Seminar Schedule spring 2026
[Cancelled] 21. Jan - Timo Kulartz, Impressions of Power. Roman emperors, gods, and the city archive of Doliche
Week: 4
Day: Wednesday, 21 January, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Timo Kulartz presents findings and interpretations from excavations in the city archive of Doliche
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
4. Feb - Joseph Scales, Analysing violent variations in ancient Jewish narrative
Week: 6
Day: Wednesday, 4th of February, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Joseph introduces his project to the group, which focuses on the following:
Narrated violence is presently treated as a self-evident phenomenon in ancient Jewish literature (c. 500 BCE – 300 CE). Violence as a concept is reduced to a physical act of harm, understood by ancient authors in the same way modern readers. Framing violence in this way creates interpretative problems when addressing these texts and their use throughout history. This basic construction of violence limits our appreciation of how violence is not simple, and the meaning of violence does not remain consistent between cultures and over time. AViVa will analyse the conveyed norms of violence in depictions of warfare in ancient Jewish literature to examine variation in episodes of violence over the course of conflict. This innovative concept will drastically move analysis of ancient war narratives forward and enable truly meaningful cross-cultural engagement on the subject of probity in war. In this way, we can develop a more precise language for discussing conflicts and harm in our own time.
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
18. Feb - Get to know RadHEART
Week: 8
Day: Wednesday, 18th of February, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Newly arrived members from the RadHEART project introduce themselves and their work to the group
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
5. Mar - Daniele Miano, Italy at the time of Pyrrhus
Week: 10
Day: Thursday, 5th of March, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Prof. Daniele Miano visits us from the University of Oslo to present his research on Italy at the time of Pyrrhus.
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
18. Mar - Lucinda Dirven, Mithras and His Worshippers in Dura-Europos. The Latest Developments in New research
Week: 12
Day: Wednesday, 18th of March, 14:15–16:00
Activity: Lucinda Dirven presents her research on a mithraeum discovered in Dura-Europos
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
15. Apr - Antiquity Bachelor Seminar
Week: 16
Day: Wednesday, 15th of April, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Seminar for bachelor students writing on antiquity
Location: TBD
22. Apr - Ancient Egypt workshop with Chris Madsen Stien, Pål Steiner, and Pär Sandin.
Week: 17
Day: Wednesday, 22nd of April, 12:15–16:00
Aktivitet: Workshop on Ancient Egypt featuring presentations by visiting researcher Chris Madsen Stien (SDU), Pål Steiner (UiB), and Pär Sandin (UiB).
- Chris Madsen will present aspects of his PhD project, “Recitations for Going Out in Procession by Day”? A Paratextual Approach to the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.
- Pål Steiner will present a draft of his conference paper, “Anthropomorphism as Ritual Technology: Divine Roles and Ritual Agency in the Pyramid Texts”.
- Pär Sandin will circulate a text related to his work on a commentary on Aeschylus: “The Land of Zeus: Egypt as Reality and as Religious and Political Greek Vision in Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 1–5.”
Sted: Klassisk bibliotek i HF-bygget; rom 373
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
6. May - Annika Svendal Os, Lærebøkenes Athen og Sparta
Week: 19
Day: Wednesday, 6th of May, 12:15–14:00
Activity: PhD candidate Annika Svendal Os presents aspects of her work that concern the reception of Athens and Sparta in modern Norwegian school books
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
20. May - Sissel Undheim, Mediated awe and superhuman greatness in the story worlds of the Roman empire
Week: 21
Day: Wednesday, 20th of May, 12:15–14:00
Activity: Sissel Undheim will present a draft of a chapter she is developing. Title is tentative.
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
26. May - Tomáš Glomb, Veterans and medical infrastructure as potential predictors for the worship of Asclepius in Roman Dacia: A GIS approach (introducing a 5-year research project)
Week: 22
Day: Tuesday, 26th of May 14:15–16:00
Activity: Tomáš Glomb presents results from the project he has previously discussed with us and outlines the plans for the next five years
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
3. Jun - Fynn Riepe, Caementum Structura in Northern Syria: The Development During the 1st - 3rd Centuries CE
Week: 23
Day: Wednesday, 3rd of June, 12:15–14:00
Activity: PhD candidate Fynn Riepe presents findings from his project on cement and its use in Syria
Location: Classical Library, HF Building; Room 373
Seminar Schedule Autumn 2025
15. Aug - Discussion, Courses in Antiquity
Week: 33
Date: Friday 15th of August, 12:00-14:00
Activity: Discussion on range and overlap of offered subjects in antiquity
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
3. Sep - Marijn Visscher, Manuscript Seminar - FemNET
Week: 36
Date: Wednesday 3rd of September, 12:00-14:00
Activity: Marijn Visscher presents a preliminary ERC application manuscript for FemNET.
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
17. Sep - Gillian Glass, Political Parables: The Imperial Implications of Er and Scipio’s Cosmic Travels
Week: 38
Date: Wednesday 17th of September, 12:00-14:00
Activity: Dr Gillian Glass (Aarhus University) presents finds from her most recent publication, Authority from the Back of Beyond: Cosmic Travel as a Rhetorical Strategy across the Myth of Er, the Book of the Watchers, and the Dream of Scipio. The publication is accessible through open access, and can be read by following the link above.
