The Running Rituals in Ancient Rome (According to Ancient Authors and Plastic Art)

Погребалните ритуали в Древен Рим (според античните автори и пластичното изкуство)

Author(s): Ivanka Doncheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: funeral rituals; 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑢𝑠; 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑒; 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜; ceremony; funeral procession; inhumation; cremation; funeral pyre; 𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑚; columbarium; sarcophagus; reliefs

The study of burial practices in Rome is both a religious and a legal issue, as there is a special regulation for organizing and conducting the funeral ceremony that was strictly observed. In Rome, as in Greece, caring for the dead was a sacred duty. To leave the dead unburied means to condemn his soul to perpetual wandering, and therefore to create a real threat to the living as the “tortured soul” was filled with malice. Two features distinguish Roman burials: the first is the importance that the Romans give to the deceased being buried and the solemnity with which the funeral ceremony is held, and the second – the lack of representatives of the public cult. Both the one and the other feature relate to the Romans’ beliefs about death. The funeral ceremony in ancient Rome is commonly referred to as the 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑢𝑠. In a broader sense, this term encompasses the set of rituals observed from the onset of death to the funeral. From the moment of death, the home and family of the deceased become 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑒 and stop being such after the funeral. The rituals that preceded the funeral were different from those accompanying the funeral itself. In this report we will try to trace funeral rituals carried out before and after the funeral, based on the testimonies left by ancient authors, archaeological data, and plastic art.

About Courtesan Phryne: The Muse of Praxiteles and Apeles

За хетерата Фрина – музата на Праксител и Апелес

Author(s): Ivanka Doncheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Phryne; Praxiteles; Apeles; Archeology

Phryne (in ancient Greek: Φρύνη) is the most famous ancient Greek courtesan from the 4th century BC, a muse of the great Greek artists – the sculptor Praxiteles and the artist Apeles. Born under the name Mnesarete (in ancient Greek: Μνησαρετή, i.e. 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑒) in Thespia – Boeotia, she went to Athens where she became a courtesan (hetaira). Very quickly, her „clients“ became some of the most prominent men of the time, such as the sculptor Praxiteles, who, according to Pliny the Elder, used her as a model for his famous statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus, and the artist Apelles, who, according to Athenaeus, used her as a model his Aphrodite Anadiomene. In addition to her beauty, Phryne was known for her high fares, which, according to the poet-comedian Mahon, varied according to her mood. Its wealth reached such proportions that, according to the grammar Callistratus, she proposed to restore the destroyed by Alexander the Great in 336 BC. city walls of Thebes, with one condition – to put the inscription „Destroyed by Alexander, restored by Phryne the courtesan“, but the inhabitants of Thebes did not accept this proposal. According to Elian, the Greeks erected a column with a golden statue of Phryne in Delphi, which, according to Athenaeus, was the work of Praxiteles and was entitled “Phryna, daughter of Epicles of Thespia.”

On the Harmony in Ancient Chinese Culture and in the Contemporary Policy of the PRC

За хармонията в древнокитайската култура и в съвременната политика на КНР

Author(s): Iskra Mandova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: harmony; Chinese harmony culture; culture of harmony; harmonious world

The concept 𝐻𝑒 (harmony) is the basis of Chinese traditional culture since ancient times but a number of philosophical and ideological concepts such as “peace”, “benevolence”, “goodwill”, “coherence”, “balance” have been integrated in its meaning. Confucian philosophy imposes state government through virtue (𝐷𝑒); Mozi denies war and military attacks (𝑓𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑔) and seeks harmony; Laozi says “govern by inaction (non-interference)” (𝑤𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑖 𝑗𝑖). Wang Bi believes that inaction means living in harmony with nature, and rulers must adhere to the principle of inaction (𝑤𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑖), because everything in the world follows its natural course, and through the power of balance with inaction we can enlighten, educate and influence selfish and lustful people. Nowadays the concepts of “harmonious society” and “harmonious world” are guiding principles for international affairs in the modern Chinese policy and diplomacy.

