Meals in the Greco-Roman World

Call For Papers: The MGRW seminar has planned three sessions for 2020: a) New studies on Meals and Water rites – (call esp. for PhD students) Water rites and meals were rituals marked by religious and social diversity and embodying an image of society. We are interested in discussing new studies that analyze the relationship between meals and rites involving water. The function of meals and water rites might be related to each other in terms of theology, context, participants, leaders, social representation, purpose, etc. We are also interested in asking what significance water rites and meals have for communities. PhD students will be given the opportunity in this session to present their work and discuss it with members of the seminar as well as the audience. b) Music and Sound during Ancient Meals (open call) We invite papers that explore the music and/or sounds of Greco-Roman meals. Perspectives from a variety of ancient communities are welcome. Questions to address include, but are not limited to, the following: Is sound/music an integral or excessive part of the ancient banquet? What are types of songs (e.g., drinking songs, econmia, hymns, etc.) and their roles in the banquet? How were sound and movement related at a meal? What role did Dance play? Are there special values or conventions relating to sound and musical activities at ancient meals? What is the relation of sound elements with other parts of the banquet (e.g., drinking, dancing, conversations, and other forms of entertainment, etc.)? c) Joint session: The Meals in the Greco Roman World group and the Religious Experience group would like to invite proposals for a joint session on Meals, Affect, and Religious Experience. Proposals should engage with the embodied and/or cognitive experience of emotion and emotional responses (collective or individual) that come about in the context of meals within a religious and/or ritual context.

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