This conference aims to explore the rich tapestry of religious, magical, and healing practices that defined the ancient Mediterranean world. Based on the study of rituals, their practitioners, objects of cult, and the intersection between these and society, this conference delves into the fascinating areas of beliefs and traditions that shaped the daily life of ancient people.
Dr. Mariangela Monaca, professor of History of Religions at the University of Messina and expert on Hellenistic and Roman religion, will deliver an insightful keynote address on the complexities of belief and spirituality in Antiquity.
This scientific meeting is designed for academics and scholars with a strong interest in Ancient Mediterranean studies, including historians, philologists, scholars of the History of Religions and enthusiasts of classical civilization.
Possible Topics for a paper:
- Religious, divinatory, magical, medicinal practices, etc.
- Actors: thaumaturges, healers, sorcerers, magicians, priests, doctors, etc.
- Objects: amulets, dice, tablets, papyri, ceramics, etc.
- Marginal practices in society: Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Jews, etc.
- Esotericism and cultic secrecy: sects, mysteries, Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, Hermeticism, Orphism, etc.
- Tensions between Sciences and Pseudosciences
Practical Information:
Call for papers: 20th of April to 20th of May
Mail: [email protected]
Abstract: 300 – 500 words, with the name of the author and the Institution
Selection of candidates: 1st of June
Conference: 3rd and 4th of October 2024
Papers: 15 min.
Accepted languages: Spanish and English
Inscription to participate with a paper: 35€
Organization: Alberto Romero (University of Córdoba), Luisa Lesage (University of
Córdoba), Soraya Planchas (University Complutense of Madrid)
