Eurolog – Europe in Dialogue with Antiquity

Eurolog – Europe in Dialogue
with Antiquity
Imprint
Editor
Prof. Dr. Harald Siebenmorgen
Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe
Concept, realization, text
Dr. Katarina Horst
Alexandra Neuner M.A.
Angelika Zinsmaier M.A.
Translation (from German): Joanne Eysell
Building services and restoration, Marketing, PR,
Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe
Exhibition design and graphics
Ranger-Design, Stuttgart
Contact
Dr. Katarina Horst
[email protected]
Thanks to
Dorothee Abdelhamid, Goethe-Institut Tunis
Christiane Bohrer, Direktorin Goethe-Institut Tunis
Kurt Ranger und Peter Fajt, Ranger-Design Stuttgart
Claus Hattler, Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe
Eva Kurz, Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe
Danae Kontopodis, Heraklion
Ferdaous Louichi, Tunis
Belinda Montúfar de Maschke, EU-Koordinationsstelle
Prof. Jim Moran, Toronto
Peter Panik, Wien
Dr. Martin Schäfer, Archaeological Society at Athens
Picture credit:
Access to the World: Hamburg Harbour: Martin Elsen
City Centre: Karlsruhe, Bildstelle Stadt Karlsruhe MMG,
Cairo: monasosh, flickr. Fez: cutcaster
Belief: Rothko-Chapel: www.rothkochapel.org, Votive from
Weißenburg: Archäologische Staatssammlung, Munich, God’s
corner: Kapfenhof St. Peter, Germany,
Wellness: Badenweiler: ‚Archäologie erleben‘, ed. A. Pomper,
R.Redies, A.Wais, p.42, published by Theiss, Stuttgart 2004.
Hamam: Frauenzentrum in der Schokoladenfabrik, Berlin Vision
in White: mass-wedding: Kim Hong-Ji, Thompson- Reuters,
Aldobrandinian Wedding , after: ‘Pompejianische Wandbilder’,
A. Majouri, Berlin 1938
All other pictures: The Eurolog-partner-museums and authors.
ISBN 978-3-937345-63-5
Introduction
Why get to know the past? How can knowledge of antiquity help to answer
questions in the present and future? These questions are the focus of the Eurolog
Project.
If we look at individual events of the past and their effects, we can see that similar
events are taking place even today, and that their effects can thus be predicted.
The thesis of comparability is supported by the fact that today’s European
countries and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean look back on a
common past. Today’s Europe developed from that past. Among the many ages
of the past, there is one epoch which had particular influence on the EuroMediterranean area and thus can be taken as the common denominator for
Europe and the Mediterranean area of today: Greco-Roman antiquity.
Globalisation and migration with the attendant mixing of cultures is a horror for
many people in Europe these days. As a consequence, tendencies to withdraw,
to marginalize and to regionalize can be observed. There has always been mutual
influence among cultures and there always will be. Usually these influences have
not been understood as “alien”, but viewed in an individual’s own perception as
part of his own culture. Looking at the way in which people dealt with this intermixing in the past opens new solutions for today. One concrete example is the
Imperium Romanum which united many peoples and cultures in one system.
Entry into the Imperium, which was not usually voluntary, nonetheless offered the
individual person a lot: safety, a rule of laws, affluence, liberty, and all this without
giving up one’s own traditions and cultures. This and other examples of the
Eurolog Project will show that a united Europe brings advantages for everyone,
and not suppression of one’s own cultural identity.
Katarina Horst
Eurolog – Europe in
Dialogue with Antiquity
People in the European-Mediterranean area look back on a common past, which is
still present these days in intellectual and material heritage. Meetings and relationships and the various related forms of communication and life are a characteristic
component of both the antique and today’s world. For millennia, foreign cultural
elements have entered one sphere or been transposed to another in a constant
exchange. The Eurolog Method is dedicated to these processes and offers a change
of perspective.
