Nicola Zito
Newcastle University, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Department Member
- CNRS UMR 8167, Équipe Médecine Grecque et Littérature Technique, Department Memberadd
Newcastle University, 19 February 2024, 10 a. m. - 5:30 p. m., Armstrong Reception Rooms (ARMB.G.69-70). Contact: nicola.zito@newcastle.ac.uk It will be possible to attend the event remotely. To register, please follow this link:... more
Newcastle University, 19 February 2024, 10 a. m. - 5:30 p. m., Armstrong Reception Rooms (ARMB.G.69-70).
Contact:
nicola.zito@newcastle.ac.uk
It will be possible to attend the event remotely. To register, please follow this link:
http://tiny.cc/sm5jvz
Contact:
nicola.zito@newcastle.ac.uk
It will be possible to attend the event remotely. To register, please follow this link:
http://tiny.cc/sm5jvz
Research Interests:
Le forme della scienza: Generi, strategie argomentative ed elementi letterari della produzione tecnico-scientifica antica.
Pisa, 27 novembre 2023, Palazzo Matteucci, Aula Magna
Pisa, 27 novembre 2023, Palazzo Matteucci, Aula Magna
Research Interests:
Der römische Kaiser Julian versuchte in seiner kurzen Regierungszeit (361-363), das Christentum zurückzudrängen und die Rückkehr zu den paganen Kulten durchzusetzen, die er im Sinne des Neuplatonismus interpretierte. Seine Gegner... more
Der römische Kaiser Julian versuchte in seiner kurzen Regierungszeit (361-363), das Christentum zurückzudrängen und die Rückkehr zu den paganen Kulten durchzusetzen, die er im Sinne des Neuplatonismus interpretierte. Seine Gegner bezeichneten ihn daher als den Abtrünnigen (Apostata). Zahlreiche Schriften Julians sind Zeugnisse nicht nur seiner politischen, sondern auch religiös-philosophischen Vorstellungen und zudem von literarischem Interesse. Die Tagung „Kaiser Julian und seine Zeit“ nimmt philosophisch-religiöse, literarisch kulturelle und politisch-historische Aspekte in den Blick.
19. - 21. Juli 2023
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Campus Westend
Raum CAS 1.811
Kontakt:
Dr. Nicola Zito
Institut für Klassische Philologie
Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1
D-60629 Frankfurt am Main
n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
19. - 21. Juli 2023
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Campus Westend
Raum CAS 1.811
Kontakt:
Dr. Nicola Zito
Institut für Klassische Philologie
Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1
D-60629 Frankfurt am Main
n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Research Interests:
THEOCRITEA - Frankfurter Theokrit-Treffen
21. - 22. April 2023
Raum IG 454
Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
Kontakt: n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
21. - 22. April 2023
Raum IG 454
Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
Kontakt: n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Research Interests:
INTERNATIONALER WORKSHOP: DAS ANTIKE LEHRGEDICHT - LITERARISCHE QUELLEN UND KATALOGE Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 10. und 11. März 2023, Raum: IG 454 Kontakt: Yasmin Schmidt, y.schmidt@em.uni-frankfurt.de Nicola Zito,... more
INTERNATIONALER WORKSHOP: DAS ANTIKE LEHRGEDICHT - LITERARISCHE QUELLEN UND KATALOGE
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 10. und 11. März 2023, Raum: IG 454
Kontakt:
Yasmin Schmidt, y.schmidt@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Nicola Zito, n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 10. und 11. März 2023, Raum: IG 454
Kontakt:
Yasmin Schmidt, y.schmidt@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Nicola Zito, n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Research Interests:
Μάρτυρι Μύθῳ. Poésie, histoire et société aux époques impériale et tardive. Sorbonne Université 8-10 Septembre 2022 Entrée libre, inscription recommandée : poesiehistoire@sciencesconf.org Informations : Morgane Cariou... more
Μάρτυρι Μύθῳ. Poésie, histoire et société aux époques impériale et tardive.
