Papers by Monika Błaśkiewicz
Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica, Dec 29, 2014
To Cosmas-the first person who encouraged me to explore Greece when I was twelve years old. Heali... more To Cosmas-the first person who encouraged me to explore Greece when I was twelve years old. Healing dreams at Epidaurus. Analysis and interpretation of the Epidaurian iamata 2 One type of the most important sources for the Epidaurian worship of Asclepius are the iamata inscriptions engraved on the four stelai that were erected in the fourth century BC by the authorities of a sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus. The body of the surviving texts contains approximately seventy tales, which are basically records of the cures and 'medical therapies' carried out by Asclepius. However, the iamata inscriptions cannot be simply considered as an official index of afflictions registered and healed at the Epidaurian medical centre: the analysis of the particular inscriptions enables modern scholars to reveal their didactic, moralistic, economic and even advertising role. In my paper, I discuss different aspects of the iamata: at the beginning, I cite the leading theories concerning the nature, veracity and authenticity of the iamata, since this particular issue constantly attracts scholarly attention and remains controversial. Subsequently, I retrace the development of the Asclepiad worship and explain the phenomenon of the spread of the cult of Asclepius as healing god. Since the problem of the iamata cannot be discussed without references to other sources, in my paper I frequently refer to iconographical, architectonic and literary pieces of evidence. The cited sources enrich my research with diverse perspectives: visual evidence allows us to comprehend the healing process; accounts left by the classical authors, in turn, offer us a glimpse of the ancients' attitudes towards the phenomenon of the 'divine healing' in Epidaurus and other medical sites. Finally, the architectonic details and reports from archaeological excavations make it possible to reconstruct to a degree the infrastructure of the most famous medical centre in the Greek and Roman world. The content of the preserved inscriptions together with the aforementioned
Kynegetika (On hunting) by Oppian, a didactic poem in four books, was dedicated to the emperor Ca... more Kynegetika (On hunting) by Oppian, a didactic poem in four books, was dedicated to the emperor Caracalla and depicts one of the most fashionable and luxurious entertainments in the Hellenistic and Imperial Period, namely hunting. However, the aforesaid work can not be treated simply as a “hunter’s handbook”. I intend to present the complexity and variety of its content and to demonstrate that Oppian based his work on the Hellenistic literature on hunting. In spite of the fact that Kynegetika was written during Caracalla’s reign, in terms of its character and subject matter, it belongs to the Hellenistic tradition. This work abounds with historical facts and political allusions, expressed in a poetic and metaphorical way. The extensive descriptions of exotic animal species prove not only Oppian’s erudition and sophistication, but also his references to the Hellenistic tradition of hunting for African animals that was initiated in the times of the Ptolemaic dynasty. These accounts ill...
Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica, 2014
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Papers by Monika Błaśkiewicz