History of religions. The spatial dimension of the divine world (Ordinario)
Prerequisiti
No special prerequisites.
Programma
The ordinary course will take place in two modules of 20 hours each, for a total of 40 hours, with four hours per week during 10 weeks. The chosen theme is that of space as a characterising element of the divine world in Antiquity (without excluding a priori some forays into different temporal contexts). Beyond Thales' and Plato's statement that "everything is full of gods", it is necessary to understand how specific contexts, whether local, regional or global, domestic or civic, real or imaginary, contribute to shaping the divine, whether in the form of rituals, cult buildings, divine onomastics, or narrative traditions. We will ask how divine and human space are articulated, how places of worship fit into the urban and/or rural fabric, and mark the territory, from borders to the heart of power. The two 20-hour modules will respectively explore "divine ecology", i.e. the integrated ecosystems between humans, non-humans and superhumans, and gods on the move, i.e. the dynamics that lead gods and their cults to move: colonisation, war, trade, diplomacy...
Obiettivi formativi
The course aims to offer, through the chosen topic, an articulated picture of polytheisms and monotheisms of Antiquity, spanning different cultural, linguistic and historical contexts. On the methodological level, emphasis will be placed on the one hand on a transversal and multidisciplinary approach of all available sources, and on the other hand on historical-anthropological comparisons attentive to ancient categories. Another skill to be acquired will be the reading of relevant publications and the writing of a critical review of historiography. Finally, the course will also be an opportunity to discover some tools of the Digital Humanities, in particular an ongoing project of a Digital Atlas of Greek and Semitic divine names.
Riferimenti bibliografici
Some preliminary indications. A more complete bibliography will be distributed at the beginning of the course.
- Philippe Borgeaud, Francesca Prescendi (a cura di), Religioni antiche. Un'introduzione comparata, Roma, Carocci, 2017.
- Hans Beck, Localism and the Ancient Greek City-State, Chicago, Chicago University Press, 2020.
- Thomas, Galoppin et alii (eds.), Naming and Mapping the Gods in the Ancient Mediterranean, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2021.
- Achim Lichtenberger, Der Olymp. Sitz der Götter zwischen Himmel und Erde, Stuttgart, Kohlhammer, 2021.
- Hans Beck, Julia Kindt (eds.), The Local Horizon of Ancient Greek Religion, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Moduli
| Modulo | Ore | CFU | Docenti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modulo 1: La dimensione spaziale del mondo divino Ecosistemi divini (per ordinari) | 20 | 3 | Corinne Bonnet |
| Modulo 2: La dimensione spaziale del mondo divino Divinità in movimento (per ordinari e PhD) | 20 | 3 | Corinne Bonnet |