Sorbonne Université
8-10 Septembre 2022
Entrée libre, inscription recommandée : poesiehistoire@sciencesconf.org
Informations :
Morgane Cariou (morgane.cariou@sorbonne-universite.fr)
Nicola Zito (n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de)
Sorbonne Université
8-10 Septembre 2022
Entrée libre, inscription recommandée : poesiehistoire@sciencesconf.org
Informations :
Morgane Cariou (morgane.cariou@sorbonne-universite.fr)
Nicola Zito (n.zito@em.uni-frankfurt.de)
Research Interests:
Platonismus und Esoterik in der französischen Renaissance
Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
20. - 21. Juli 2022
Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
20. - 21. Juli 2022
Research Interests:
The anonymous poet of the ‘Orphic’ Lithica devotes special attention to coral: the passage dedicated to this ‘stone’ (l. 510-609) almost constitutes a poem in itself, the length and formal accuracy of which corresponds to a very precise... more
The anonymous poet of the ‘Orphic’ Lithica devotes special attention to coral: the passage dedicated to this ‘stone’ (l. 510-609) almost constitutes a poem in itself, the length and formal accuracy of which corresponds to a very precise ideological dimension. A natural prodigy that is inexplicable to the human mind, the transformation of the coral, which has passed from the vegetable kingdom to the mineral kingdom, invites us, precisely because of the incredulity it arouses, to consider it a divine manifestation that can foster the soul’s ascent towards higher realities. The metamorphosis of the sea plant that miraculously becomes stone heralds the metamorphosis of the soul at the end of a process of philosophical purification, evoked through the story of Perseus, the mythical antecedent of the coral’s change of nature. Only at the end of this purification will it be possible to acquire the theurgical skills necessary to properly manipulate the stone so that its powers manifest themselves. This interpretation is based on a comparison of the text of the Lithica with the writings of the Neo-Platonic philosophers of Late Antiquity, which is an element confirming the composition of the poem in the milieu of the emperor Julian (r. 361-363) and the need to read the entire work as a writing of an allegorical nature.
Research Interests:
This article examines the presence of brothers and the representation of fraternal ties in ancient astrological literature. The research focuses in particular on a corpus consisting of the Astronomica by Manilius (1st century AD), the... more
This article examines the presence of brothers and the representation of fraternal ties in ancient astrological literature. The research focuses in particular on a corpus consisting of the Astronomica by Manilius (1st century AD), the Tetrabiblos by Ptolemy (2nd century), the Apotelesmatica by Pseudo-Manetho (six books composed by different authors between the 2nd and 4th centuries) and the Mathesis by Firmicus Maternus (4th century). The information on brothers and fraternal ties provided by these four works is also compared with Plutarch's opuscule De fraterno amore: the tension between texts that are so different in purpose, style and depth brings out the specific features of both the astrological prognostications concerning brothers and Plutarch's moral reflections.
Please email me in order to get the PDF of the article.
Please email me in order to get the PDF of the article.
Research Interests:
This article presents the edition, with French translation and philological and literary commentary, of an odelette by the humanist Florent Chrestien. It is an occasional piece composed in 1567 for the baptism of Charles de... more
This article presents the edition, with French translation and philological and literary commentary, of an odelette by the humanist Florent Chrestien. It is an occasional piece composed in 1567 for the baptism of Charles de Bourbon-Soissons, son of Louis de Condé. Placed in its historical context, the odelette is analyzed as a manifesto for an alternative pindarism to that of Ronsard and the Pléiade, and as a militant piece serving the Protestant cause and the interests of the House of Bourbon.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to show that some passages of the astrological poem Περὶ Καταρχῶν, attributed to the philosopher Maximus of Ephesus, are susceptible to a double reading. The author seems to insert in his text polemical allusions... more
The aim of this paper is to show that some passages of the astrological poem Περὶ Καταρχῶν, attributed to the philosopher Maximus of Ephesus, are susceptible to a double reading. The author seems to insert in his text polemical allusions to the Christian religion, presented as a form of madness; monks and pagans converted to Christianity are also criticized. Certain themes developed by the author make one think of the religious and political ideas of Julian, which would confirm once again that the poem was composed in the milieu of this Emperor. Some remarks are also made about the date and context of the poem’s composition.
