A Sketch on the Balkans as a “Centre of Peripheries”
Raymond Detrez
Throughout its history, the Balkan Peninsula has been encompassed within various expansive cultural and historical spheres, as well as state-like political formations. The most prominent among these include the ancient world, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine commonwealth, the Ottoman Empire, modern Europe, the Soviet bloc, and the European Union. Additionally, the region has experienced influences from less dominant spheres such as the Eurasian steppe, the Arab world, and the maritime empires of the Italian city-states and Dubrovnik. Within these broader frameworks, the Balkans have frequently occupied a peripheral position, characterized by frequent interactions with neighbouring cultural zones and limited control from the normative centre. These interactions, coupled with the region’s unique relationship to cultural and political centers, have contributed to the formation of distinct cultural hybrids. This paper explores several examples that substantiate the thesis of the Balkan Peninsula as a site of cultural hybridity. Original title in Bulgarian: Хибридните Балкани като ‘център на периферии’ – една скица.
Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages
Seismic Response Analysis of Ancient Timber Structures Considering Long-Term Corrosion
Honglou Yang, Gang Peng, Jin Wang
et al.
To evaluate the impact of long-term corrosion on the seismic performance of ancient wooden structures, a simplified analysis model of an intact ancient wooden structure was established using, the OpenSees finite element software, considering column rocking, mortise–tenon joints, Dougong joints, and the role of plate. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing it with the results of the shaking table test. A residual mechanical performance model of mortise–tenon joints and Dougong joints in ancient wooden structures under long-term corrosion was established. The impact of node performance degradation under long-term corrosion on the seismic response and structural vulnerability was studied. The study indicates, that the nonlinear time-history analysis values of the structure are consistent with the experimental values, with a peak displacement error within 10%, indicating a small error. When the performance degradation rate of the Dougong joints is less than 15.8%, the peak displacement increase rate of the structure is less than 5%. However, when the performance degradation rate of the mortise–tenon joints is 5.7%, the peak displacement increase rate of the structure is greater than 16.32%. Under horizontal seismic action, the main factor affecting the lateral displacement of the structure is the performance of the mortise–tenon joints in the column frame layer. The performance degradation of the mortise–tenon joints has a significant impact on the performance of the structure under minor earthquakes, significantly increasing the probability of slight damage and moderate damage. However, under major earthquakes, the impact on the structural performance is relatively small, with a slight increase in the probability of severe damage and collapse.
Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Marc Angenot: Rhetoric put to the test by the History of Ideas
Marc Angenot, Marianne Doury, Théophile Robineau
In the interview he gave to Marianne Doury and Théophile Robineau, Marc Angenot discusses the place of rhetoric in his work. Recalling that ancient rhetoric was essentially based on the judicial model, he emphasizes its interest, but also its limitations, in exploring the social discourse he seeks to account for. He takes up its global perspective, mobilizing ethos, pathos and logos, the combined consideration of which is necessary for an understanding of ideas and the way in which they are carried and discussed in society. But he insists on the necessity of taking account of the fact that social discourse is embedded in a more or less long-term history, which is a prerequisite for its intelligibility. Taking social discourse as the object of research also requires us to reconsider the notion of situation as traditionally understood in rhetoric, and to redefine the way we look at the question of persuasion.
Style. Composition. Rhetoric
Molecular epidemiology of PRRSV: a phylogenetic perspective.
M. Shi, T. Lam, C. Hon
et al.
405 sitasi
en
Medicine, Biology
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament
P. Kaufmann
Volume XVI concludes the monumental, critically acclaimed Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament with an Aramaic dictionary. This volume incorporates nearly the complete lexicon of Biblical Aramaic as well as a major portion of the theologically, culturally, and historically relevant terms in other ancient Aramaic writings. Each article provides information on the term’s meaning and usage, is fully annotated, and contains a bibliography with cross-references to the entire TDOT series. Further enhancing this volume are an introductory overview of the history of Aramaic and a comparative grammatical outline of ancient Aramaic at the end of the book.
