Biton’s Lost Siege Engine: Experimental archaeology in Classical Studies
- Authors: Rademan, David John
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Pergamum (Extinct city) , Dimensional analysis , Engineering History To 168 B.C. , Fluid mechanics History To 168 B.C. , Byzantine literature History and criticism , Siege warfare History To 168 B.C. , Biton of Pergamon , Isidorus of Abydos , Poliorcetics
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192330 , vital:45216
- Description: This thesis entails an examination of several problems inherent in placing a technical treatise by the Hellenistic Greek engineer, Biton of Pergamon, at a siege of 156-154BCE, with a view to galvanising the existing case of previous scholarship through a combined approach of literary, textual, geographical, and technical analysis. Particular focus is given to the following problems: technical errors in current translations of the treatise of Biton; technical considerations in scholars’ reproductions of a particular engine in the treatise; an assessment of the practical implications of the treatise in situ at the physical site of the ancient city of Pergamon in the second century BCE, as evidenced by archaeological findings and surveys; assessment of those implications by way of historical records of similar conflicts from the Hellenistic period; and suggesting a procedure of dimensional analysis for testing a hypothesis regarding the feasibility of the ancient engineer’s recommended engines as a stand-in for the city’s original defenses, in a manner that harmonises the methodologies of historicism and experimental archaeology with sound and appropriate modern engineering practice from the field of Fluid Mechanics. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Hermēs Dolios: Performances of Hermes as trickster in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes
- Authors: Nel, Aiden Pieter
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Hermes (Greek deity) , Hymn to Hermes , Tricksters in literature , Loki (Norse deity) , Hynes, William J , Doty, William G, 1939-J , Wakdjunkaga (Winnebago Trickster) , Ture (Zande Trickster)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190978 , vital:45046
- Description: This thesis explores the Greek god Hermes' representation in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes to establish the extent to which he partakes in Hynes' defined set of characteristics associated with mythological 'trickster' figures. Hermes is an unorthodox figure as although he embodies many aspects of the trickster, he willingly relinquishes some of these aspects within his hymn. I first outline and explore the trickster phenomenon and the complex methodological issue concerning global comparison. Hynes’ criteria are first applied to three other tricksters the Amerindian (Winnebago) trickster Wakdjunkaga, the central African (Azande) trickster Ture and the northern European (Norse) trickster Loki, which establishes a baseline that will help determine how Hermes conforms to this typology. All three figures’ cultural contexts are first addressed, as the cultural context is key in understanding a figure’s potential inclusion in the trickster category. I then explore Hermes’ performances within his hymn and other genres to formulate how his patron powers and actions relate to his designation as a trickster. I argue, in conclusion, that Hynes’ typology is a useful tool in determining any figure’s degree of ‘tricksterness’ and show that Hermes and the other three figures do embody Hynes’ characteristics. Each, however, embodies them differently and in a specific manner. I argue that the manner in which they relate to the criteria is dictated by their respective cultural contexts, and what their narrators intended to illustrate through the stories wherein tricksters reside. I further argue that narrative intent, genre and cultural context appear to be the main factors that mould each respective figure. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
The bastards of Euripides: illegitimacy in the Hippolytus, the Andromache, and the Ion
- Authors: Sülter, James Nicholas Edwin
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Euripides , Euripides Criticism and interpretation , Euripides. Hippolytus , Euripides. Andromache , Euripides. Ion , Illegitimacy in literature , Tragedy History and criticism , Citizenship in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190030 , vital:44957
- Description: The Pericles Citizenship Law of 451 made citizenship contingent on an individual man having Athenian blood on both his father and mother’s side. Men with foreign mothers were denied any rights to the key institutions that conferred Athenian belonging, such as deme and phratry membership, as well as, of course, citizenship. When, however, the Peloponnesian War began in 431, the population of Athenian citizens was quickly diminished by military conflict and plague and they sought a solution to repopulate their numbers with as little change to the original law as possible. The result was an amendment in 429 allowing citizens with no living legitimate (γνήσιοι) heirs to legitimise their bastards (νόθοι) in their place. A year after this, Euripides wrote the Hippolytus, a play that deals very closely with the issues of bastardy, bastards’ place in the polis and the oikos, and their treatment by those who are legitimate. As the war went on, he proceeded to produce two other plays containing bastard characters, the Andromache (c.425) and the Ion (c.413), in which he similarly explored the consequences of illegitimacy. In all three plays his attitude towards bastards is overwhelmingly sympathetic and the way he chooses to present their situations suggests his disagreement with the arrogance and antipathy that continued to push many of these often very worthy individuals to the fringes of society. This thesis seeks to examine Euripides’ presentation of bastards through a close reading of the relevant texts, in order to understand how the plays reacted to the contemporary circumstances of and what comments they are making. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Ubomi Sisilonda: Ingqokelela Yemibongo
- Authors: Yanta, Luvuyo Mkhululi
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Xhosa poetry 21st century , Diaries -- Authorship , South African poetry (English) History and criticism , Xhosa poetry History and criticism , Poetry Therapeutic use
- Language: Xhosa , English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192364 , vital:45219
- Description: Esi siqingatha sethisisi yingqokelela yemibongo-ngoma eyilwe ngeenjongo zokuzama ukuveza nokupholisa isilonda esidalwe ziimeko zobom esiphila kubo singabantu, izinto endizibonileyo nendidlule kuzo. Ndibhala ndibonakalisa ubumnyama endiphile kubo, apha ndizama ukusondela ekukhanyeni. Ndiqala ngokupholisa ezam izilonda kuqala. Ulwimi endilusebenzisayo lulanda imbali yam njengomfana omnyama okhulele elokishini, ilokishi nganye inolwimi lwayo. Ndisebenzisa olu lwimi ndibalisa indlela endikhule ngayo, ndikwakhankanya nokukhula ndiqheliswa ukungathethi ngezinto nokungawavezi amanxeba entliziyo yam phambi kwabantu “ilayithi ayikhali.” Ndinomdla kubabhali ababhala ngeemeko zexesha lanamhlanje, kwiimeko eziphilwa luninzi lwabantu nesimo sentlalo jikelele. Ndisebenzise umsebenzi wababhali abafana noAyanda Billie ukujonga isingqi sobom kwimibongo yakhe njengomntu ongekho kude ngokuhlala nokufuphi ngeminyaka, ndiqwalasele imisebenzi kaS. Zotwana ukuzama ukusondeza isigama kwindlela endikhule ngayo kunye noJ.J.R Jolobe ukuqwalasela ukuba babesebenzisa obuphi ubuchule bokubhala nokupholisa izilonda zabo. Ndikwacaphule kwisimbo sokubhala esikhawulezileyo semibhalo eyenzelwe iqonga njengoko ndichithe ixesha elininzi ndidlala kwaye ndikwaqeqesha abadlali beqonga. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10-29