Research Interests:
After evoking the theory of universal sympathy, which considers the cosmos as a whole whose parts are closely linked, this article deals, through the prism of the stomach, with zodiacal, decanal and planetary melothesy, whose mode of... more
After evoking the theory of universal sympathy, which considers the cosmos as a whole whose parts are closely linked, this article deals, through the prism of the stomach, with zodiacal, decanal and planetary melothesy, whose mode of operation is broadly illustrated: if associations of ideas are often the basis of the links uniting the various parts of the human body to the zodiacal signs, decans or planets, these links can also be explained by mythology and physics. Are also presented astrological gems that are believed to be able to cure stomach diseases.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to show that several aspects of the treatise On Hieroglyphs by Horapollo can be explained by the belonging of its supposed author to the group of Neoplatonic intellectuals in late 5th century Alexandria: these... more
The aim of this paper is to show that several aspects of the treatise On Hieroglyphs by Horapollo can be explained by the belonging of its supposed author to the group of Neoplatonic intellectuals in late 5th century Alexandria: these aspects include universal sympathy, medical use of divination and a possible allusion to theurgy.
Research Interests:
During Late Antiquity, blood sacrifice was at the center of philosophical and religious reflections. It is therefore not without significance that this sacrifice had a preponderant importance in the Orphic Lithica, a poem whose... more
During Late Antiquity, blood sacrifice was at the center of philosophical and religious reflections. It is therefore not without significance that this sacrifice had a preponderant importance in the Orphic Lithica, a poem whose composition in the milieu of the emperor Julian is made plausible by several considerations of a historical and literary nature. The present contribution shows that the manner in which the anonymous poet evokes sacrifice closely resembles Julian's ideas on the subject, especially the necessity of celebrating it in a locus amoenus, conducive to the celebrant's tranquility.
Research Interests:
The aim of this contribution is to offer an essay that investigates the different ways in which Maximus plays in his astrological poem with the (presumed) origin of the words used by him or with their meaning. We will first see how our... more
The aim of this contribution is to offer an essay that investigates the different ways in which Maximus plays in his astrological poem with the (presumed) origin of the words used by him or with their meaning. We will first see how our astrologer is able to put etymology at the service of the composition of his predictions; then how he exploits the semantic ambiguity of certain terms, not only to show off his erudition, but also to make his poem more in keep- ing with the dictates of astrological literature; finally, how he implicitly succeeds in establishing what is for him the correct interpretation of a word susceptible to different and conflicting readings.
Research Interests:
This paper suggests a comparison between the autobiographical myth composed by Emperor Julian in his oration To the Cynic Hercaleios (§ 22) and the one which appears in the “second prologue” of the orphic Lithica (lines 91-171). These... more
This paper suggests a comparison between the autobiographical myth composed by Emperor Julian in his oration To the Cynic Hercaleios (§ 22) and the one which appears in the “second prologue” of the orphic Lithica (lines 91-171). These texts present several similarities, especially in the characterization of the two young protagonists and in their philosophical meanings. On the one hand, such analogies seem to confirm the assumption that the orphic Lithica were written in Julian’s milieu; on the other hand they can be explained in light of the debate generated in the 4th century by the oration To the Cynic Heracleios, in which the Emperor explains his vision about the philosophical functions of myths.
