of this paper is to reveal the ancient frameworks within which taxes were perceived and presented in three case studies, and to juxtapose these with current debates
in order to demonstrate the extent to which ancient and modern authors frame(d) perceptions of Roman taxation in the Republican period.
Keywords: Augustus – Imperium Romanum – oikumenē – patterns – Seres
historical objects of reference for the formation of Chinese-European narratives throughout history. A public lecture by the founding director of the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany) on the topic “The Concept of ‘lieux de memoires’ (‘places ofmemory’/’Erinnerungsorte’). Attractive
Visualizing – Easy Learning – Communicative Remembrance of History by Testimonials/Temains/Objects of History” and a subsequent workshop on three case-studies each presented by a tandem of a Chinese and European researchers will set the frame for an intensive reflection on different perspectives on these objects. This event will be the starting point for a larger joint project that aims at engaging a larger audience in a fruitful discourse about Chinese-European joint history & cultural memory.
In our conference, we explore the chances and limits of these approaches. The underlying question in each section is the extent of rational activity and actions that can be discovered by various methods of analyzing ancient societies across the globe. In particular, the papers focus on one of the following panel topics: 1.) Ancient texts: From theory to practice – How did the ancients think economy, and how do we reconstruct the ancient thoughts?; 2.) Economic analysis of the economy (e.g., landed property and real estate / financial investments / demand and supply); 3.) Economic analysis of politics and of other areas of social life (e.g., institutions and institutional change / taxation / public spending / social networks / law / religion / moral behavior).
first Muziris-Workshop "Trade and Seafaring in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean in Antiquity",
on Friday, 28 May 2021, online via zoom,
organized by Stefan Baumann (Univ. Trier), Kerstin Droß-Krüpe (RUB), Sebastian Fink (Univ. Innsbruck), Sven Günther (IHAC, NENU) and Patrick Reinard (Univ. Trier).
Please find the program in the pdf (all times are CET summer time). To receive the zoom link and further information please send a registration request to sveneca@aol.com or svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn
Online via Zoom (all times Central European Time, i.e. UTC+2)
Registration under: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn
Key-note speaker: Prof. Dr. Hartmut Leppin (University of Frankfurt)
Organizers: Sven Günther (Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, Changchun) & Elisabeth Günther (Institute for Digital Humanities, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)
Frames and framing have entered the public discourse already before covid-19 but have recently become a hotly debated issue due to the styling of news, for instance in social media, that partly replace other possibilities of social communication at the moment. Based on models from the field of sociology, psychology, and communication studies, “frames” describe how people understand, react to, and are influenced by situations and activities (frame analysis). The phenomenon of “framing” assesses how individuals or institutions might use, modify, or challenge existing frameworks by creating new frames, or add new slots and fillers to common frames. Thus, the concept of framing is a useful tool for a broad range of disciplines since communication is viewed as a complex entanglement of sender, receiver, and medium and their related frames and not as a one-directional process of sending information from A to B.
In recent years, frame analysis has also gained attention in the field of ancient studies, particularly in ancient history and linguistics as well as classical archaeology with a specific focus on visual studies. However, the model’s full potential is yet to be exploited as it is still not comprehensively tested against the various ancient sources. Hence, the conference attempts to fill this obvious gap by assessing the theoretical tool-set as well as the application of such models to case-studies.
The dimensions of frame and framing models will be discussed in five panels, with each paper lasting 5-7 minutes followed by a respondent and an open question slot:
Panel I: From Theory to Practice
Panel II: Greek Frames and Modern Perception
Panel III: Greek and Roman Frames
Panel IV: Framing Strategies in the Late Roman Republic and Early Empire
Panel V: Framing Narratives in Archaeology
The key-note speech will be given by Professor Hartmut Leppin (University of Frankfurt) on the concept of parrhesia (“free speech”) in antiquity.
We warmly welcome participants to register under: svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn to receive the link to the online platform (Zoom) and further information as well as abstracts of the conference papers.