Development of the Cultural History of Antiquity Subprogramme
Until the mid-2010s, the Department of Classical Philology operated an independent doctoral programme within the framework of the Doctoral School of Linguistics. As a result of subsequent institutional restructuring, the Department of Classical Philology was merged with the Department of Ancient History, leading to a transformation of the doctoral program’s profile: greater emphasis was placed on historical questions and the study of material culture. Consequently, the Doctoral Programme in Classical Philology was transferred to the Doctoral School of History and Ethnology, where it has continued as the Cultural History of Antiquity Subprogramme.
Description of the Cultural History of Antiquity Subprogramme
The subprogramme aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Greek and Roman cultural history with a particular focus on the art history of the period. Among the two classical cultures, special emphasis is placed on the analysis of the historical sources of the Roman Imperial period.
The subprogramme encourages the investigation of precisely defined historical, ideological, or religious questions, primarily through the study of literary, epigraphic, artistic, and material sources from the Principate period. A key area of interest is the age of Augustus, distinguished by its outstanding cultural achievements, as well as the subsequent periods, which further developed the imperial social structure by emulating the Augustan model.
Within the Roman Imperial period, special attention is devoted to artistic and religious historical questions related to Pannonia province. This includes thematic and stylistic analyses of Pannonian painting and both large- and small-scale sculpture, with the aim of situating them within the broader context of Roman Imperial art. The identification of local characteristics or provincial features is also an objective. The study of gem collections preserved in Hungary—many of which originate from Pannonia—is especially recommended.
In the field of religious history, the subprogramme may involve the analysis of specific cults or the religious monuments of particular regions within the province. This research requires a complex analysis of archaeological, artistic, and epigraphic sources, and seeks to compare local findings with results from other areas of the Roman Empire.
Present Members of The Subprogramme
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Name |
Degree |
Position and Affiliation |
Academic Profile |
Publications |
|
Tamás Gesztelyi (Head of the Subprogramme) |
DSc (2009) |
professor emeritus (DE) |
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|
Péter Forisek |
PhD (2004) |
associate professor (DE) |
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|
Csilla Szekeres |
PhD (1997) |
associate professor (DE) |
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|
Levente Takács |
PhD (2008) |
associate professor (DE) |
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|
Orsolya Tóth |
PhD (2011) |
associate professor (DE) |
Conferences and Publications
The Hereditas Classico-Europaea conference series was launched in 2012 by Professor László Havas, the first head of the Doctoral Programme in Classical Philology. This tradition has since been continued by the Cultural History of Antiquity Subprogramme under the title Hereditas Graeco-Latinitatis, preserving the original academic values and objectives. A number of scholarly events have been organized within this framework, addressing a wide range of topics:
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November 29, 2012 |
A keresztény állam és ideáljának születése a pons Milvius-i csata (Kr. u. 312.) jegyében. [The Birth of the Christian State and Its Ideal in Light of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (AD 312)], Hereditas Classico-Europaea, Debrecen, DAB Headquarters. |
|
May 22–23, 2013 |
Summa divinitas, cuius religioni liberis mentibus obsequimur. Konferencia a Milánói Edictum kibocsátásának 1700. évfordulója alkalmából. [Conference marking the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan], Debrecen, DAB Headquarters. |
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29 November 2013 |
A velünk élő antik és keresztény erények. [Ancient and Christian Virtues in the Present Day], Science Month event, Debrecen, DAB Headquarters. |
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May 15, 2014 |
Memoria bene redditae vitae sempiterna. Konferencia Havas László emlékére. [Conference in memory of László Havas], University of Debrecen, Institute of History. |
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November 27–28, 2014 |
Időszemlélet és jövőkép a görög és római gondolkodásban [Conceptions of Time and Visions of the Future in Greek and Roman Thought], Science Month event, University of Debrecen, Institute of History. |
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May 7–8, 2015 |
A bűn pogány és keresztény fogalomrendszere. [The Conceptual Framework of Sin in Pagan and Christian Thought Conference], University of Debrecen, Institute of History. |
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November 26–27, 2015 |
Fény. Magyarázat és szimbólum az európai kultúrában és tudományban [Light. Explanation and Symbol in European Culture and Science Conference], University of Debrecen, Institute of History. |
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June 1–2, 2017 |
Miraculum Conference. University of Debrecen, Institute of History. |
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November 29–30, 2018 |
Biográfia és identitás [Biography and Identity Conference], Debrecen, DAB Headquarters. |
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May 9–10, 2019 |
Norma sapientiae. Havas László emlékkonferencia. [Memorial Conference in honor of László Havas], University of Debrecen. |
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October 21–22, 2020 |
Az antik nevelés és öröksége [Ancient Education and Its Legacy], Online Conference. |
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December 10, 2021 |
Emlékkonferencia Tegyey Imre tiszteletére. [Memorial Conference in Honor of Imre Tegyey], University of Debrecen. |
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December 8–9, 2022 |
Egyén és hatalom [The Individual and Power Conference], University of Debrecen. |
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October 26–27, 2023 |
Exsilium – Solitudo Conference. University of Debrecen. |
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December 5–6, 2024 |
Fókuszban: a forrás. Írott és tárgyi emlékek interakciója [The Source In Focus – The Interaction of Written and Material Evidence Conference] University of Debrecen. |
The proceedings of these conferences are regularly published in the Hereditas Graeco-Latinitatis series. To date, thirteen volumes have been published, all of which are freely accessible or downloadable at the following link: https://tortenelem.unideb.hu/node/239
PhD students of the Subprogramme
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PhD Graduates |
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Name |
Title of doctoral dissertation |
Thesis Supervisor |
Co-Thesis Supervisor |
Defense date |
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Boglárka Fábián |
Tamás Gesztelyi |
|
November 7, 2024 |
|
|
József Dénes Kovács |
Tamás Gesztelyi |
|
September 12, 2023 |
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Doctoral candidates who have fulfilled all coursework and examination requirements |
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Name |
Title of doctoral dissertation |
Thesis Supervisor |
Co-Thesis Supervisor |
Date of completion of doctoral requirements |
|
Dóra Gacsal |
|
Levente Takács |
|
August 31, 2024 |
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Current doctoral candidates with their expected year of completion of doctoral requirements |
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|
Name |
Title of doctoral dissertation |
Thesis Supervisor |
Co-Thesis Supervisor |
Date of completion of doctoral requirements |
|
Gábor Berecz |
|
Levente Takács |
|
August 31, 2027 |
Current dissertation topics
Tamás Gesztelyi
- Historical Sources of the Roman Imperial Period
- Art and Religious History of Pannonia
Péter Forisek
- The Legacy and Influence of Greco-Roman Civilization on European Culture
- Roman Military History
- The History of Chronology from Antiquity to the Present
Levente Takács
- Social, Economic, and Legal Aspects of Roman Land Surveying
- Roman Historiography (with a special focus on the works of Livy)
- Roman Social History (with a special focus on Slavery)
- The History of Teaching Ancient History
- Agriculture and Land Management in Ancient Rome
Orsolya Tóth
- Society, Culture, and Religion in Late Antiquity and Medieval Europe