Pieter Houten, Urbanisation in Roman Spain and Portugal. Civitates Hispaniae of the Early Empire, London, New York, Routledge, 2021, 460 pp. [ISBN: 978-0-367-90077-9].
Natalia Gómez García
Archaeology, Ancient history
The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Athens (J.) Neils, and (D.K.) Rogers (edd.). Pp. x + 494, ills, maps. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021. Paper, £29.99. ISBN: 978-1-108-72330-5.
Charlotte Goddard
Theory and practice of education, Ancient history
MONTERO, Santiago, Prodigios en la Hispania romana, Madrid, Edição de Guillermo Escolar, 2020, 350 pp. ISBN: 978-84-18093-58-6.
Jos´é d'Encarnação
Historical topography of the Hansaray: to the question of the periodization of building stages of the complex
Dmytro Moisieiev, Andrey Korzhenkov, Alexander Ovsyuchenko
et al.
This work is about a study of ancient earthquake that significantly damaged the Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai at the end of the 1600’s. Today, however, it is almost impossible to find evidences of this catastrophic event in walls of the Hansaray. Our research shows that this may be explained by the large numbers of repairs and restorations that are constantly carried out on the monument. Only due to the fact that one object of the Khan’s Palace (“eastern building”) was raided in the 2013, we can fix the internal structure of its walls and find evidences of seismogenic deformation of the plinth arch with repair. We carried out a search for analogies to date this ancient seismic event. Similar damages were found in walls of the Eski-Durbe, monuments of the first palace of Crimean khans in Salachik (Zangirli madrassah and durbe of Haji-Geray) and the Great Kenassa from Chufut-Kale. The comparison of the chronology and characteristics of seismic deformations of “eastern structure” and other monuments gave the possibility to associate their damages with the “Salachik” earthquake of April 30, 1698, with seismic rupture located along the West-Crimean seismogenic zone and local intensity near Bakhchysarai Il = VIII–IX points (MSK-64). The magnitude of the event is not yet clear and can be estimated with more data. However, it is obvious, that the “Salachik” earthquake should be considered not only from the point of the seismotectonics and long-term seismic forecast for the Crimea, but also as major event of building periodization of the Hansaray. Our studies showed that this earthquake with high degree of probability had destroyed the Sahib Geray Divan Hall and had forced to make a significant rebuilding of the Khan’s Palace, which was unknown before our studies. These rebuilding significantly changed the monument and began the formation of late topography of the Hansaray, which has remained almost unchanged until now. Ancient part of the palace and Sahib Geray’s buildings sustained significant damage during the “Salachik” earthquake. From those buildings the history of construction of the palace complex, and also the city of Bakhchysarai, has began.
History of Eastern Europe
Honey and Its Uses
Malcom T. Sanford
Honey, cherished for millennia, holds a significant place in human history and culture, noted in literature and ancient civilizations alike. This article delves into the multifaceted role of honey, particularly in Florida's thriving beekeeping industry, which not only yields vast quantities of honey but also crucially supports agricultural pollination. Beyond its sweetness, honey offers nutritional benefits, boasting vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Its diverse flavors, dependent on floral sources, lend it versatility in culinary applications and traditional remedies. However, caution is warranted, especially for diabetics and infants under one year old due to the risk of botulism. Various honey products grace the market, from liquid honey to comb honey, each with distinct characteristics. Honey's longevity, ease of storage, and culinary adaptability make it a staple ingredient and a source of endless culinary exploration. Moreover, honey serves as a base for alcoholic beverages, contributing to its versatility. The National Honey Board spearheads promotion efforts and offers resources to explore honey's myriad uses, underscoring its enduring appeal and practical significance in modern society.
