During the early Byzantine period, the remote region of Isauria for a few years was of exceptional importantance throughout the empire. This group aims to bring together scholars from various disciplines who are researching this region, providing a platform for them to present their latest findings. Interdisciplinary exchange is particularly important to us. The speakers represent a variety of academic disciplines, including Byzantine archaeology and architecture, ancient history, and ecclesiastical history. The subject of the papers will encompass both material culture and literary approaches. The programme will commence with a brief introduction by Jon Cubas Díaz, followed by four papers addressing specialised subjects. The papers will be organised into two pairs. The initial two papers will concentrate on literary sources, specifically martyr texts. Froehlich employs the concept of the “lifeworld” (Husserl) in the context of the city of Corycus, while Riegler examines aspects of gender and intersectionality in martyr texts from the region. Pilhofer’s concentrates on one city and takes into account written sources as well as recent archaeological research. In the context of material culture, Krampe has a focus on “Ayatekla after Ayatekla”, looking into the history of research.
As a pilgrimage site, Ayathekla was of great religious and economic importance, thereby acting as an incubator for innovative and monumental examples of byzantine sacred architecture. The Thecla Basilica was the spiritual and architectural center. Built in the 5th century, it was once the largest church in the region and went through several phases of…
The lecture presents the city of Corycus as a case study offering insight into life in the Isaurian-Cilician coastal region. By drawing on an operationalised concept of ‘lifeworld’, the disparate archaeological, literary and epigraphic material can be reinterpreted. The literary tradition surrounding the martyr Charitine will play a special role in this. However, the perspective…
Martyr texts describe people’s lives at a threshold between life and death. In these liminal situations, especially women often surprised contemporaries as well as readers of their martyrdom with their extraordinary behavior and resilience. The paper examines Cilician martyr texts – such as the martyrdom of Charitine of Corycus and the martyrdom of Iulitta and…
The city of Olba functioned as the capital of a Hellenistic priest state that exercised control over a region in the Cilician highlands. Architectural remains of this period include the Olbian towers, which are scattered throughout the region, and the Olbian semeia, which were visible on many lintels. The priests were serving at the nearby…