D.M. Ausonius’ Parentalia occupy an important place in Latin funeral poetry and constitute a collection of thirty eulogies aimed to commemorate the dead members of gens Ausoniana. Ausonius, who intends to honour the memory of his dead relatives, draws in the eulogies first and foremost their moral portraits. Despite these characteristics being more or less individualised, they are in fact composed of quite conventional virtues constitutive of two moral models such as mater familias and pater familias; ones deeply rooted within Roman culture and moral tradition. In consequence, the eulogies in memoriam composed are actually not free from literary, moral and cultural convention but rather seem to be firmly based on it. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present Ausonius’ literary creation of the mater familias and pater familias models that emerge from the eulogies and to indicate their moral tradition and compositional function as well as the literary and stylistic techniques used by the author to show both these moral patterns in the Parentalia.

This article examines the etymology of the Latin cognomen Caesar, famously associated with Gaius Julius Caesar and later adopted as a title by Roman emperors. It reviews ancient folk etymologies – linking the cognomen Caesar to cutting (caedere), hair (caesaries), or eye color (caesius) – and contrasts them with modern linguistic perspectives, which emphasize the name’s uncertain but likely Italic origin. Additionally, it is pointed out that the term caesaries ‘hair’ might be the derivative of the original noun and its chain of derivation is reviewed. Though its precise origin remains unclear, the name Caesar underwent a significant semantic evolution, ultimately becoming a dynastic title and giving rise to imperial terms such as German Kaiser and Russian Tsar.

The aim of the articule is to present and evaluate the current state of research on the Byzantine fortifications in Sardinia that were constructed between the conquest of the island under Justinian the Great in 534 and the decline of imperial control over Sardinia that occured by the 11th century. Various types of defensive structures that were used in the early medieval period are taken into account – city walls, castra, smaller military outposts, as well as re-used Bronze Age and Roman structures. The observations and conclusions are made on the basis of archaeological research and relatively few surviving historical sources.

This paper focuses on jokes and wordplays that are based on ambiguity in ancient literary sources. It begins with a simplified definition of ambiguity and illustrates its significance for humour. Next, the ancient theories of humour are presented, particularly the sources of laughter as elicited by Quintilian and Cicero. Aristotle’s categorisation of ambiguity will be helpful in analysing the different kinds of jokes they are the source of. This will lead into a catalogue of ambiguous jokes to showcase the range of this form. As expected, this begins with the comic poets Aristophanes and Plautus. I present also a few jokes from the Philogelos, a joke collection from approximately the fourth century AD, and conclude with jokes from Cicero and Augustus, as transmitted by Macrobius in his Saturnalia. As Quintilian (and Cicero in some sense) provides in his rhetorical handbook a rather – nomen omen – ambiguous evaluation of the jokes based on ambiguity I attempt to show a possible explanation of this apparent critique.

The marriage of Germanus, nephew of Emperor Justin I (r. 518–527), to Matasuintha, former Gothic queen and granddaughter of Theoderic the Great (r. 475–526), in late 549 or early 550, was a significant yet often overlooked moment in the later stages of the Gothic War. Scholars generally interpret the marriage as a pragmatic alliance shaped by immediate strategic concerns – either a political manoeuvre by Justinian or a personal initiative by Germanus following his appointment as commander in Italy. This article revisits that assumption by exploring three related questions. First, did the marriage and military appointment signal a reconciliation between Justinian and Germanus, or a calculated attempt by the emperor to stabilize a deteriorating political situation? Second, how did their relationship evolve in the years leading up to the union, particularly after Theodora’s death in 548? Finally, more speculatively, was Germanus’ earlier decision to marry his daughter to the general John in 545 connected to his own dynastic ambitions?

In this article, I propose a fresh reading of Niccolò Machiavelli’s work. I am interested in how his views and writings were influenced by the works of the two poets he loved and emulated a lot (if not the most); Dante and Ovid. I first examine Machiavelli’s literary culture and his relationship to the Classical tradition. I then discuss the reception of Ovid in the Middle Ages and in Dante, and then in Machiavelli, as I finally look at the relationship of the author of The Prince and The Discourses to his great Florentine predecessor. In doing so, I will try to show that this particular poetic tradition inspires and guides not only Machiavelli’s lesser-known poetic works, but also his famous and highly influential writings.

