The relations between Greek and Roman culture constituted a continuous exchange since the Roman expansion into the Eastern Mediterranean area in the second century BC. One aspect of this phenomenon is the reception of Greek education and its visual presence in Roman world, which moved between contentual integration and amateurish dabbling.
The main focus of this study is on depictions en miniature, among which carved stones play a pre-eminent role. They are analyzed under iconographic and typological as well as historico-cultural aspects. In this context, the question of their qualities as a cultural expression of certain notions of Greek education in a graphic transformation of the discourse around paideia is of central importance.
Since the 2nd century BC the contact between Greek and Roman culture can be described as one of mutual exchange. Reception of Greek education and its visual presence in the Roman culture forms one aspect of this complex relationship and is the focus of this publication. Unlike past publications, which centred life-sized marble-sculptures of Greek poets and thinkers, this publication comprehensively analyses examples of the “minor arts” like engraved gems, tableware, oil lamps, appliques on furniture as well as rounded effigies, which are smaller than life-size.
These are evaluated regarding their suitability as a form of expression in perception of Greek education. This publication examines more than 700 depictions of Greek poets and thinkers from Roman everyday life. It therefore combines a material-oriented analysis of the quantitative most significant category of engraved gems with a function-oriented analysis of smaller artworks on the whole.
Methodically the analysis of the material is divided into three steps. Following an explanation of the methodical approach and a historical introduction, the first material-oriented step consists of an iconographic, typological and functional examination of the negraved gems. The publication therefore provides a comprehensive photographic documentation of depictions of Greek poets and thinkers. Subsequently, a contrastive follow up of other manifestations is presented, through which the depictions were visually and functionally embedded into Roman daily routine and could be received in everyday situations. In a third step the material becomes subject to cultural and historical issues based on previous gained understanding. The discussion of the relationship between Greek education and the Roman way of living was heretofore dominated by literary sources. This literary based discussion can be diversified and strengthened for further discourse by considering the culture of Roman everyday life. The various groups of materials took over different functions in everyday life and allow therefore for an analysis of reception of Greek education within context of its perception in different social situations.
At the same time the simultaneous consideration of the archaeological remains illustrates the divergence between visual and literary testaments. It thus, encompasses the educational discourse in its manifold refractions and varied semantic layers between the permeation of its content and the formulation of a claim to Greek education.
„(D)ie Studie (stellt) einen gelungenen Beitrag zum Verständnis der Übernahme griechischen Kulturguts durch die Römer dar“
Von Michael Donderer
In: Gymnasium, Band 121, Heft 5, 2014, S. 527-530.
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„Die gelungene Arbeit Langs wird aufgrund ihrer Qualität sicherlich ein Standardwerk.“
Lilian Raselli-Nydegger
In: Antike Welt, 4, 2015, S. 91.
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„Diese Anmerkungen schmälern nicht den großen Erkenntniswert der Arbeit Jörn Langs. Größtenteils handelt es sich um schlichte Diskussionsanregungen, keinesfalls berühren sie den Kern der gründlichen, ausgesprochen umfassenden und gut zu lesenden Monographie, die hier vorgestellt wurde. Abschließend bleibt nur, dem Autor zu seiner gelungenen Studie zu gratulieren und sie denjenigen, die sich mit antiker Glyptik, Porträts von Philosophen oder der Rezeption griechischer Bildung in Rom befassen, dringend zur Lektüre zu empfehlen.“
Von David Biedermann, M.A.
(In: Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaft (GFA),
http://gfa.gbv.de/dr,gfa,016,2013,r,33.pdf, 15:30, 05.12.2013)
Jörn Lang
geb. 1978, Studium der Klassischen Archäologie, Alten Geschichte, Ethnologie sowie Papyrologie Numismatik und Epigraphik der Antike in Köln und Turin.
2009 Promotion in Köln (gefördert durch ein Graduiertenstipendium der Universität zu Köln und ein Stipendium für Doktoranden des DAAD). Anschließend wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Klassische Archäologie, am Dekanat der Philosophischen Fakultät und am Internationalen Kolleg Morphomata der Universität zu Köln, unterbrochen durch das Reisestipendium des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 2009/2010. Seit 2011 Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Klassische Archäologie und Antikenmuseum der Universität Leipzig.
Forschungsschwerpunkte: Ikonographie griechischer Dichter und Denker, Antike Glyptik, Ausstattung hellenistisch-römischer Häuser, Rezeption der Antike und Wissenschaftsgeschichte der Archäologie.
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