Agriculture (General), Plant culture
Between the tropes and pragmatics: the rhetorical aspect of Rozmowa polaka z litwinem
Skirmantas Knieža
This paper presents rhetorical aspects of a sixteenth century Lithuanian polemical treatise “Rozmowa polaka z litwinem” (“Pasikalbėjimas lenko su lietuviu”). This anonymous work is often labeled as “humanist”. Even though many scholars analyse its contents and emphasize references to the Classical Antiquity, formal aspects and their pragmatic implications remain unevaluated. Scholars have mainly focused on the issue of it authorship and quoted it illustrating cultural and political sixteenth century changes in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The main aim of this article is to reveal rhetorical tropes and figures employed by the author of the treatise and discuss the possible motivation of their selection.
“Rozmowa” responds to, “Quincunx”, written in 1564 by a Polish polemist Stanisław Orzechowski (1513–1566). It is a part of a prolonged polemic between the later and Lithuanian Chancellor, Palatine of Vilnius Mikalojus Radvila “The Black”. The details and the course of their dispute is reconstructed by Orzechowski himself in the letter to Piotr Miscovius, which also is titled “Apologia pro Quincunce”. He refers to the “Rozmowa” without mentioning its title or particular author. Historiography attributes it to the Vilnius mayor (wójt) Augustyn Rotundus (c. 1520–1582). Both Orzechowski and Rotundus studied abroad and had spent some time in Italy. Not only curricula of their studies of artes liberales were influenced by Classical Antiquity, they also undoubtedly got familiar with humanist culture of the contemporary Europe.
“Rozmowa” consists of two main parts, which are separated by a verse. The treatise is written in a form of a dialogue, and allows to portray a vivid discussion and multiple points of view. The first part of “Rozmowa” focuses on the questions of the political theory, whereas the second one is dedicated to the history of Lithuania, its dynasty and the issue of the Polish-Lithuanian Union. While the first part is polemical, the second one has epideictic character. The author employs personification, paradiastole and antithesis. The latter two allow changing the normative contents of political concepts, and irony highlights the absurdities in the Polish political practices. The Lithuanian, one of the characters, uses deprecation and interpellation, addresses the absent participants of a dialogue (e. g. Orzechowski himself). The author quotes Ancient authors, Scripture, Church Fathers and contemporary thinkers (e. g. Machiavelli and Erasmus), whose ideas provide him with literary topoi. Merged with the rhetorical techniques, they constitute the political arguments of the treatise and allows the author to express one’s political ideas.
Literature (General), Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages
Population genetic structure of the endemic rosewoods Dalbergia cochinchinensis and D. oliveri at a regional scale reflects the Indochinese landscape and life‐history traits
Ida Hartvig, Thea So, Suchitra Changtragoon
et al.
Abstract Indochina is a biodiversity hot spot and harbors a high number of endemic species, most of which are poorly studied. This study explores the genetic structure and reproductive system of the threatened endemic timber species Dalbergia cochinchinensis and Dalbergia oliveri using microsatellite data from populations across Indochina and relates it to landscape characteristics and life‐history traits. We found that the major water bodies in the region, Mekong and Tonle Sap, represented barriers to gene flow and that higher levels of genetic diversity were found in populations in the center of the distribution area, particularly in Cambodia. We suggest that this pattern is ancient, reflecting the demographic history of the species and possible location of refugia during earlier time periods with limited forest cover, which was supported by signs of old genetic bottlenecks. The D. oliveri populations had generally high levels of genetic diversity (mean He = 0.73), but also strong genetic differentiation among populations (global GST = 0.13), while D. cochinchinensis had a moderate level of genetic diversity (mean He = 0.55), and an even stronger level of differentiation (global GST = 0.25). These differences in genetic structure can be accounted for by a higher level of gene flow in D. oliveri due to a higher dispersal capacity, but also by the broader distribution area for D. oliveri, and the pioneer characteristics of D. cochinchinensis. This study represents the first detailed analysis of landscape genetics for tree species in Indochina, and the found patterns might be common for other species with similar ecology.
