Lukas Jung

Since October 2022: Doctoral Researcher (Archaeology) at the International Graduate School »Resonant Self-World Relations in Ancient and Modern Socio-Religious Practices« at the University of Graz and the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, University of Erfurt.

2022: Master’s degree in Archaeology (Classical and Roman Provincial Archaeology) at the Institute of Classics, University of Graz. Master’s thesis: Der Personifikationenfries des sogenannten »Parthermonuments« von Ephesos: Personifizierte Völkerschaften im Kontext der hellenistischen Oikumene? (Supervision: Priv.-Doz. Dr. phil. Alice Landskron)

2017: Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology (Classical and Roman Provincial Archaeology) at the previous Institute of Archaeology, University of Graz. Bachelor’s thesis: Spolienverwendung und Umarbeitungen an römischen Bogenmonumenten am Beispiel des Trajansbogens von Benevent und des Konstantinsbogens in Rom: Politikum und Zeitprobleme (Supervision: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Manfred Lehner)

October 2020 – October 2022: Student/research Assistant for the project of research on the Ideal Sculpture of Side (FWF P 32539: New Aspects of Roman Ideal Sculpture in Side) under the direction of Priv.-Doz. Dr. phil. Alice Landskron, Institute of Classics, University of Graz – in cooperation with the Excavations of Side under the direction of Prof. Dr. Feriştah Alanyalı, University of Eskişehir, Turkey.

Summer Campaign 2022: Excavations at the area of the Porta Marina in Ostia under the direction of Dr. Marcello Turci (Lise-Meitner-Programm (FWF): Imperial Construction Activity in Ostia after the Severans: Continuity, Transformations and New Urban Centers in the Coastal District. A Comparative Study between Archaeology and Epigraphy) Summer Campaign 2019: Tutorship during the teaching excavations in the Hellenistic city centre of Lousoi (Peloponnese, Greece) under the direction of Dr. Georg Ladstätter and Dr. Christoph Baier, ÖAI/ÖAW, Department Athens.

Summer Campaign 2018: Excavations on the city wall and east gate of Side (FWF P 29636: Hellenistisch-römischer Stadtmauerbau in Kleinasien) under the direction of Dr. phil. Ute Lohner-Urban, Institute of Classics, University of Graz – in cooperation with the Excavations of Side under the direction of Prof. Dr. Feriştah Alanyalı, University of Eskişehir, Turkey.

The Agonistic »Event Culture« of Side and the Pamphylian Cities
The Significance of the ἀγῶνες ἱεροὶ καὶ στεφανῖται as a »Sphere of Resonance« within the Imperial Cult and the Second Sophistic (working title)

Die agonistische »Eventkultur« in Side und den pamphylischen Städten
Die Bedeutung der ἀγῶνες ἱεροὶ καὶ στεφανῖται als »Resonanzsphäre« des Kaiserkultes und der Zweiten Sophistik (original german working title)

Competing and emerging victorious was always an important aspect of ancient Greek culture, whether in philosophy, art or athletics – a tradition that dates back to the very beginning of the different Hellenic tribes. As a consequence of an obvious need for competition and comparison, the artistic, athletic and hippic events became integrated into the spheres of religion and various cults. Agonistic contests, which were also an important part of Greek education (παιδεία), were adopted by the Roman Empire, especially on the territories of the former Hellenistic nations. The nostalgia for the glorious past of Greek culture reached a new peak during the era of the Roman emperors, generally known as the period of the Second Sophistic. As with previous Hellenistic rulers, many Agons were staged in the cities of Asia Minor as large-scale propagandistic and religious festivities, but now in honour of the Roman emperor. They were politically and religiously assimilated as the sacred »Crown Games« (ἀγῶνες ἱεροὶ καὶ στεφανῖται) and therefore equated (eiselastic) with the Panhellenic Games at Olympia and Delphi as ecumenical Isolympic and Isopythian Games. The multiple rivalries between the cities of Asia Minor contribute significantly to the understanding of this subject, as these can be interpreted as an agonistic behaviour of the cities towards each other. The Roman emperors and their families often politicised and exploited these conflicts, especially through the granting of Neokoros titles, as well as through the sacred »Crown Games«, along with the many benefits that these entailed. In this way, the emperor was able to secure the loyalty of the cities of Asia Minor, which in turn enjoyed an increase in status and economic growth and were therefore in a better position to preserve their own culture.

My dissertation examines the archaeological evidence for agonistic festivals in Pamphylia (Asia Minor) during the Principate Period, concentrating on the city of Side as a point of reference. Through a comparative analysis of the major cities of Asia Minor, such as Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Miletus and Pergamon, this research will highlight the importance of the agonistic »Event Culture« within ancient Greek society, even during the Roman period. The assessment evaluates the remnants of agonistic competitions within the context of the Imperial Cult, the bestowal of Neokoros titles, the Second Sophistic, and the Roman Empire’s assimilation of Greek education. Additionally, Hartmut Rosa's theory of Resonance is employed to investigate the effect of imperial Agons on the social framework of Pamphylian cities, in order to potentially open up new perspectives on local communities, their needs and emotional perceptions. This archaeological research has also been significantly affected by the athletic Ideal Sculptures linked to the agonistic architecture of Asia Minor, which were able to reflect the proclaimed self-perception of Greek society at the time of the Roman Empire.