Imperium Romanum –
“Globalisation” in Antiquity
The Imperium Romanum stands in parallel to the current globalised world, since it
united many peoples and cultures in one system. The expansion of Rome still influences maps of Europe these days. At its zenith, the multi-cultural state probably had
more than 100 million inhabitants. Entry into the Imperium wasn’t always voluntary,
but nonetheless, it offered many people safety, a rule of law and freedom without
having to give up one’s own traditions and cultures. Usually, stable mixed cultures
formed as a result of integration processes through contact between Romans and
the conquered people. Much of what appears successful today was achieved by the
Imperium Romanum under other conditions: it created a uniform economic space, a
common currency, the same rights for everyone and, despite the inclusion of many
peoples, uniform foreign and defense politics.
This project has been funded with support from
the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and
the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
The Eurolog Project
The Eurolog Method
How can answers to today’s social questions be found by examining Antiquity? The
common cultural heritage of the Euro-Mediterranean area was particularly widespread in Antiquity. The Mediterranean region has always been an exchange area for
goods and culture. Dealings among the various cultures formed the modern world
and continue to influence it today. If we look at individual phenomena in everyday
living and their effects, it becomes clear that there is still something similar going on
now. This realization can provide beneficial impulses for the mode of living in the
Europe of today and of the future.
The Goal of Eurolog
In the European dialogue with antiquity, the international project team examine
everyday occurrences in today’s society and make it clear that components ostensibly
belonging to one culture have arisen from a common cultural heritage. This knowledge is expected to lead to understanding and respect, thus working to overcome
boundaries, discrimination, suppression and injustice. With this goal, Eurolog wants
to stimulate open exchange between people of all countries, open new points of
view and support intercultural competences.
Based on the “Eurolog Method”, the international project partners developed innovative products of publication and communication at Museums and historic sites. In
addition to this exhibition, a childrens’ book, guidelines for a tour guide, a fairy-tale
and a Smartphone-App have been created. You can find additional information at
www.eurolog-project.eu.
Access to the World
Cultural Exchange over the Sea
The Cyclops live without seafaring and contact
to the outside world, so they have remained
without culture, judged the Greek poet
Homer in about 700 BC. in his epic poem
“The Odyssey” about the population of giants
on a Mediterranean island.
In fact, Mediterranean peoples traversed great
distances in their ships and reached foreign
coasts very early. The natural conditions of
the Mediterranean area offered a wide variety
of raw materials, like copper from Cyprus or
marble from the Greek islands. Thanks to the
flourishing marine trade, there were a number
of production possibilities. Ancient advanced
civilizations like Egypt, Phoenicia and Greece
exchanged ideas and knowhow. This resulted
in an enormous cultural development which
impacts even on our life today. Some of the
greatest achievements of mankind were
realized: metal-working and the invention and
promulgation of the alphabet by the Phoenicians to the Greeks and thence to the Romans.
Aerial view of the Citadel of Alanya, Turkey: The oldest
parts of the fortress date from the 2nd century BC, the shipyard and the “Red Tower” were built in the Seljuk period.
Worldwide Net
Huge storage facilities, stemming of piracy,
a common currency and finally the Roman
Peace, the Pax Romana, decreed by Emperor
Augustus, made the Roman Empire into a
uniform economic area. The greatest goodstransfer in the ancient world was conducted
and can serve as a model for today’s
world-wide trade.
Formerly, seafaring connected the Mediterranean regions and made them one common
homogeneous cultural area – today, global
networking makes use of many forms of
transportation.
The harbor in Hamburg, Germany, is the third-largest
container port in Europe.
on the road
Xanten
Colonia Ulpia Traiana
Str
a
ße
Köln
Colonia
Agrippina
tal
Mobility
ein
Strasbourg
Argentorate
Augst
Augusta
Rauricorum
Avenches
Aventicium
Lyon
Lugdunum
Trento
Tridentum
Milano
Mediolanum
Bolzano
Pons Drusi
Via Do
mitia
People from all parts of the multi-national
state met on the new roads: merchants with
their wares, artisans who applied their
abilities in other regions, ambassadors,
soldiers, slaves, slave traders, families and
educational tourists.