Die Hüter des Hades. Zur Bedeutung und Interpretation der homerischen Kimmerier
Michaela Rücker
This paper deals with the Homeric Cimmerians, who were located at the end of the world, on the doorsteps to Hades. At the beginning of the work, it was necessary to build up a concept of research 1st to find the relevant sources and 2nd to distinguish the mythical Cimmerians from the historical. Tools from the project eAQUA and eXChange illustrate the selection of sources.
Auxiliary sciences of history, Ancient history
Repairing Holes in the Head: A History of Cranioplasty.
Sanan Abhay, S. Haines
Military sporting events in the Balkans
Todorov Dragan, Gostović Dragan
Military sporting events are planned and prepared, and in a given period of time performed, sports events of public interest, involving members of armed forces of one or more countries, with the aim to demonstrate, compare and improve their knowledge and skills in sports through competitive or non-competitive sport activities. As regards their nature and targeted effects, the military sports events can be: training, competitive, scientific research, development, military professional, informative, humanitarian, and special ones. Military sports, as key element of sporting events in the armed forces, include typical military sports (military multi-sports events), sports of military nature (martial arts, sport shooting, fencing, parachuting, orienteering, biathlon), and any other team and individual sports that are practiced in an organized manner in military units and institutions. The first competitions, which had been organized since ancient times in order to get winners in various sports disciplines, were conducted among soldiers, in the Balkans exactly, which suggests a very long tradition and rich history of military sporting events in the region. In Ancient Times, the most famous competitions of this type were the ancient Olympic Games. In the Middle Ages, military sporting events were knight tournaments and duels. Across Europe, including the Balkans, there were various organizations of knights, which represented specific forms of professional army. In the late 19th and early 20th century, in several Slav countries, including Serbia, Sokol societies were founded, which promoted physical exercise and the fight for liberation and unification of Slav nations. Sokol sports meetings and events may be partly considered as military sporting events as well, because the Sokol movement was approved in the military, and soldiers and officers were regular participants of these events. In the 21st century, the main objectives of the military sporting events have been: the development of friendship and solidarity among members of the armed forces; the promotion of physical education and sports; the contribution to balanced and harmonious development of military personnel; and strengthening of peace, security, trust and cooperation in the world. By taking part in these activities, members of armed forces develop their courage, mental stability and physical condition, promote the values of the military and the military profession, encourage the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect, enhance the defense capabilities of their countries, and contribute to universal peace.
The Case of the Angels: The Relevance of the Research by Classical Scholar John Cuthbert Lawson (1874-1919) on Modern Greek Culture
Michał Bzinkowski
Case of the Angels: The Relevance of the Research by Classical Scholar John Cuthbert Lawson (1874-1919) on Modern Greek Culture
In my paper I focus on the well-known John Cuthbert Lawson’s study about Modern Greek folklore (1910) and I venture to verify if it may be regarded as a reliable source of information about Greek folk beliefs. I base my argument on the eschatological remarks Lawson made concerning the personification of Death – Charos and his relationship to the Christian Angels. Confronting Lawson’s views and his source material with other similar demotic songs, mainly from the collections he had had access to, I try to show in what way the older collections of folk-songs might have distorted or falsified the eschatological images of Charos and the Angels, and what he overlooked while analyzing the sources. I also shed some light on possible influences of Byzantine orthodoxy on Modern Greek folk tradition to which Greek demotic songs belong.
Ancient history, Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature
Hallmarks in the history of epilepsy: epilepsy in antiquity.
E. Magiorkinis, Kalliopi Sidiropoulou, A. Diamantis
166 sitasi
en
Psychology, Medicine
Bilingualism in ancient society : language contact and the written text
J. Adams, M. Janse, S. Swain
An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya
Mary E. Miller, K. Taube
Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Ecosystems: A Global Perspective
T. Rick, J. Erlandson