Lezingen

Prof.Dr. Miguel John Versluys
Professor of Classical & Mediterranean Archaeology at Leiden University’s Faculty of Archaeology.

Relations between the Persians and the Greeks have long constituted a central subject of scholarly inquiry, from the works of Herodotus to contemporary studies of antiquity. For much of this period, the discourse was dominated by a predominantly Greek perspective. The emergence of the New Achaemenid History introduced an alternative interpretative framework, shifting attention toward Persian viewpoints and sources. As a result, however, Persian–Greek interactions remain a focal point of academic debate, albeit now examined through a more diversified lens.

In this lecture, I propose the necessity of advancing this discussion further by effectively ‘provincializing Greece’ and adopting a global, Afro-Eurasian perspective. The rise of the Achaemenid Persian empire as a central nexus of markets and trade routes across Afro-Eurasia constituted a pivotal development, a crucial breakthrough, in the globalization in the ancient world. Not without reason the Achaemenid concept of empire was universalistic; the Persian kings considered themselves rulers of ‘the world’. The point is not that their conclusions are now understood to have been erroneous, but rather that the global had come to be recognized as a distinct conceptual category alongside the local and the regional.

This raises several critical questions: What was the nature of this world around 500 BCE and to what extent did it function as an interconnected global network centered on the Achaemenid Persian empire? What kind of (cognitive) impact did the emergence of the idea of universalism have? And how should the significance of the Achaemenid Persian empire be situated within the broader framework of world history, particularly in relation to our understanding of the ancient world?

Hier kunt u meer informatie vinden over de lezing en aanmelden: Sancisi-Weerdenburg Lecture: The Achaemenid Persian Empire and World History

De Leidse Papyrologie-lezing wordt dit jaar gehouden door Sofie Remijsen, universitair hoofddocent Oude Geschiedenis aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Ze vertelt over innovatieve tijdsinstrumenten uit de Grieks-Romeinse tijd in Egypte. Uit gevonden teksten op papyrus blijkt dat mensen er zich goed van bewust waren welk jaar, welke dag en hoe laat het was – net als wij vandaag. Maar hoe deden ze dit precies?

• datum: donderdag 18 juni 2026
• tijd: 19.30 – 20.30 uur (museum open vanaf 19.00 uur)
• locatie:  Tempelzaal, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden of thuis via livestream
• kosten: gratis
• organisatie: Papyrologie+ groep (Universiteit Leiden)

Meer informatie over de lezing en aanmelden kunt u hier vinden: Leidse Papyrologielezing.