5th EMCC-Intensive Course Rome

18th – 20th June 2019

End of June 2019: as always, every second year, all current students in the European Master's Program EMCC ("European Master of Classical Cultures"), as well as the responsible coordinators and other employees of the program come together for a three-day Intensive Course including field trips and museum visits at the location of one of the twelve participating universities.
Due to the collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Rome, initiated and realized 2016 by Ortwin Dally, director of the DAI Rome, the University Roma Tre as a member of the program, represented by Roberta Fabiani, and the excellent cooperation of these two institutions, this year’s Intensive Course was held in Rome.

By integrating this interdisciplinary Intensive Course into the curriculum of the European Master, students from different European countries are given the opportunity to get to know each other, exchange ideas, and establish contacts with the responsible coordinators during the Course and beyond. During this Course, all students give apaper (ca. 30 minutes) followed by a discussion dealing with his/her individual subject as well as methodological issues and problems of their ongoing master’s theses.
These papers are part of a wide-ranging program which also includes field trips to ancient monuments, archaeological sites, and museums in the vicinity. In doing so, communication between the students and the academic staff of the program can be ensured, which once again characterizes the EMCC in a special way.
Between the 18th and 20th of June 2019, the international Intensive Course took place in Rome, Italy. The accommodation for students and coordinators and the field trips were perfectly prepared and organized by Ortwin Dally of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and Roberta Fabiani from the University Roma Tre.

Thursday, 18th June 2019: Greetings/Papers/Field Trip

Papers:

• Noemi Maria Pipitone (Palermo – Toulouse, 2nd Semester):

“Vocabulary and concepts of effeminacy in Aristophanes’ comedies“

• Maria Marino (Palermo – Münster, 2nd Semester):

“The ritual norm from the Amphiareion at Oropos (I.Oropos 277)”

After these two stimulating papers, the participants gathered again in a lecture hall in the premises of the University for a presentation about the “Laurea Magistrale” by Mario de Nonno, a Classics study program, followed by a brief introduction of the EMCC program by Ralf von den Hoff and Roberta Fabiani focussing on its possibilities, basic structure and curriculum.
The presentations were followed by a report by one of the current students in the EMCC program, Cécile Schoumacher, who has recently completed her master’s degree; she commenced her studies in Toulouse and spent one semester in Rome at the University Roma Tre. In her talk, Cécile stressed the significance of first-hand experience in excavations referring to her own participation in excavation projects on the Capitol Hill in Rome. In this regard she stressed the helpful mentoring system of the EMCC program, not only concerning the studies itself but also possibilities to participate in extracurricular activities such as practical courses like excavations. It became apparent during her report that the EMCC program—which includes Ancient History, Classical Philology and Classical Archaeology—provides a variety of possibilities for students but also established contacts beyond the program.

After a short lunch break all participants of the Intensive Course visited an ancient catacomb, the so called Catacomba di Santa Tecla situated near the Via Ostiense. The group enjoyed a guided tour through the catacomb by Dr. Giovana Ferri. This Christian catacomb was built on an older roman one that existed from the 1st century AD. There are multiple chambers inside, differing in shape and size while some are equipped with elaborate wall paintings and floor mosaics. Inside the catacomb there are also chamber tombs with multiple wall graves.

 After this exciting visit of the Catacomba di Santa Tecla the participants of the Intensive Course met again at the University Roma Tre for another presentation by one of the students:

Paper:

• Elena Esposito (Rome – Münster, 2nd Semester):

“Practical and organizational aspects concerning greek religious festivals“

Here, it already showed that the student’s papers and the following discussions were key to the further development of their theses. Once again, the interdisciplinary qualities of the EMCC and the Intensive Course, along with its multilingualism, have proven to stimulate and encourage new perspectives.
In the afternoon, a very stimulating paper was given by Prof. Francesco Prontera in honor of Prof. Peter Funke’s retirement, being one of the founders of the EMCC program. Prof. Prontera gave a talk on „Mappae mundi da Erdoto (IV 36–45) a Polibio (III 36–38), followed by a joint dinner.

Wednesday, 19th June 2019: Field Trip Capitol and Crypta Balbi/Papers

 Papers:

• Eleni Krikona (Hamburg – Athens, 4th Semester):

“The Kleisthenic Reforms in Athens as a Step towards Isonomia“

• Jean-Pascal Sopha (Toulouse – Hamburg, 4th Semester):

“International Relations theory and the rise of Macedon under Philip II“

• Margherita Coughlan (Perugia – Münster, 2nd Semester):

“CGRN 27 and the cult of Herakles Thasios“

All participants enjoyed the evening at the Villino before meeting again the next morning to continue with the student’s papers.

Thursday, 20th June 2019: Papers/Discussion of the coordinators

Papers:

• Helena Fotopoulos (Münster – Athens/Rome, 2nd Semester)

“When two people fight, it’s the third who gets the prize – Foreign judges in mainland Greece in the 2nd century BCE”

• Joseph Grenet (Toulouse – Salamanca/Valladolid, 2nd Semester)

“Visigothic coinage - Can we trace the history of the Visigoths by studying their currency?”

• Jonas Derichs (Münster – Palermo, 2nd Semester)

“Stories of Failing“. Some Thoughts on the Representation of the „imitatio Alexandri“ of Near Eastern Local Dynasts during the Early Imperial Period”

 After lunch, we listened to the last of the ten papers that have been presented during this year’s course.

Paper:

• Claudia Liersch (Hamburg – Toulouse, 2nd Semester)

„The Domus Aurea’s dimensions in literature“

After this last presentation the EMCC coordinators and staff met to discuss the papers while the students were asked to evaluate the Intensive Course and the EMCC program. We met again for dinner where we discussed the past days and the
experiences we shared throughout the week. This also included the opportunity for students to get in contact with the EMCC coordinators and staff.

Friday, 21th June 2019: Final Discussion/Farewell

Auf Wiedersehen und Goodbye…

till 2021!!!