This article provides further evidence concerning the traces of school education on Mount Athos during the Byzantine period. Taking all relevant evidence derived from previous research into account, I add information to this matter by commenting on two references relevant to school education on Mount Athos found in the Lives A and B of St Athanasius the Athonite and on another reference being connected to Prochorus Cydonesʼ stay at Megisti Lavra monastery.

The present article examines the editorial and ideological evolution of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Ascesis, focusing on the significant differences between its first edition (1927) and the extensively revised second edition (1945). While extant scholarship has predominantly focused on linguistic changes – most notably in the final section of Ascesis, the well-known “CREDO” – this study seeks to address a critical research gap by arguing that these revisions mark a far more significant transformation. The analysis draws on biographical sources and Kazantzakis’ correspondence as well as his political essays and philosophical influences (notably Nietzschean, Bergsonian, and Buddhist though) in order to contextualize Ascesis within the author’s philosophical development and evolving worldview. The study demonstrates how the work transitions from a politically charged, collectivist manifesto embedded in the ideological context of early 20th-century communist thought to a deeply personal and metaphysical text centered on existential struggle and ascent as well as a multifaceted engagement with nihilism. Special attention is given to the removal of overt political references, the addition of the “Silence” chapter, and the restructuring of the final “CREDO”, which collectively signal a shift from political engagement to lyrical-philosophical introspection. The findings indicate that Ascesis underwent not only a stylistic revision but a fundamental restructuring in Kazantzakis’ conception of spiritual struggle and in his Weltanschauung in general, all of which seemingly occurred in a considerably short time span. This evolution is indicative of the broader tensions between literature, ideology, and personal metaphysics in Kazantzakis’ works – the article contends that Ascesis should be read not as a lesser philosophical addition, but as a central work within the author’s repertoire. The study posits that Ascesis ultimately manifests as a lyrical expression of existential anguish and the will to struggle for its own sake, transcending ideological frameworks.

This article re-evaluates the portrayal of Belisarius by Procopius and other sixth-century sources, not to uncover new biographical data but to trace the evolving representation of his authority, reputation, and career. While Belisarius’ life and military record are well known, the focus here is on how Procopius constructs, modulates, and at times destabilises his image across distinct literary genres and narrative contexts. The methodology lies in the integration of genre comparison (Wars, Buildings, Anekdota), reception layering across Procopius’ corpus, and a tripartite analysis of authority through gesture, strategic command scope, and political-theological framing.Belisarius’ military achievements against the Vandals, Goths, and Persians are examined alongside moments of critique, limitation, and internal challenge, revealing how Procopius’ narratives balance encomium with ambivalence. Authority is shown to be both performative and precarious – shaped by systemic pressures, interpersonal dynamics, and imperial ideology. The article combines narratological analysis, spatial and career mapping, and late antique political theology to illuminate the rhetorical and conceptual architecture of Belisarius’ portrayal. Other contemporary voices, such as Jordanes, are considered to contextualise Procopius’ representational strategies and to explore the conceptual ambiguities surrounding divine favour, supernatural agency, and delegated power. Ultimately, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of sixth-century political and military literacy – not through event reconstruction, but through the interpretive layering of genre, reception, and

This article presents Kassia’s canon for Holy Saturday in terms of its dramatic structure. The content of the work is Christ’s descent into hell, which, according to tradition, took place after His death and before the Resurrection. This theme provided opportunities for the poet to introduce various speaking characters, such as prophets, and in addition to the praise section, there are mini-scenes with dialogues in the canon. This study analyses the relationship of the stanzas of the canon to the biblical canticles, and shows the poet’s creative arrangements in the construction of the odes of the canon, as well as in their number. Kassia introduces many different speaking subjects in the work, making the structure of the canon, intended to be sung during services in monasteries, very dramatic and reminiscent of an older type of liturgical poetry, namely kontakia. The dramatic dimension also applies to the actualisation of the liturgy.