Andreas Doulfis

Cross Marking and Οther Ιnterventions on Sculptures in Late Antiquity. An Interpretative Approach

Regarding the attitude of Christians towards pagan statues in Late Antiquity, modern research suggests a complex and –at least seemingly– contradictory picture. In some cases, the quality and location of intervention indicate destructive intention towards sculpture’s original message as well as its artistic value and are often followed by additional damage. In other cases, interventions are made with care and provoke less damage on the original image. The main question is: what are the reasons for the emergence of different practices? What are the reasons for the Christian reinterpretation of statues in a Christian context in a series of cases? On the contrary, what are the reasons behind cases where the destructive intention against sculptures is clear? In order to answer this question, we attempt to expose a new explanation about the parallel appearance of these two different Christian attitudes to pagan sculpture.

Christian topography and ancient city. The relation between christian churches and urban space in province of Achaea (4th - 6th c.)

This paper is about spatial relations between churches and urban space in a defined historical context. It includes synoptic definitions of theory terms, settlement analysis focused on urban evolution as also spatial, archaeological and topographical observations. Finally, it concludes with some preliminary conclusions about theoretical aspects of the given subject.

• «Προκαταρκτική αξιολόγηση της εφαρμογής της θεωρίας του “Τρίτου Χώρου” του Edward Soja στην ανάλυση του πρωτοβυζαντινού θρησκευτικού χώρου», Research Colloquium «Christianity in history» 2023-2024: Ταυτότητες και δομές στην εξέλιξη του Ορθόδοξου Χριστιανισμού, Θεολογική Σχολή Αθηνών, 15 Νοεμβρίου 2023.

Κριτικές παρατηρήσεις επί των σύγχρονων αφηγήσεων σχετικά με τον χριστιανικό θρησκευτικό χώρο στη Μεσόγειο κατά την Ύστερη Αρχαιότητα (4ος – 6ος αι.) International conference Diachronic Artistic and Spatial Convergences and Divergences in the Mediterranean, Hellenic Open University. Acropolis Museum, Athens, April 27-29, 2023
book of abstracts

This talk is about detecting and methodologically classifying the variety of spatial interaction types between different religious groups in the Early Byzantine cities between the 4th and 6th centuries. The focus of the presentation is upon observation of the spatial traits and changes, which are correlated with interaction phenomena between Christian, pagan and Jewish religious places. The variety of Christian as well as non- Christian responses to coexistence with other religious groups across Byzantine Empire, makes this classification a minimum but necessary step towards the evolution of the study of the Early Byzantine religious space and thus, the religious reality of that era. Following classification, we are going to attempt a preliminary theoretical definition of the terms "succession", "coexistence" and "competition" in the spatial analysis context. This presentation approaches specific, characteristic historical examples across the Early Byzantine Empire, combining archaeological data, philological and epigraphical testimonies as well as published historical and spatial studies.

«Παλαιοχριστιανικές βασιλικές σε κομβικές και περίοπτες θέσεις των πρωτοβυζαντινών πόλεων της Στερεάς Ελλάδας. Μεθοδολογικές προϋποθέσεις αναζήτησης πιθανών αιτιακών σχέσεων», 7o Αρχαιολογικό Έργο Θεσσαλίας και Στερεάς Ελλάδας 2018-2021. Από τους προϊστορικούς στους νεότερους χρόνους, Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας, 3-5 Ιουνίου 2022.

«Ανασχηματίζοντας τον κοινωνικό χώρο στο Δουκάτο του Αρχιπελάγους. Χορηγική δραστηριότητα και χωρικές σχέσεις κατά τον 13ο αιώνα» (συνεργασία με Σ. Ε. Κοσμά), Ο νησιωτικός ελλαδικός χώρος υπό τον έλεγχο δυτικών κυριάρχων (13ος-15ος αι.).  Αναζητώντας την ταυτότητά τους μέσα από τη χορηγία τους, Διαδικτυακό Επιστημονικό Συμπόσιο, 3-4 Δεκεμβρίου 2021.

The main goal of this presentation is to identify spatial relations developing between urban space and Christian churches in late roman Peloponnese (4th – 6 th c.). In order to conduct our study, we are going to use all available archaeological evidence from Late Roman urban settlements in Peloponnese, which bear the administrative title πόλις/ civitas. All data (sources including) concerning the urban space – churches relation will be classified, in accordance with previous studies, into spatial sub-categories, based on the variety of spatial human practices and activities. Afterwards we are going to define the main spatial qualitative characteristics of Christian cult places and examine their interaction with surrounding urban space. To conclude our argument, we will attempt a preliminary analysis on the new emerging spatial relationships, adopting an interdisciplinary approach, by applying elements of Sociology of Space and Spatial Archaeology.

«Συνέχειες και ασυνέχειες του δημόσιου αστικού χώρου στις πόλεις της πρωτοβυζαντινής Πελοποννήσου μέσω της επίδρασης του μνημειακού Χριστιανισμού (4ος-6ος αι.)», Γ΄ Διεθνής  Επιστημονική Συνάντηση «Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στην Πελοπόννησο», Πανεπιστήμιο Πελοποννήσου, 2-5 Ιουνίου 2021. Βιβλίο περιλήψεων