Marseille
Massilia
g
Au
Via
Ae
Ravenna
Au
g
m
ust
il
Genova ia Scau
ri
Genua
Nice
Pisa
Nicae
Pisae
a
Via Flaminia
Face-to-Face Encounter
Ju
ia
laud
lia
Via
Virunum
Verona
Verona
C
Via
ta
us
SS1
Rimini
Colonia Ariminum
Fano
Fanum Fortunae
SS3
Via
li
re
Au
Roma
Ascoli
Asculum
ria
la
a
Vi
a
Rome
Sa
SS4
SS5
urtina
Via Tib
Valeria
Via
Ap
pia
Ostia
Ostia
Napoli
Neapolis
Communication
The network of roads is not only the greatest
civilizing achievement of the Romans, but also
the most important motor in the spread of
Roman culture over the entire empire. Written
and spoken Latin as the official language in
many provinces, education, mythology,
gastronomy and a system of hygiene are
examples of this. The roads were, however,
not one-way: the Romans were open to
cultural influences as long as they offered
a promise of improved quality of life.
For example, they adopted trousers and
hooded coats from colder climates.
Many of today’s main streets run along
the ancient Roman roads.
Augsburg
Augusta
Vindelicum
Rö
mis
che
Rh
Being on the road is nothing special these
days. Roads connect the entire European and
Mediterranean region. This possibility of great
mobility was originally created by the Roman
army. During the territorial spread over about
1000 years, they built a massive system of
roads more than 80,000 km long – twice the
distance around the equator.
Pescara
Aternum
SS7
Brindisi
Brundisium
Istanbul
Byzantium
Durrës
Dyrrhachium
Via Egnatia
Edessa
Taranto
Tarentum
Thessaloniki
Thessalonica
main routes in Roman time
todays main routes
Patras
Patrae
Tunis
Carthago
Milestones were the Roman “street signs”. They showed
the distance to the nearest city or town. This one stood on
a road in Upper Germania about 200 AD.
The traveling wagon on the gravestone of the Roman
legionnaire Lucius Aemilius Crescens could point to the
involvement of his family in transport. The gravestone
was found in the province of Upper Germania and dates
from the 1st century AD.
Athina
Athenae
Korinthos
Corinthus
Centre Ville
City Centre
As long as there have been cities there have
been places where people gather. The main
axes lead to this intersection of meetings,
trade, celebrations, religious ceremonies, justice and politics. These functions are reflected
in the architecture of the square. In ancient
Greece, the column-lined representative
square – the ”agora” – was framed by shops,
temples and official buildings. The agora was
one essential social characteristic of a Greek
city-state starting in the 6th century BC. Free
male citizens could influence political events
in the early public assemblies. The Romans
adopted the design of the square for their
“forum” and spread it to the cities of the
Roman Empire.
European city planning today still adheres to
this ancient design. The idea of a city centre
makes it possible for visitors to become
oriented quickly.
Today, the Roman word “forum” not only means the public
urban space, but is used also for world-wide exchange in
virtual internet platforms.
Medina of Fez, Marocco
Syntagma Square with parliament,
Athens, Greece
Orient and Occident
The oriental city developed differently. A
dense network of narrow alleys and buildings
results in close proximity of living, trade and
prayer. The heart of this urban structure is the
mosque – the focus of the religious, everyday
and political life of the residents of a medina
(city). Large squares were created in newlybuilt suburbs under the influence of European
architecture in the 20th century.
The agora in Athens is considered to be the cradle of democracy, since the first public assemblies were held here.
Agora of Perge – The social,
economic and cultural
centre of the Hellenistic city
of Perge dating in Roman
times (today Turkey)
Tahrir Square during demonstrations
in febr. 2011, Cairo, Egypt, photo: Monasosh, flickr
Market Square with town hall and church,
Karlsruhe, Germany, photo: MMG
Ostraka: Justice was administered on the agora
in Athens. The free citizens of Athens used clay
fragments as “ballots” when the vote was taken
at the “the shard court - Ostracism”.
belief
Many cultures – many creeds
The ancient religions included a diversity of
gods, myths and rituals which all melted
together over the centuries in the
Mediterranean regions.
