Physiognomik zwischen Orient und Okzident
Physiognomy: Knowledge Traditions and Transfers

BabMed Seminar/Ringvorlesung
WiSe 2016/17, Freie Universität Berlin
in cooperation with
Institut für Alte Geschichte, Freie Universität Berlin

– convened by Markham J. Geller and Gian Franco Chiai –
Venue: TOPOI-Haus, Hittorfstraße 18, 14195 Berlin
Time: Tuesday, 16.00 c.t. (regular sessions)
Contact: babylonian-medicine@geschkult.fu-berlin.de

 

.

Tue, 18 October 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Introduction – Physiognomik zwischen Orient und Okzident
Markham J. Geller, Freie Universität Berlin

.
Tue, 25 October 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Aristoteles und die Physiognomik
Alessandro Stavru & Gian Franco Chiai, Freie Universität Berlin

.
Tue, 01 November 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Die mesopotamischen Handbücher zur Diagnostik und Physiognomatik.
Eine mesopotamische Humanwissenschaft?
Eric Schmidtchen, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Tue, 15 November 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Pigeon dots, horse spots and twitching limbs in Medieval Arabic physiognomy
Lucia Raggetti, Freie Universität Berlin

.
Thurs, 17 November 2016, 18.00 c.t. – please note: Thursday session –
Ritualperformanz und Ritualtext in Mesopotamien
Beate Pongraz-Leisten, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University

 .
Tue, 22 November 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Polemon 'Physiognomikà' und die zweite Sophistik
Alessandro Stavru, Freie Universität Berlin

 

Tue, 29 November 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Fragmente physiognomischen Wissens in der syrisch-aramäischen Literatur
Stefanie M. Rudolf, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Tue, 06 December 2016, 16.00 c.t.
Physiognomik im antiken literarischen Diskurs
Gian Franco Chiai, Freie Universität Berlin

– winter break, next session 10 January 2017 –  

.

Tue, 10 January 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Physiognomisches bei Ptolemaios (und anderen Astrologen)
Klaus Geus, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Tue, 17 January 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Revisiting Some Fat Rabbis
Daniel Boyarin, University of California, Berkeley

.

Wed, 18 January 2017, 18.00 c.t. – please note: additional evening session –
Haupt-Sachen – Bildliche und sprachliche Konzepte vom menschlichen Körper
in der griechischen und römischen Kultur
Johanna Fabricius, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Tue, 24 January 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Die zoroastrische Vision des Selbst im Jenseits
Alberto Cantera Glera, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Tue, 31 January 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Physiognomic Treatises in Syriac: A Survey
Matteo Martelli, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften

.

Tue, 07 February 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Das 'Werkzeug der Werkzeuge': Zur Entwicklung der Chiromantie aus der
Physiognomik der Hand
Rosa Maria Piccione, Università di Torino

.

Tue, 14 February 2017, 16.00 c.t.
Zwischen Wissenschaft und Okkultismus. Physiognomik in der Frühen Neuzeit
Bernd Roling, Freie Universität Berlin

.

Physiognomy (from Greek ‘physis‘ – nature, stature and ‘gnome’ – insight, knowledge) is the discipline that deduces from visible external traits of the human body, primarily the face, to inner qualities such as intelligence, temperament, individual preferences, and personal character.

The earliest material is known from Mesopotamian sources where physiognomy was in use especially for divination purposes. The oldest sources dealing with physiognomy date from the Old Babylonian period (18th to 16th cent. BCA), a time of an impressive output of scientific and technical tractates. In Ancient Greece, where the origins of physiognomic theory is often traced to a Persian background (Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Zopyros), references to physiognomic considerations and descriptions of the human physique are to be found both in literary texts and works of art. The first systematic treatises on physiognomy go back to disciples of Aristoteles.

Physiognomy thus must be regarded as a wide-spread form of knowledge documented in both Oriental and Occidental cultures. The BabMed seminar series sets out to retrace the aspects of physiognomic knowledge, its origins and its transformations throughout different eras -- the ancient world, Mediaeval times, Renaissance -- and cultural spheres – Ancient Persia, the Arabic speaking world and the Jewish culture.