Ancient history and epigraphy
What makes the section of Ancient History and Epigraphy special?
The section of Ancient History and Epigraphy deals in research and teaching with the history of Greco-Roman antiquity (ca. 1200 BC to ca. 600 AD), taking into account both the early advanced civilizations from Mesopotamia to Egypt and the neighboring peripheral peoples. The subject of ancient studies is the entirety of the material legacy of antiquity; the aim is to capture the human world of this period - from concepts of the afterlife to eating habits.
Main research areas
The research focus of the section of Ancient History and Epigraphy at the Department of Classics includes the following areas
- Religious history of the Roman imperial period
- Latin epigraphy
- Cultural and intellectual history of the 2nd century AD using the example of Lucian of Samosata
- History of sport
- Violence in ancient cultures
- Ethnicity in antiquity
- Citizen Science - Science goes public
- New paths into antiquity - school cooperation
- Language of the Sidetians
- Ancient Cultures of the Mediterranean - Doctoral Program
Current research projects
The joint international research training group of the Universities of Graz and Erfurt aims to bring together research in ancient studies and biblical studies with sociological research. The subject is the relationship of the individual to the social, material and transcendental world, which is established and reflected upon in various social and, above all, religious practices. The central question here is under what conditions and with what consequences such self-world relationships are experienced as resonant, i.e. as dialogical-responsive. The exciting interdisciplinary cooperation across two complementary locations allows for a material-saturated comparison as well as the development of new methods, and thus a high-quality education of doctoral students.
FWF project P 34422 G Individual project (2021-2024)
Head: Wolfgang Spickermann
Collaborators: Werner Petermandl, Verena Reiter, Isabell Tscheinig
In continuation of the FWF project "The Celtic Names of Gods in the Inscriptions of the Roman Province Germania Inferior. A case study on religion in the context of cultural contact and cultural transfer" (P 29274-G25), a geographical area with a similar population structure is now being investigated in the military area on the left bank of the Rhine in the Roman province of Germania Superior. In this way, a review, deepening and expansion of the previous results can be tackled.