After the founding of Rome, the religious concepts of the Italic peoples were influenced by
the Greek Olympian deities. With the
establishment of the Roman Empire, many
emperors demanded god-like reverence to
their person. As long as this law was
obeyed, the people were able to practice their
own cult. The Romans actually had great
interest in the religious customs of foreign
cultures and integrated them into Roman
ways.
Calendar
Advent calendars have been preparing
children in the German-speaking region
for Christmas since the 19th century.
The Christian motifs behind the 24
little doors have now been replaced by
sweets. But the Christian tradition of the
Advent calendar has remained. Muslims
living in Berlin have taken over the idea
of the Advent calendar to structure the
fasting month Ramadan until the Festival
of Breaking of the Fast.
The Pantheon in Rome, Italy, which dates from the time of
the emperors in the 2nd century AD.
Limited tolerance
This multiplicity of creeds led to the creation
of new cults and intercultural dieties. Roman
tolerance reached its limits, however, with
monotheistic religions, like Judaism and
Christianity, because they refused to make
offerings to the emperor.
A temple for all gods
Pantheon in Greek means “to all gods”. The
Pantheon in Rome, which dates from the time
of the emperors, was the first temple
dedicated to all gods. The philanthropists de
Menil followed a similar idea in building the
Rothko-Chapel in Houston “as a place for
religious ceremonies of all faiths, a center for
human rights, freedom and global concerns”.
The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas/ USA,
was dedicated in 1971. The interior of the octagonal building is decorated with 14 monochromatic paintings
by the artist Marc Rothko.
Votives
The custom of votive offerings in supplication
or thanks for healing connects visitors of
Minoan summit shrines with those making
sacrifices in Greek and Roman temples, and
Christians in Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Archeologists found clay figures like these
around the Minoan summit shrine from the
2nd millenium BC in Petsophas on Crete,
Greece.
The Roman votive sheet showing the goddess
Minerva and the gods Apollo and Mercury,
dates from the 3rd century BC and was
found in the Bavarian town of Weiβenburg
in Germany.
Modern Greek Orthodox votive sheets can be
purchased in shops selling devotional items.
Symbols
People have always felt the need to
turn to higher beings with offerings and
prayers. Rites and symbols serve to protect
against disaster. The eye is one such symbol which has been used in all times and
in many cultures. It is perceived and understood everywhere in the world. It may
be adopted consciously or unconsciously.
Artemis – Diana
The Greeks worshiped the goddess Artemis as
the protector of women, as ruler of animals, the
forest and hunting. She is usually portrayed with
bow and arrows.
Due to her life-giving characteristics, she became
fused in Asia Minor with the mountain and mother goddess Kybele to Artemis Ephesia, who was
worshiped in Ephesos, western Turkey. Her cult
image is decorated with animals and her bodice is
covered with what are probably fertility symbols.
The Romans identified the Italic goddess Diana,
protectress of animals and birth, with Artemis.
Diana is predominantly depicted as a huntress in
a short dress, boots and carrying a quiver.
In the age of the emperors, the Romans set up
cult centers for Diana throughout the Roman
Empire and combined her with a local female
deity with similar characteristics. North of the
Alps, the Romans became acquainted with
Abnoba, the Celtic goddess of the Black Forest.
She was equated with Diana and worshiped as
the Celtic-Roman “Diana Abnoba”. In south-western Germany, small statues of the Black Forest
goddess were found near hot springs and natural
shrines, but also along the newly-built roads. The
godly patroness of healing springs then protected
travelers as Diana Abnoba.
Expression of private piety
The Romans set up a lararium, a domestic altar
with small figures of gods, for daily devotions and
for protection. Christians in many areas dedicate
a corner in their homes as a place for religious
devotions. Muslims use prayer rugs and are thus
not spatially limited in their daily prayers. For
them, the point of the compass is decisive. Pious
Jews decorate their doorposts with the Mezuzah,
a small vial containing a roll of parchment with
the prayer Shma Israel – “Hear, O Israel”.