A Study on the Cultural Gaps in the Translations of Cao Xueqin’s 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑔

Проблематика на превода на културни реалии (по материали от „Сън в алени покои“ на Цао Сюецин)

Author(s): Nora Chileva-Xiao / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑔; translation; cultural gaps

This research discusses some cultural differences and methods of translation represented in the first sixty chapters of the Bulgarian translation of 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑔, popular in the Western World mainly with its two English versions as 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 and 𝐴 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, as well as its Russian translation 𝑆𝑜𝑛 𝑣 𝑘𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑛𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑦𝑒. The Bulgarian translation of the first 60 chapters of 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑔 („Сън в алени покои“) was published almost half a century after the English and the Russian translations at 2015 and 2016, so it is quite interesting to see if there is any resemblance in translations of cultural gaps. This study gives few examples of how cultural gaps are resolved in words and phrases concerning Chinese tea and rice dishes.

Zhang Dai and Chinese Short Forms 𝑋𝑖𝑎𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛. Example of Ming Dynasty 𝑋𝑖𝑎𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛

Джан Дай и китайските кратки форми сяопин. Образец от периода на династия Мин

Author(s): Polina Tsoncheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Chinese Literature; Chinese Xiaopin; Ming Literature; Zhang Dai

The present paper examines Chinese short forms xiaopin or xiaopinwen 小品文 which origins can be traced back to the period of the Six dynasties (3rd – 6th cc.). The focus is specifically on authors from Ming Dynasty period such as Gui Youguan 归有光, Zhang Dai 张岱, Xu Wei 徐渭 and Li Zhi 李贽 in view of the extremes to which the lives of China’s intellectual elite were thrown. Extremes that find their reflection in literature. Zhang Dai (1597–1689) is a prominent ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑦𝑛𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑦, 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡, 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑠𝑡 (Wang 2022). The essay which translation we present here in Bulgarian is titled “西湖七月半” and describes the celebration of one of the important traditions in the festive calendar of Chinese, namely the Ghost Day 中元节. As this tradition originates from both Taoism and Buddhism, the festival is celebrated in other East Asian countries as well.

The Hakka People and Some Architectural Features of Tulou Buildings

Народността хакка и някои архитектурни особености на сградите тулоу

Author(s): Teodora Yonkova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Hakka people; Chinese ethic groups; Chinese ethnic minorities; tulou buildings; hakka architecture

This work aims to introduce the Hakka people. They are a unique people and are part of the Han Chinese ethnic group. In ancient times they have avoided military and political conflicts and migrated further south until they have reached the southernmost provinces of present-day China. They have preserved their centuries-old traditions and have given the world the 𝑡𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑢 buildings. 𝑇𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑢 have unique and astonishing architectural features which will be described in the text below.

The Mahjar Literature in the Historical Context of the USA during Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Арабската диаспорна литература в историческия контекст на САЩ през края на 19. и началото на 20. век

Author(s): Vesela Todorova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Arab Mahjar literature; 𝐴𝑙-𝑅𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑙-𝑄𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑦𝑦𝑎ℎ; poetry in prose; Gibran Khalil Gibran; Ameen Rihani

This article studies the reasons for the emergence and development of the Mahjar literature in the historical context of the United States from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The creation of communities to support the Arab and national spirit and culture and many other organizations, whose primary purpose is to preserve the language, religion, and culture of Arab immigrants is considered as well. The role of periodicals, which play a central role in the development of the Mahjar literature is also pointed out. The migrant writers operated in more organized way through the literary communities that they had established during that time. These literary societies established both in the USA played a significant role in the development and promotion of the Arab literature in the West.