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
2-3. Oct - NIA Workshop, Athens
Week: 40
Date: Thursday and Friday 2nd-3rd of October, Full Days
Activity: The research group discusses future research aims and collaborations
Place: Norwegian institute in Athens
17. Oct - Follow up meeting on an antiquity Emnepakke
Week: 42
Date: Friday 17th of October, 12:00-14:00
Activity: To follow up on our meeting the 15th of August, we meet to discuss and continue work on an Emnepakke for students of antiquity.
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
29. Oct - Antiquity Master's Seminar
Week: 44
Date: Wednesday 29th of October, 12:00-16:00
Activity: Master's students of antiquity from different disciplines present and discuss their various projects
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
12. Nov - Laura Feldt, Radical Habits of the Heart - Emotions, Embodiment, and Strong Individual Commitment in Ancient Religions
Week: 46
Date: Wednesday 12th of November, 14:00-16:00
Activity: Laura Feldt presents her ERC project: Radical Habits of the Heart - Emotions, Embodiment, and Strong Individual Commitment in Ancient Religions
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
26. Nov - Jon Martin Perander, The living, the dead and the thing: Ajax’ sword and the statue of Mitys
Week: 48
Date: Wednesday 26th of November, 12:00-14:00
Activity: Presentation with following discussion
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
10. Dec - Semester Close, Christmas Gathering
Week: 50
Date: Wednesday 10th of December, time TBD
Activity: Social gathering for the research group to close out the semester
Place: TBD
Seminar Schedule Spring 2025
22.jan - Moa Christina Airijoki: Mobility, Controversy, and Apophthegmata Patrum: the Desert Father Legacy
Week: 4
Date: 22.jan
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Moa Christina Airijoki – Mobility, Controversy, and Apophthegmata Patrum: the Desert Father Legacy
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
31.jan - Introduction Seminar – Anthology «Roads (not) taken: travelling people, gods, ideas, texts and goods in the ancient world.
Week: 5
Date: 22.jan
Day: Friday
Activity: Introduction Seminar – Anthology «Roads (not) taken: travelling people, gods, ideas, texts and goods in the ancient world.
Place: Sydnesplassen 12-13; Room 129
05.feb - Einar Thomassen – Travelling Gnostics – Fiction and Reality
Week: 6
Date: 05.feb
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Einar Thomassen – Travelling Gnostics – Fiction and Reality
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
19.feb - Simon Malmberg – Guiding the Traveler in Rome: Monuments and Martyr in the Urban Landscape
Week: 8
Date: 19.feb
Day: Onsdag
Activity: Simon Malmberg – Guiding the Traveler in Rome: Monuments and Martyr in the Urban Landscape
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
05.mar - Thomas Hussøy – Gods and Legends: Festivals, myths, and religion as methods of forging identity in ancient Arcadia and Aetolia
Uke: 10
Date: 05.mar
Day: Onsdag
Activity: Thomas Hussøy – Gods and Legends: Festivals, myths, and religion as methods of forging identity in ancient Arcadia and Aetolia
Place: Øysteinsgate 3, room 418
19.mar - Lucian and the Syrian Goddess – Experiences of a Reading Group
Week: 12
Date: 19.mar
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Lucian and the Syrian Goddess – Experiences of a Reading Group
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
02.apr - Gjesteforelesing – Lasse Løvlund Toft - The Creation of Michael and Angel Christology in Coptic Literature in Egypt and Nubia
Week: 14
Date: 02.apr
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Guest Lecture – Lasse Løvlund Toft - The Creation of Michael and Angel Christology in Coptic Literature in Egypt and Nubia
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
10.apr - Interdisciplinary MA-seminar
Week: 15
Date: 10.apr
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Interdisciplinary MA-seminar on the ancient world
Place: Sydneshaugen skole, seminar room N
23.apr - Magnus Knutsen - The Shifting Settlements of the Hellenistic Peloponnese
Week: 17
Date: 23.apr
Day: Onsdag
Activity: Magnus Knutsen - The Shifting Settlements of the Hellenistic Peloponnese
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
29.apr - The Ancient World BA-seminar
Week: 18
Date: 29.apr
Day: Tuesday
Activity: The Ancient World BA-seminar
Place: Sydneshaugen skole, Grupperom J
07.may - Francis Borchardt – Never Again Shall Masada Fall: The Discovery and Use of Masada in Zionist Discourse
Week: 19
Date: 07.may
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Francis Borchardt – Never Again Shall Masada Fall: The Discovery and Use of Masada in Zionist Discourse
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Room 373
21.may - Manuscript/proposal workshop with prof. Elisa Uusimäki (Aarhus)
Week: 21
Date: 21.may
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Manuscript/proposal workshop with prof. Elisa Uusimäki (Aarhus)
Place: Classics Library in HF-bygget; Rom 373
04.jun - Laura Feldt - ERC Presentation/ Semester Close [Cancelled]
Week: 23
Date: 04.jun
Day: Wednesday
Activity: Laura Feldt - ERC Presentation/ Semester Close
Place: TBA