The Empire Giant Appears to Nebuchadnezzar. Marseille, 15th Century.
Succession of Ancient Empires
International Workshop
in the Department of Classical Studies
at the University of Waterloo
German Reading Room (ML 245)
Friday, February 28, 2020
History has no essence in itself, but is a construction, not rarely designed to give meaning and purpose to an audience in any given presence. This is particularly the case with sequences of previous eras, empires or rules that are said to have preceded a present generation. The origins of such lists, whether more historical or highly allegorical, can be traced back to the Near-Eastern kingdoms of the Bronze-Ages. Most prominent in this colorful tradition are the empire allegories in the Book of Daniel.
The international workshop will host scholars from Poland, the US, China and Canada. Their case studies will explore the ideological construction of past imperial frameworks, mainly focusing on Mediterranean perspectives in Hellenistic and Roman times.
Everyone is welcome, but registration is required. If you wish to attend, please, contact acoskun@uwaterloo.ca as soon as possible.