Research Interests:
The Perì Katarchôn of Maximus is a short astrological poem about the Moon’s influence over human activities. In the section On the Marriage (v. 59- 140), Maximus describes a dissolute wife whose easy virtue is the opposite of the... more
The Perì Katarchôn of Maximus is a short astrological poem about the Moon’s influence over human activities. In the section On the Marriage (v. 59- 140), Maximus describes a dissolute wife whose easy virtue is the opposite of the faithfulness of four mythological heroines such as Penelope, Evadne, Arsippe and Laodamia (v. 89-95). Having formulated an hypothesis about the possible source of this short catalogue, which happens to appear also in Ovid, in this paper we will focus on the character of Arsippe, whose name could refer at the same time to Alcestis and to one of the Minyades. We will end this article with some remarks about possible connections between Maximus, 89-95 and 110-112, and some topoi of Latin Elegy.
The high textual quality of Laurentianus gr. 28.27, the only medieval manuscript preserving Maximus’ astrological poem Perì Katarchôn, has never been appreciated as it deserves. This paper discusses two passages of the poem (lines 280-282... more
The high textual quality of Laurentianus gr. 28.27, the only medieval manuscript preserving Maximus’ astrological poem Perì Katarchôn, has never been appreciated as it deserves. This paper discusses two passages of the poem (lines 280-282 and 293-296) whose text was unduly altered by the latest editor, and stresses that a new edition of Perì Katarchôn will have to be based on a revaluation of the paradosis.
According to the Suda, Maximus of Ephesus, a theurgist and the teacher of the emperor Julian, should be identified with the author of a short astrological poem, the Perì Katarchôn, while, ac- cording to Thomas Tyrwhitt, the execution of... more
According to the Suda, Maximus of Ephesus, a theurgist and the teacher of the emperor Julian, should be identified with the author of a short astrological poem, the Perì Katarchôn, while, ac- cording to Thomas Tyrwhitt, the execution of the same figure is de- scribed in the prologue of the Orphic Lithica. The attribution of the Perì Katarchôn and the Orphic Lithica to the milieu of the Apostate seems to be confirmed by comparison of the language, style and content of the two poems, which highlights several similarities between the two texts, and by the identification of themes and interests – the importance of medicine, familiarity with theurgy and magic, centrality of Helios and Selene – that are reminiscent of the thought of the emperor Julian and his circle.
The article aims to vindicate the identification in Suda μ 174 A. of Maximus, author of the astrological poem Περὶ καταρχῶν, with Maximus of Ephesus, theurgist, Neoplatonic philosopher, and teacher of the emperor Julian. An analysis of... more
The article aims to vindicate the identification in Suda μ 174 A. of Maximus, author of the astrological poem Περὶ καταρχῶν, with Maximus of Ephesus, theurgist, Neoplatonic philosopher, and teacher of the emperor Julian. An analysis of the Suda entry is followed by literary, philological, and historical arguments which support the attribution of Περὶ καταρχῶν to Maximus of Ephesus.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Μάρτυρι μύθῳ. Poetry, History and Society in Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. International Conference, Paris, Sorbonne University, 8-10 September 2022. The proposed papers may deal with all the poetic genres practiced in the imperial,... more
Μάρτυρι μύθῳ. Poetry, History and Society in Roman Empire and Late Antiquity.
International Conference, Paris, Sorbonne University, 8-10 September 2022.
The proposed papers may deal with all the poetic genres practiced in the imperial, late and protobyzantine periods, whether they belong to the Pagan or Christian domain, and whether they have been the object of codicological, papyrological or epigraphic transmission. This includes epic poetry (Quintus of Smyrna, Orphic Argonautica, Gregory of Nazianzus, Vision of Dorotheus, Blemyomachie, Nonnus of Panopolis, Metaphrasis Psalmorum...), epyllion (Triphiodorus, Musaeus, Coluthus) and epigram (Palladas, Paul the Silentiary, Agathias), but also didactic and scientific poetry (Dionysius Periegetes, Manetho, Marcellus of Side, Andromachus, Oppian of Cilicia, Pseudo-Oppian, Maximus, Orphic Lithika...), poetry of circumstance and ekphraseis (Pamprepius, John of Gaza, Christodorus of Coptos, Dioscorus of Aphrodito), theater (plays attributed to Lucian of Samosata), oracles (Chaldean Oracles, Sibylline Oracles, Chaldaïques, Sibyllins, Theosophy of Tübingen), hymns (Mesomedes, Synesius, Proclus) and other anonymous works, the present list being given only as examples.
