From Asebeia to Atheism. Exploring the Fringes of Religiosity in the Greco-Roman World from the Archaic Period to Late Antiquity.
International conference, University of Ioannina, September 26-28, 2025
2025-07-29
The Swedish Institute at Athens and the Departments of History and Archaeology and Philology of the University of Ioannina have the pleasure to announce the forthcoming conference From Asebeia to Atheism. Exploring the Fringes of Religiosity in the Greco-Roman World from the Archaic Period to Late Antiquity, which will take place at the Cultural Center "Dimitris Hatzis" (old Slaughterhouse) in Ioannina September 26-28, 2025.
Organizing Committee:
Elias Koulakiotis, University of Ioannina, Department of History and Archaeology
Jenny Wallensten, Swedish Institute at Athens
Athanassia Zografou, University of Ioannina, Department of Philology
With generous support from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences).
Programme
Friday, 26 September 2025
9.30-9.45: Greetings
Anna Batistatou, President of the University of Ioannina
Ioannis Tzamtzis, Dean of the School of Philosophy, University of Ioannina
Jenny Wallensten, Director, Swedish Institute at Athens
9.45-10.00: Introduction
Elias Koulakiotis, University of Ioannina, Department of History and
Archaeology
Athanassia Zografou, University of Ioannina, Department of Philology
10.00-11.30: Session 1, Provoking the Authorities: Impiety in Society
Chair: Jenny Wallensten, Swedish Institute at Athens
- Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, Collège de France: Piety Before Eusebeia and Impiety Before Asebeia: A Range of Possible Names and Situations
- Francesco Massa, University of Torino: Reshaping Asebeia in Fourth-Century Roman Empire: Religious Interaction and Rhetorical Struggle
- Thomas Harrison, British Museum: Everyday Impiety
11.30-12.00 Coffee Break
12.00-13.30: Session 2, The Materiality of Asebeia: From Impious Gifts to Vandalism
Chair: Andreas Vlachopoulos, University of Ioannina
- Alexandra Alexandridou, University of Ioannina: From Anathemata to Stonework. The Second Life of The Despotiko Kouroi and Issues of Religiosity
- Maria Zoumbouli, University of Ioannina: Épiphane et les images, haine et grâce
- Jenny Wallensten, Swedish Institute at Athens & Maria Mili, University of Glasgow: Is There Such a Thing as an Impious Offering?
13.00-15.30 Lunch & Coffe Break
15.30-17.30: Session 3, A Place for Impiety? Asebeia and/in Space
Chair: Athanassia Zografou, University of Ioannina
- James Chris Ford, University of Liverpool: Deviant Spaces and Irreverent Places: The Real and Imagined Locations of Atheism in Ancient Greece
- Nikolaos Papazarkadas, University of California at Berkeley/Hellenic Research Foundation: Defeated Cities, Dispossessed Gods? The Enduring Ambiguity of Contested Sacred Spaces
- Elias Koulakiotis, University of Ioannina: Asebeia and Interstate Relations: Revisiting the Causes of the Peloponnesian War
17.00-17.30 Cocktail
17.30-18.00 Music for a While
Voice: John Rendoumis, Piano: Danae Souli
20.00 Dinner for Speakers
Saturday, 27 September 2025
10.00-11.30: Session 4, Is Atheism the Answer? Questioning the Gods
Chair: Alexandros Alexakis, University of Ioannina
- Tim Whitmarsh, University of Cambridge: Godless Fictions
- Ramón Soneira-Martínez, Austrian Archaeological Institute: Rationalising the Gods Through Allegory and Atheism: Studying “Lived Unbelief” in Ancient Greek Religion
- Saskia Peels, University of Groningen & Felix Budelmann, University of Groningen: On (Not) Trusting the Gods: Pistos and Apistos in Classical Greek Texts
11.30-12.00 Coffee Break
12.00-13.30: Session 5, Transgressive Behaviour and its Consequences
Chair: Maria Patera, University of Thessaly
- Jan Mattieu Carbon, Queen’s University, Kingston: Why Did No One Confess to Asebeia (or Atheism) in the so-called “Confession Inscriptions”?
- Eleni Fassa, Democritus University of Thrace: Irreverence, Justice and the Mother of the Gods: Patterns of Transgression, Retribution and Atonement
- Athanassia Zografou,University of Ioannina: Ritual Uses of Asebeia in Curses and Incantations
13.30-15.30 Lunch & Coffee Break
15.30-17.00: Session 5 continued, Transgressive Behaviour and its Consequences
Chair: Elias Koulakiotis, University of Ioannina
- Natalia Tsoumpra, FU Berlin: Divine Mockery and the Normalization of Irreverence in Aristophanic Comedy
- Ariadne Gartziou, University of Ioannina: Dyssebeia-Goddess of Impiety?
17.00-17.30: Discussion with postgraduate students at the University of Ioannina
17.30: Conclusions
Maria Patera, University of Thessaly & Stella Georgoudi, École Pratique des Hautes Études
20.00 Dinner for Speakers
Sunday, 28 September 2025
Visit to the Archeological Museum of Ioannina and Excursion to Dodona
Warmly welcome!
Attached files: Poster, Programme
Utskriven: 2025-12-05
Från sidan: Svenska institutet i Athen
https://www.sia.gr/sv/sx_PrintPage.php?tid=1186