Egyptian Isis
Lactans,
Baden State Museum
Karlsruhe
Mezuzah
Roman Isis
from Perge,
Archeological Museum,
Alanya
Devotional object:
Maria with child
Isis and Maria
For the Egyptians, Isis was mother of the gods,
ruler of the world and creator of all cultures. The
seated goddess is holding her son Horus on her
lap. Horus is the divine ruler of the country on the
Nile. Greeks and Romans also worshiped Isis and
spread the miracle cult in the empire. The picture
of Isis and her child is reflected in Christian portrayals of the Madonna.
Gallo – Roman
Diana Abnoba,
Baden State Museum
Karlsruhe
Roman Diana,
Capitoline Museum Rome
Roman lararium from the Casa dei Vettii
in Pompey, Italy, from the 1st century BC
Souvenir object:
Roman Artemis of Ephesos
“God’s Corner” in a living room in
the Black Forest
Modern „lararium“
by the Austrian designer Peter Panik
Muslim prayer rug
Vision in White
Vestis virum reddit –
clothes make the man
– said the Roman rhetorician Quintilian in the
first century AD. Clothing protects and warms,
reflects personality and expresses belonging
to a society. Dress codes, which everyone in a
group understands, apply for special occasions. This social phenomenon has existed since
antiquity.
Vision in White
Today many people associate the color white
with a wedding gown. In ancient Greece
and Rome, women wore white as a sign of
purity. In one of the tragedies by the Greek
poet Euripides, the mythological bride Alkestis
approaches her husband King Admetos in a
white robe, léfko péplo. In Roman times, a
mural from Rome gives witness to the custom
of marrying in a white dress with a veil. The
Christians took over and spread this tradition
in association with church-prescribed
ceremonies.
Thanks to western films and celebrity weddings, the modern white wedding gown has
conquered the hearts of women in many
parts of the world. Thus ancient and Christian
elements have entered the customs of other
creeds.
“Aldobrandinian Wedding”: The mural from Rome dates
from the 1st century BC. The bride, dressed in white
with a veil, sits waiting on the bed.
Mass wedding in Asia: The brides are wearing white
wedding gowns.
Turkish bridal pair: A western wedding gown is combined
with the traditional Turkish custom of pinning on
banknotes.
um
Dim S
Enjoy your meal!
Culinary Culture
Cereal porridge was originally part of the
Roman’s everyday menu. With the Roman colonization of Greece, the cuisine
changed. Then the rich ate a three-course
meal in the evening with a sweet dessert, and
adopted the Oriental-Greek custom
of lying on klinai during the meal.
ht
thoug
abian
d: Sw h, which is vention
in
is
nvince
are co wn. This d ory of the ilies
n
n
ro
st
aulb
ir fam
their to t the true
n of M
u
ith the
ted in
a
an tow were inven ality Seal. B Germany w uffed past
Germ
u
st
,
uthern nd spinach ith an EU Q to southern ong them,
so
e
e
w
ta
f th
am
m
a
m
d
o
o
–
e
e
fr
ca
s
ts
m
ct
n
s
n
ls
a
an
rce
side
with
prote
n artis ith the Germ
dle pa
The re rcels filled , has been
, Italia
d noo
pa
rman 7th century ey shared w
s, fille
e
g
pasta
in
-G
o
th
e1
h th
oh-s
ther
to be ultural! In th cipes whic
ong o
re
h, am
rc
do
is inte ught along ellini in bro loaded wit art”.
rt
un
ro
he
and b in broth, to ships were touch the
at
parcels arco Polo’s e treats th
M
ittl
where im sum: “l
d
,
a
Chin
Foreign Countries – New Dishes
Foodstuffs from all over the empire were
transported by ship to Rome to supply the population. Due to Roman expansion, there was
immense migration. People of the most diverse origins brought their regional specialties
and dishes along into the Roman metropolis
and to all corners of the empire. Products
from the Mediterranean which were unknown
at that time reached the northern provinces.
