It is widely recognized that colonial empires utilize myths to legitimize their claims to power, offering both historical and divine justification for the existing social order. The colonial powers of the ancient world were no exception to this rule, as vividly illustrated in Virgil’s Aeneid. Beyond legitimizing power, myths also serve to instill crucial military values upon which empires rely, such as patriotism, self-sacrifice for the common good, duty, and austerity. This course examines how mythical or semi-historical heroes and their associated cult sites functioned in antiquity to support expansionist and colonial ideals and practices. We begin with an analysis of hero cults during archaic colonization, focusing on founding heroes and their enigmatic tombs. What roles did these monuments play in the newly established colonial settlements? We will then explore the evolution and transformation of these practices during the Classical and Early Hellenistic periods, when large-scale territorial empires began to emerge, with a particular focus on the Roman Republic. During this period, the Roman territory was dotted with monuments and sites linked to these hero-narratives. We will study how these mythical places functioned within Roman society to perpetuate colonial values. To further our understanding, we will also examine more modern examples of hero cults in imperial projects.
The course begins with a series of weekly introductory seminars in Groningen, followed by a 10-day stay at the KNIR in Rome, scheduled from March 10th to March 20th. The second part of the course, running from April to June, focuses on writing a research essay and participating in feedback sessions.
This research seminar is co-organized with the University of Groningen and OIKOS and is part of the Settler Colonial Paradigms (SECOPS) research program.
