Back to selection
| Semester | fall semester 2022 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Stefania Alfarano (stefania.alfarano@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | One of the most central social and ritual practices in human history is the sharing of meals, attested from a historical point of view as early as the 3rd millennium BC. Several studies, focused on the analysis of dining practices in antiquity, have pointed out their importance not only in the private sphere but also in public, such as in funerary and religious contexts in ancient Mediterranean societies. The evolution of dining customs over centuries led to the creation of two strongly standardized banqueting codes: the Greek symposium and the Roman convivium. The key goal of this class is to study the convivial practice in the Roman world between the 3rd-2nd century BC and Late Antiquity. How did the Greek symposium and Hellenistic convivial practices influence Roman customs? What are the elements of Roman dining practice? These are some of the questions this class investigates in our quest to outline all the distinctive aspects of dining practices in the Roman World and how they developed and changed from the Republican period to Late Antiquity. In this proseminar, we will analyze the Roman Convivium through literary and documentary sources, iconographic images and archaeological evidence. Insights into the meaning of the shared meal as well as the differences and similarities with other ancient societies and the modern world will be also provided during the course. |
| Learning objectives | In the class and in reading we will engage with extensive literature and evidence available up today to understand the complexity of this topic and develop a critical awareness of the issues involved. Students will study dining practices in Roman World according to a diachronic and multidisciplinary approach from a macro-regional viewpoint. |
| Bibliography | • Bek, L. 1983, “Questiones Conviviales”, the idea of the triclinium and the staging of convivial ceremony from Rome to Byzantium, «AnalRom» XII, pp. 81-107. • Braune, S. 2008, Convivium Funebre. Gestaltung und Funktion römische Grabtriklinen als Räume für sepulkrale Bankettfeiern, Hildheshein-Zürich-New York. • D'Arms, J.H. 1999, Performing Culture: Roman Spectacle and the Banquets of the Powerful, in B. Bergmann, C. Kondolen (eds.), The Art of Ancient Spectacle, New Haven, pp. 301-19. • Dentzer, J.M. 1971, Aux origins de l’iconographie du banquet couché, «RA» 2, pp. 215-58. • Dunbabin, K.M.D. 2003, The Roman banquet, images of conviviality, Cambridge. • Ghitta, O. (ed.), Banquet of gods, banquet of men. Conviviality in ancient world, Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai, Historia, 59 (1), Cluj-Napoca. • Hudson, N. 2010, Changing places: the archaeology of the Roman “convivium”, «AJA» 114 (4), pp. 663-95. • Nielsen, I., Nielsen, H. S. 1998 (eds.), Meals in a social context, Aarhus. • Roberts, M. 1995, Martin meets maximus: the meaning of a late Roman banquet, «REAug» 41, pp. 91-111. • Schnurbusch, D. 2011, Convivium: Form und Bedeutung aristokratischer Geselligkeit in der römischen Antike. Historia Einzelschriften, 219. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. • Slater, W.J. 1991, Dining in a classical context, Ann Arbor. • Smith, D.E. 2003, From symposium to eucharist. The banquet in the early Christian world, Minneapolis. • Smith, D. E., Taussing, H.E. 2012 (eds.), Meals in the early Christian world, New York. • Uytterhoven, I. 2007, Housing in late antiquity: thematic and regional perspectives, in L. Lavan, L. Özgenel, A. Saranatis (eds.), Housing in late antiquity. From palace to shops, vol. 3.2, Leiden-Boston, pp. 25-96. • Vroom, J. 2007, The Archaeology of late antiquity dining habits in the eastern Mediterranean: a preliminary study of the evidence, in L. Lavan, E. Swift, T. Putzeis (eds.), Object in context, object in use. Material spatiality in Late Antiquity, vol. 5 (1), Leiden, pp. 313-61. |
| Comments | In October two weeks of this course (10th and 17th October) will need to be arranged as a block (either as one long class on 5th December, or as three double classes during the semester) |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende des BSG/BSF Altertumswissenschaften und BSF Geschichte im Grundstudium mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs Altertumswissenschaften/Geschichte. Teilnahmebedingungen: Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung ist obligatorisch. Die Teilnehmerzahl ist auf 25 beschränkt. Bei Überbelegung werden Studierende des BA Altertumswissenschaften bevorzugt zugelassen. Alle Studierende, die im Herbstsemester ihr Studium in den Altertumswissenschaften beginnen, sind am 19.09.2022 (13:15-15:30h) zur allgemeinen Begrüssung im Hörsaal 115 im Kollegienhaus (erster Stock) herzlich eingeladen. Im Anschluss findet ein Apéro im Foyer des Rosshofs (Petersgraben 51) statt, zu dem alle herzlich eingeladen sind. |
| Course application | Course registration. For any information write to the lecturer. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 19.09.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 26.09.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 03.10.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 10.10.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 17.10.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 24.10.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 31.10.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 07.11.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 14.11.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 21.11.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 28.11.2022 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 106 |
| Monday 05.12.2022 | 15.15-19.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Monday 12.12.2022 | 15.15-19.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Monday 19.12.2022 | 16.15-18.45 | Rosshof, Tagungsraum 306 |
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Alte Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: History) Modul: Grundstudium Schwerpunkt Alte Geschichte (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Grundstudium Schwerpunkt Alte Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Römische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Römische Geschichte BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Theorie und Methoden der Alten Geschichte (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Theorie und Methoden der Alten Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Geschichte und Altertumswissenschaften BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Geschichte und Altertumswissenschaften BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | continuous assessment: attendance, class participation, in-class presentation or paper |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Alte Geschichte |