Classica Cracoviensia

Front Matter

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In memoriam

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Abstract is not available for this article.

Erneut zu AE 1979,33

2022-12-30T14:31:52+01:00

A different dating of the columbarium inscription AE 1979, 33 is proposed. The various possibilities of interpreting the inscription are discussed and the connection of Idumaeus, a slave belonging to Livia and Tiberius, to Herod the Great and/or his sister Salome, as stated by Heinrich Chantraine, is questioned.

Phaedrus' Exam

2022-12-30T14:31:58+01:00

Explored through a pedagogical lens, Plato’s Theuth and Thamus anecdote reveals an educational intervention designed to examine and apply the teachings of Socrates through a ‘real-world’ philosophical conundrum: how to wisely contend with the introduction of new technology. This work suggests that Theuth and Thamus can be viewed as the black and white horses of Plato’s chariot metaphor, and that this chariot driving lesson helps student-philosophers understand the role of wisdom in governing both their personal lives and the state. Serving as an examination, the anecdote draws together the ideas student philosophers have explored throughout the earlier portions of the dialogue.

Pandora as a Beautiful Woman and a Object of Desire

2022-12-30T14:31:55+01:00

The following paper discusses the way in which female beauty was conceived of in ancient Greek culture, especially in the Hesiodic description of the creation of Pandora. As I argue, some of the aspects of this creature that, according to some feminist academic writers, might have resulted from an unsympathetic perception of women, as a matter of fact, may be a part of a positively charged image of an ideal woman in Hesiodic epics. The alleged artificiality and superficiality of Pandora were most probably not meant to compromise her truthfulness or fertility, but instead were intended to attract males.

Relationes 10-12 of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus as an Elogium to Commemorate Vettius Agorius Praetextatus

2022-12-30T14:32:04+01:00

Relationes 10−12 stand out from Q.A. Symmachus’ reports written to give an account of his activities at the position of the prefect of Rome (praefectus urbis Romae). These three relationes were written and sent by Symmachus to Roman emperors to inform them of the death of V.A. Praetextatus, who was a famous and influential Roman dignitary as well as Symmachus’ close friend. Rel. 10−12 are not only thematically related, but also – unlike the rest of the reports − clearly marked with personal and laudatory accents and thus their nature significantly differs from the formal documents sent to emperors from the chancellery of an imperial administrative dignitary. In this paper, we aim at presenting Rel. 10−12 as an elogium, in which in three separate reports Symmachus included a coherent eulogy of Praetextatus and presented his idealized portrait tinged with his own personal feelings, underpinned by the aspects of conservative ideology cultivated then within the circles of the Roman senatorial aristocracy.

Re-use of Nuragic Sacred Wells (Pozzi Sacri) in Punic Sardinia

2022-12-30T14:32:01+01:00

The aim of the paper is to discuss the phenomenon of the re-use of Nuragic sacred wells (pozzi sacri) during the Punic period (c. 500–238 BC) in Sardinia. Although the Nuragic settlement system and power structures ceased to exist by the Late Iron Age, the sanctuaries – built primarily in the Final Bronze Age (c. 1200/1150–900 BC) and the Early Iron Age (c. 900–750 BC) – were still used for ritual purposes, as demonstrated by finds from the sacred wells of Orri (Arborea), San Salvatore (Gonnosno) and Cuccuru Is Arrius (Cabras). This phenomenon is analyzed in the context of cultural changes which took place in Sardinia during the period of Carthaginian domination, such as the emergence of hybridized culture with indigenous and Punic elements.

Jerome's Epistula Prima

2022-12-30T14:31:49+01:00

Jerome wrote Epistula prima probably during the decade of 366–376. Little is known about this stage in his life, but it was apparently then that as a young man he became interested in asceticism and at the end of this period of time finally decided to become a monk. However, the ascetic ideas are not the main theme of Ep. 1. The letter tells the story of a falsely accused woman who was subjected to torture and survived seven strokes of the executioner’s sword. The way in which Jerome interprets and presents these events reflects his spiritual profile and aesthetic preferences. The text can be interpreted both as a letter (a ‘real’ or a ‘fictional’ one) with an embedded narrative and as a non-epistolary work with a dedicatory preface. This affects the way in which the reader responds to the introduction (where Jerome’s anxiety concerning the imperfection of his style is expressed) as well as his or her right to assess the subsequent narrative. None of these approaches eliminates the duality in the text’s structure. Therefore, it should be interpreted on the two following levels: as an epistolary speculum animi, which shows Jerome in the situation of undertaking the task of writing the narrative, and as another, literary speculum, which reflects the author’s soul by means of artistic expression.

Professionalisierung und Ethnographie – Xenophon Über die Thraker

2022-12-30T14:31:46+01:00

Ethnography from the 4th century BCE after the Peloponnesian War and up to Alexander’s campaign has so far been underrepresented in ancient historical research. This article attempts to fill in the gap by examining the multi-layered functions of ethnographic writing, using the Thracians in the Xenophontic Anabasis as an example. Thereby, it will be shown that expert knowledge of the 4th century in particular played a formative role in describing foreign ethnic groups. Finally, ethnographic information about the Thracians significantly supports Xenophon’s self-representation as ideal military leader and philosopher.

Back Matter

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