Representation of the divine and working of polytheism

Developing better understanding of how the Greeks envisioned (and interacted with) their gods is the shared focus of the different (past and present) branches of our research :

Cults, Myths, Iconography

  • The study of specific deities within the cults and narratives in which they are present, across geographic and chronological boundaries (Vinciane PIRENNE-DELFORGE, in collaboration with Gabriella PIRONTI – Paris ; Sylvain LEBRETON).

  • The analysis of the iconographic strategies developed by Greek artists to make the divine “manifest” in a ritual context and to communicate with it (Hélène COLLARD).

  • The study of cultural transfers between metropolis(es) and colony(ies) using two case studies (Elie PIETTE).

Polytheism in motion

  • The study of the transformation of Greek pantheons and the evaluation of continuities and changes in the concepts of piety and of the relationship with the divine, notably through epigraphic evidence and cult-epithets (Stéphanie PAUL ; Sylvain LEBRETON).

  • The analysis of ritual practices, social agents and the topography of sacred space in the cults for Hellenistic sovereings, through epigraphy, papyrology and archaeology (Stefano CANEVA).

  • The transformation of the religious landscape of the Greek poleis, notably after synoecisms and metecisms (Alaya PALAMIDIS).

Religious Norm

  • The sources of authority in normative inscriptions with a religious matter and the way in which they receive their validity (Saskia PEELS ; Vinciane PIRENNE-DELFORGE ; Rebecca VAN HOVE).

  • Epigraphic evidence for the study of Greek religion, particularly concerning ritual practices and pantheons (Jan-Mathieu CARBON ; Vinciane PIRENNE-DELFORGE ; Zoé PITZ).

  • The notion of impiety in literary and epigraphic evidence (Aurian DELLI PIZZI).