This is proven by archeological findings of
olive pits, Roman amphorae with traces of
fish sauce, oyster shells or wine in “Gaul” and
“Germania”.
Depiction of a banquet with men on klinai, Greek drinking
cup about 480 BC.
Baden State Museum Karlsruhe
Pizza
Today’s
p
seamen izza owes its
ex
b
describ rought the fir istence to a cu
ed the
st tomat
ltural ex
“a
with sp
ices an ncient Roman oes from Sout change. Ther
d a mix
e
h Amer
ture of pizza” about
ica in th were no tom
2
honey
and sh 00 BC as a fla e 16th centu atoes in antiq
eep’s m
uity. Sp
ry. Mar
t
b
read
cu
an
ilk chee
se befo of flour and o s Porcius Cat ish
o
re bakin
live oil,
covere
g.
d
Many People – Fast Food
In the hectic daily Roman life, fast food from
the snack-bars, which were also run by people
of foreign origin, was very popular. Everyone
with business in Rome became acquainted
with new tastes and found them good. Then
an exotic spice or two found the way into the
domestic cooking pot.
So many transport amphorae were brought to
Rome by trade ships that their shards formed
a hill that is still visible today – the Monte
Testaccio.
A Roman snack-bar in Pompey, Italy from the 1st century
BC. The simple snack-bars on the street offered quick warm
meals.
Souvlaki – ŞIŞ-Kebab
Skewered meat, broiled over an open
fire,
has a cross-cultural culinary tradition
going back
thousands of years.
Bar-B-Q in ancient times:
drawings on Greek vases,
like these two examples from
the 5th century BC, give a
vivant picture how the people
barbeque meat over an altar.
t
condimen
Garum
r Roman
of fish in
t popula
The mos made of remains Greeks
as
the
garum w tasting it from
a,
ter
orth Afric
brine. Af rthaginians in N
ndiment
Ca
and the s adopted the co
re.
an
the Rom it over the empi
ad
and spre
Monte Testaccio in Rome, Italy.
Archeologists estimate that it is formed from shards
of 53 million amphorae.
in one
d boars
r speare
sauce.
ared thei
elegant
aggi:
ply prep
an
M
in
sim
d
ed
lix
an
, mint,
e
it filet
and Obe
caraway
fish-souc
nd, served
ed, dill,
rs Asterix
ha
se
r
rio
Garum,
ir in
ry
he
ar
le
w
ot
ce
Mix
arum”. St
:
on the
s Gallic
“G
pe
s,
ou
ci
an
m
nd
re
m
fa
The
us the
e fish fo
II, 1,8
e. The Ro
icius tells
oking) VI
er with th
er the fir
co
Ap
pp
ov
of
or
pe
e
t
th
d
ar
ec
e
pi
book au
ginger an
ia (On th
an cook
zel root,
coquinar
The Rom
lovage, ha
ine. De re
, thyme,
y and w
majoram
ar, hone
eg
vin
tar with
the mor
Wellness
Water – Source of Life
The Romans pursued their great pleasure in
bathing in the large thermae or the smaller
balinea. Both terms are taken from the Greek
and point out the origin of cultivated bathing
in the Hellenistic east. But the magnificent
baths are a Roman specialty. The baths became the dominant form of Roman civilization
and life-style.
From Spa to the Wellness Centre
Originally established at places with hot thermal springs to promote health and associated
with a cult center for Asklepios, the god of
healing, the baths soon developed into luxuriously-furbished centers of pleasure, education,
fitness and a meeting place for everyone. The
Roman baths became a success story. They
had a cold, warm and hot basin, a sweating
bath – almost comparable to a modern sauna
– a gymnastics room, a heated rest and massage area. Residents of even the most distant
province could enjoy this luxury.
After the fall of the Empire, the phenomenon
of Roman culture was initially no longer maintained in some areas. The Islamic
cultures, however, adopted the steam bath in
the form of the Hamam.
Today, Roman style bath culture is enjoying a
new boom. Modern society relaxes in temples
of wellness and spa-oases.