Confirmed and young researchers are invited to submit their abstracts of no more than 500 words to poesiehistoire@sciencesconf.org before the 31st of December 2021. The abstracts should be written in any language used in the field of Greek studies. The scientific Committee will deliver the results of his reviews by the end of February 2022. Shortly after the conference, the papers will be collected in order to be published in a collective book.
International Conference, Paris, Sorbonne University, 8-10 September 2022.
The proposed papers may deal with all the poetic genres practiced in the imperial, late and protobyzantine periods, whether they belong to the Pagan or Christian domain, and whether they have been the object of codicological, papyrological or epigraphic transmission. This includes epic poetry (Quintus of Smyrna, Orphic Argonautica, Gregory of Nazianzus, Vision of Dorotheus, Blemyomachie, Nonnus of Panopolis, Metaphrasis Psalmorum...), epyllion (Triphiodorus, Musaeus, Coluthus) and epigram (Palladas, Paul the Silentiary, Agathias), but also didactic and scientific poetry (Dionysius Periegetes, Manetho, Marcellus of Side, Andromachus, Oppian of Cilicia, Pseudo-Oppian, Maximus, Orphic Lithika...), poetry of circumstance and ekphraseis (Pamprepius, John of Gaza, Christodorus of Coptos, Dioscorus of Aphrodito), theater (plays attributed to Lucian of Samosata), oracles (Chaldean Oracles, Sibylline Oracles, Chaldaïques, Sibyllins, Theosophy of Tübingen), hymns (Mesomedes, Synesius, Proclus) and other anonymous works, the present list being given only as examples.
Confirmed and young researchers are invited to submit their abstracts of no more than 500 words to poesiehistoire@sciencesconf.org before the 31st of December 2021. The abstracts should be written in any language used in the field of Greek studies. The scientific Committee will deliver the results of his reviews by the end of February 2022. Shortly after the conference, the papers will be collected in order to be published in a collective book.
Research Interests:
La prochaine séance aura lieu le lundi 13 juin 2022. Le but de ce séminaire est de réfléchir en commun sur les questions de méthode spécifiques que peut poser l’étude de l’iconographie animale ; ces questions de méthode se laisseront... more
La prochaine séance aura lieu le lundi 13 juin 2022.
Le but de ce séminaire est de réfléchir en commun sur les questions de méthode spécifiques que peut poser l’étude de l’iconographie animale ; ces questions de méthode se laisseront difficilement séparer de considérations historiographiques.
Les images d’animaux constituent un ample ensemble documentaire, présent sur différents supports et remplissant des fonctions multiples. Produites dans des contextes chronologiques et culturels variés, ces représentations ont été soumises à des lectures et à des analyses relevant de méthodes et de traditions d’étude différentes. Cette diversité d’approches s’explique également par le fait que les représentations animales peuvent être étudiées à partir d’horizons disciplinaires différents (histoire, histoire de l’art, philologie, anthropologie, archéologie et archéozoologie). Le but du séminaire est d’organiser le dialogue entre disciplines et spécialités d’étude autour de la figure de l’animal et des problèmes de représentation que ce dernier ne manque pas de poser.
Pour fournir un cadre sommaire à la discussion, on peut rappeler certaines des grandes questions qui sont liées à l’iconographie animale :
- représenter ou non les animaux : un choix culturel
- le statut anthropologique des images et des artefacts qui leur servent de support
- le choix des animaux représentés : composition du répertoire iconographique et sélection du bestiaire (la perspective peut être synchronique comme diachronique)
- la place de l’animal dans l’image : dans quel contexte et dans quel type d’image représente-t-on une figure animale ? quelle est la fonction de la figure animale dans l’image, quel est son statut ? est-elle reléguée au rang de motif, ou occupe-t-elle une place hiérarchiquement centrale ? est-il légitime d’isoler les représentations animales ? quelle est l’unité pertinente pour l’analyse iconographique ?
