Events > Dr Philip Kiernan
Everyone is welcome at this online seminar, which will take place on Monday 7th December 2020, 5pm - 6pm (UK time/GMT).
Register via Eventbrite to receive further details and the seminar joining link.
Update 1st December 2020: We are delighted to share the video lecture (see below) kindly recorded for us by Dr Philip Kiernan. The seminar on Monday 7th December will begin with a summary of this lecture (by Dr Kiernan), followed by a group discussion chaired by Dr Emma-Jayne Graham. During the seminar you will be able to use the microphone or chat box to ask questions; alternatively, you can email us your questions and comments on ancientmaterialreligion@gmail.com
Seminar Abstract
The role of images in Roman religion is often ignored and underestimated, but the Romans saw and encountered the gods in a very real way in the cult images (“idols”) housed in their temples. This seminar visits the gods in their very homes - the temples that housed them. Rare temple sites with evidence for cult image placement in Rome’s western provinces show how temples were built specifically for the cult image and were designed to accommodate diverse interactions between the cult images and worshippers. Small finds recovered in these temples correspond to the very sorts of interactions with cult images that are described in Roman textual sources. Both the built environment and the nature of human interactions with Roman cult images illustrate how they retained a sense of agency amongst their worshippers, and enabled communication with the divine.