The Roman thermae in Badenweiler, Southern Germany,
are an important bath facility dating from the 1st century
AD. The god of the spring guaranteed well-being and even
cure.
The Trajan Thermae in Rome, Italy, cover a total area of
about 100,000 square meters and could accommodate up
to 1000 people at one time. The main cistern holds
7.5 million liters of water.
The Hamam is a steam bath and a further development of
the Greco-Roman bath, which the Byzantinians also used.
standing ovations
Cult theatre
The origins of European theater lie in the
religious cult-area and go back to the
3rd millennium BC. On Crete, archeologists
recently recognized sites of religious plays
with theatrical elements in the square areas
along the outer walls of the Minoan palaces.
The audience watched from the stone steps.
The ancient Dionysos Theater in Athens had room for
17,000 people. Not only the theatrical forms like tragedies
or comedies originated in ancient Greece, but also the
graded, semicircular auditorium with raised stage in the
front as well.
Entertainment for Everybody
In classical Greece, the theater took on
specific constructional elements, like the stage
area, skene, or the auditorium, theatron. The
Dionysos Theater in Athens, dating from the
5th century BC. is considered the nucleus of
the ancient and thus of our modern theater.
From there, the art form spread along with
the theater architecture throughout the entire
ancient Mediterranean area.The themes of the
theatrical pieces were increasingly motivated
by social criticism, politics and artistry. Only
men performed, wearing various masks.
On the north-west edge of the Minoan palace in Knossos,
there was a square construction with steps for the audience. Perhaps the famous bull-leaping took place here.
Curtain up
The Romans adopted the theater in its overall
conception from the Greeks and spread it
throughout the Roman Empire. The theater
thus gained enormous popularity and led to a
change in public culture and values. Today we
find theaters in all cities of the world. The
themes of the performances have hardly
changed for thousands of years. They are still,
as they were then, taken from life and always
current.
The stone bench from the Roman theater of the Roman
town Lopodunum, Ladenburg upon Neckar, Germany,
bears the inscription of the donor. So he always had a
reserved seat.
The best-preserved ancient theater from Roman times is
found in Aspendos, southern Turkey. The Seljuk rebuilt it in
the 11th century as a caravanserai, thus protecting it from
stone theft and decay.
The Eurolog -partners and their products
Project management:
Prof. Dr. Harald Siebenmorgen,
Dr. Katarina Horst,
Angelika Zinsmaier M.A.,
Alexandra Neuner M.A.
(Badisches Landesmuseum
Karlsruhe, Deutschland).
Products: Eurolog – Europe
in Dialogue with Antiquity.
Travelling-exhibition with
guide-booklet.
1st project-partner:
Prof. Dr. Athansaia Kanta,
Manolis Vrachanakis (23rd
Ephorate of Prehistoric
and Classical Antiquities in
Heraklion, Crete, Greece)
Products: ‘Guidebook
for Cultural Tour Guides’
and ‘The Performance’,
a fairy tale for children
and adults.
2nd project-partner:
Seher Türkmen,
Gülcan Demir,
Belgin Savaş,
Faruk Yılmazer,
(Museum Directorate
Alanya/Ministery for
Culture and Tourism,
General Directorate
for Cultural Heritage
and Museum, Turkey)
Product: ‘My Holidaybook’ – a childrens’ book
3rd project-partner:
Dr. Claudio Parisi-Presicce,
Dr. Isabella Damiani,
Dr. Klaus Werner
(Musei Capitolini –
Direzione Musei.
Sovraintendenza
Capitolina ai Beni Culturali,
Roma Capitale)
Product: Capitolini.info,
NFC enabled website for
object-descriptions in
museums.
Associated partner:
Prof. Dr. Taher Ghalia,
Soumaya GharsallahHizem Soumaya
Gharsallah-Hizem
(Musée du Bardo,
Tunis, Tunisia)
Venue of the EurologSummer School (academic
symposium on ‘Intercultural competence in
Archeology’), April 2012
All Eurolog -products, lectures of the Summer School and further information: www.eurolog-project.eu