- les voies de la représentation des animaux : comment un animal est-il représenté ? quels sont les traits retenus qui permettent son identification, et à quel niveau taxonomique ? quelles sont les
habitudes et les conventions iconographiques de la représentation des animaux dans une société donnée, ou plus précisément sur tel ou tel objet, dans tel ou tel type de contexte ? quels sont les modèles, comment circulent-ils ? quelles sont les modes figuratives, comment évoluent-elles ? les animaux sont-ils représentés de façon « réaliste » et naturaliste ?
- est-il pertinent de concevoir un ou des outils collaboratifs entre disciplines et traditions d’étude pour aider à l’analyse des images d’animaux ? quelle forme pourraient prendre ces outils ?
Telles sont certaines des questions qui pourront être discutées à l’occasion de ce séminaire.
Le but de ce séminaire est de réfléchir en commun sur les questions de méthode spécifiques que peut poser l’étude de l’iconographie animale ; ces questions de méthode se laisseront difficilement séparer de considérations historiographiques.
Les images d’animaux constituent un ample ensemble documentaire, présent sur différents supports et remplissant des fonctions multiples. Produites dans des contextes chronologiques et culturels variés, ces représentations ont été soumises à des lectures et à des analyses relevant de méthodes et de traditions d’étude différentes. Cette diversité d’approches s’explique également par le fait que les représentations animales peuvent être étudiées à partir d’horizons disciplinaires différents (histoire, histoire de l’art, philologie, anthropologie, archéologie et archéozoologie). Le but du séminaire est d’organiser le dialogue entre disciplines et spécialités d’étude autour de la figure de l’animal et des problèmes de représentation que ce dernier ne manque pas de poser.
Pour fournir un cadre sommaire à la discussion, on peut rappeler certaines des grandes questions qui sont liées à l’iconographie animale :
- représenter ou non les animaux : un choix culturel
- le statut anthropologique des images et des artefacts qui leur servent de support
- le choix des animaux représentés : composition du répertoire iconographique et sélection du bestiaire (la perspective peut être synchronique comme diachronique)
- la place de l’animal dans l’image : dans quel contexte et dans quel type d’image représente-t-on une figure animale ? quelle est la fonction de la figure animale dans l’image, quel est son statut ? est-elle reléguée au rang de motif, ou occupe-t-elle une place hiérarchiquement centrale ? est-il légitime d’isoler les représentations animales ? quelle est l’unité pertinente pour l’analyse iconographique ?
- les voies de la représentation des animaux : comment un animal est-il représenté ? quels sont les traits retenus qui permettent son identification, et à quel niveau taxonomique ? quelles sont les
habitudes et les conventions iconographiques de la représentation des animaux dans une société donnée, ou plus précisément sur tel ou tel objet, dans tel ou tel type de contexte ? quels sont les modèles, comment circulent-ils ? quelles sont les modes figuratives, comment évoluent-elles ? les animaux sont-ils représentés de façon « réaliste » et naturaliste ?
- est-il pertinent de concevoir un ou des outils collaboratifs entre disciplines et traditions d’étude pour aider à l’analyse des images d’animaux ? quelle forme pourraient prendre ces outils ?
Telles sont certaines des questions qui pourront être discutées à l’occasion de ce séminaire.
Research Interests:
International Conference, Sorbonne Université (8-10 septembre 2022)
Research Interests:
INTERNATIONALER WORKSHOP: DAS ANTIKE LEHRGEDICHT:
LITERARISCHE QUELLEN UND KATALOGE
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 10-11.03.2023
LITERARISCHE QUELLEN UND KATALOGE
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 10-11.03.2023