Seminar class in source studies I [2900-HAMC-SOURCE1] Semestr zimowy 2023/24
Konwersatorium, grupa nr 2

Week 1: The objectives and structure of the course, introduction to source criticism, basic reference works

Discussion points:

Why do historians need sources?

What kinds of sources can a historian use?

What decides about the value and usefulness of a source?

Week 2: Historiography (1)

Reading:

Josephus, The Jewish War 6.2.1-10.1 (§§92-442; trans. Thackeray in LCL 210, pp. 403–503).

Discussion points:

What kind of a source is Josephus’s Jewish War?

What is the course of events described?

Is the author trying to be objective? Does he say anything about the purpose of his work?

Week 3: Historiography (2)

Reading:

Goodman, Martin, Josephus’s The Jewish War: A Biography (Princeton University Press, 2019), pp. 1‍‍–17.

Rajak, Tessa, Josephus: The Historian and His Society (Duckworth, 1983), pp. 185–222.

Discussion points:

What was Josephus’s attitude towards the Flavian dynasty?

Was he a Roman or a Jewish historian?

Week 4: Historiography vs material evidence

Reading/viewing:

Elkins, Nathan T. “Publicizing Victory: The Frequency and Audience of Flavian ‘Judaea Capta’ Coins from the Imperial Mints,” Israel Numismatic Research 14 (2019) 117–30.

Rocca, Samuele, “The Arch of Titus and Flavius Josephus: Commemorating the Jewish War in Word and Stone” in Steven Fine (ed.), The Arch of Titus: From Jerusalem to Rome—and Back (Brill, 2021), pp. 43–54.

Images of the reliefs and inscriptions from the Arch of Titus: https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/ancient-and-early-christian-sites-rome/arch-titus;

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/Arch_of_Titus/inscriptions.html

Discussion points:

What does Josephus tell us about Titus’ behaviour during the siege of Jerusalem?

What were the purposes of erecting the Arch of Titus and minting the coins with the legend Iudaea capta?

What are the reasons for the possible discrepancy between Josephus’ account and the material evidence?

How do historians interact with imagery?

Week 5: Epistolography (1)

Reading:

Pliny the Younger, Letter 10.33-34, 96-97 (trans. Radice in LCL 59, pp. 206–9, 284–93)

Corcoran, Simon, “State Correspondence in the Roman Empire: Imperial Communication from Augustus to Justinian” in Karen Radner (ed.), State Correspondence in the Ancient World: From New Kingdom Egypt to the Roman Empire (OUP, 2014), pp. 172–209.

Millar, Fergus, The Emperor in the Roman World: 31 BC – AD 337 (Duckworth, 1977), pp. 212–28.

Sherwin-White, Norman, The Letters of Pliny: A Historical and Social Commentary (OUP, 1966; commentary to the letter listed above)

Discussion points:

Why does Pliny need to communicate with Trajan?

What does the form and the survival of these letters tell us about Pliny on the one hand and Trajan on the other?

Week 6: Epistolography (2)

Reading:

Paul of Tarsus, Letter to the Galatians (trans. NRSVUE)

Barclay, John M.G., “Mirror-Reading a Polemical Letter: Galatians as a Test Case”, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 31 (1987): 73–93.

Discussion points:

What are the issues at stake for Paul?

What is the ‘situation on the ground’ in Galatia?

To what extent can the original context be reconstructed based on Paul’s writing?

Week 7: Epigraphy (1)

Reading:

“131. Athenian relations with Chalcis, 446/5 or 424/3” in Robin Osborne, P.J. Rhodes (eds.), Greek Historical Inscriptions: 478–404 BC (OUP, 2017), pp. 170–9.

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.113-115 (trans. Smith in LCL 108, pp. 186–91).

Discussion points:

How detailed is Thucydides’ description of Euboean revolts?

What is the possible context(s) for the Chalkis decree?

Given the style, the content, and the location of the stele, what can be said about its purpose?

Week 8: Epigraphy (2)

Reading:

Cooley, Alison E., Res Gestae Diui Augusti: Text, Translation, and Commentary (CUP, 2009), the English translation with commentary on select passages.

Discussion points:

What kind of a source is the RDGA?

What kind of image of Augustus is it trying to convey, and for what purpose?

Can it be termed ‘propagandistic’ and, if so, does it possess any historical value?

Week 9: Epigraphy vs historiography

Reading:

Suetonius, The Deified Augustus (book 2 of the Lives of the Caesars; trans. Rolfe in LCL 31, pp. 150–309).

Discussion points:

What kind of a source is Suetonius’ account?

To what extent and for what reasons does it differ from the RGDA?

Week 10: Papyri

Reading:

Knipfing, John R., “The Libelli of the Decian Persecution”, Harvard Theological Review 16.4 (1923): 345–90 (at least five papyri).

Claytor, W. Graham, “A Decian Libellus at Luther College (Iowa)”, TYCHE – Beiträge zur alten Geschichte, Papyrologie und Epigraphik 30 (2015): 13–9.

Rives, J.B., “The Decree of Decius and the Religion of Empire”, Journal of Roman Studies 89 (1999): 135–54.

Discussion points:

What was the historical context that caused the libelli to be produced?

What was the purpose of those documents?

What can they tell a modern historian about the religious and administrative aspects of the daily life in third-century Egypt?

Week 11: Iconography

Reading/viewing:

The ‘’Dogmatic Sarcophagus” and the “Jonah Sarcophagus”:

https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-cristiano/sarcofagi-_a-doppio-registro/sarcofago-_dogmatico.html

https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-cristiano/buon-pastore-e-giona/sarcofago-_di-giona.html

Select passages of the Old and New Testament.

Discussion points:

How can historians work with images?

How to interpret religious iconography?

What does the sarcophagi tell us about the historical context of the fourth century?

Week 12: Hagiography (1)

Reading:

Vivian, T., Athanassakis, A.N., Greer, R.A., Ward, B., and Williams., R. The Life of Antony by Athanasius of Alexandria (Cistercian Publications, 2003), select passages.

Discussion points:

How to approach hagiography?

What are the purposes of the text?

What can the text tell us about early Christianity and Church?

Week 13: Hagiography (2)

Reading:

Vivian, T., Athanassakis, A.N., Greer, R.A., Ward, B., and Williams., R. The Life of Antony by Athanasius of Alexandria (Cistercian Publications, 2003), select passages.

Discussion points:

Can accounts of miracles and demons be used as historical source?

What does the text tell us about Christian mentality?