On the Islamic Normative Prohibition of Wine and the Practices that Contradicted It in the Medieval Near East

По въпроса за ислямската нормативна възбрана върху виното и противоречащите ѝ практики в средновековния Близък Изток

Author(s): Ana Mincheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: wine; Islamic law; social practice; ḥarām; Islamic poetry

The present article deals with a contradiction that often makes the understanding of Muslim law and practice hotly debatable. On the one hand, alcohol and its consumption are strictly forbidden (ḥarām) in Islam. On the other hand, abundant evidence from medieval sources indicates that wine was a highly valued and socially accepted substance serving as the lyrical subject of beautiful poems some of which are considered among the finest literary forms in languages, such as Arabic and Persian. This study foregrounds the contradiction between religious norm and social practice that has raised vivid discussions among both Muslim religious scholars and Western Islamicists. The analysis thus aims to frame the issue by delineating the major Islamic scriptural sources and legal positions against the backdrop of selected (post-)modern conceptualizations, such as the approach recently suggested by Shahab Ahmed.

Conditional Sentences in Arabic. Words Introducing Conditions and Consequences

Условни изречения в арабски. Думи, въвеждащи условия и следствия

Author(s): Milena Atanasova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Arabic language; conditionals; linguistics

A brief overview of the Arabic conditionals with an accent on the role and the meaning of the particles that introduce conditions or hypotheses, on the one hand, and consequences, on the other. The role of the verb forms and their relationship to the governing particles is also touched on.

Affiliation and Alienation in the Works by the Palestinian Writer Ghassan Kanafani

Принадлежност и отчуждение в творчеството на палестинския писател Гассан Канафани

Author(s): Khairi Hamdan / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Kanafani; affiliation; alienation; identity; desert; Haifa, acre

Ghassan Kanafani is a Palestinian novelist whose works were translated into dozens of foreign languages and gained international recognition. He was born in 1936 that was the year of The Great Palestinian Revolt. The author constantly returned to this date in his books because of its importance in the modern history of the Palestinian people. The emigration from his early childhood also left a strong imprint on his creativity. The alienation and the threat of death during the extraordinary military events that took place in his hometown of Acre, as well as his early diabetes deeply affected him. They led Kanafani to believe that his death was inevitable. Nevertheless, he masterfully took advantage of Western literary devices to describe the reality of the Arab world and, in particular, the everyday life of the Palestinians and their survival after long wars and losses. The present paper discusses his several works that reveal a loss of identity as a consequence of alienation, and invoke readers not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of others and to be brave enough to change their life path, despite all the obstacles.

Satirical Literary Means that Depict the Iranian Political Elites in the Novel 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒 by Saeed Hafisi

Сатирични похвати при изобразяването на иранския политически елит в романа „На половината път към рая“ на Саид Нафиси

Author(s): Vladimir Mitev / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: political elites; vices; Iranian society; post-World War Two; satire

The post-World War Two period in Iran is characterized by the feeling of crisis and alienation in the Iranian society. It is stregnthened particularly after the coup of 1953, which topples the democratically-elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. A satirical novel, published in the same year – 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒 by Saeed Nafisi provides valuable insights in the reasons for crisis in Iranian society – the negative selection of its elites, who lack qualities, ethics, culture, but are full of vices. The author, who belongs to the old elites of his country, masterfully depicts the weaknesses and comic elements of the Iranian political elites through a skillful usage of various satirical literary means. That is how the condemnation of those newcomers among the tops of the country is achieved.

Ancient Cosmogonic Myths Legends (East and West)

Древни космогонични митове и сказания (Изток–Запад)

Author(s): Desislava Damyanova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: ancient myths; cosmogony; archaic cultures; anthropomorphism; hylozoism

When we turn to the spiritual culture of past epochs, we witness many original ideas and peculiar schemes – the result of the creative imagination of people who lived thousands of years ago. Some of them are purely local in nature and do not occur beyond the boundaries of a particular culture, others are a variation of views of the universe known worldwide; in any case, through the analysis of ancient myths, we can highlight the coded suggestions and symbolic models (archetypes) that refer to universal cosmological systems.

The Sumerian Flood Story: The Nippur Tablet

Шумерският мит за Потока. Таблицата от Нипур

Author(s): Yoanna Dyulgerska / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Flood myth; Sumer; first cities; gods; Ziusudra

The Great Flood is a legendary story known from many ancient civilizations. The general idea is that the gods or god decide to destroy sinful humanity, but in the end they spare it by leaving a representative to repopulate the earth. Hardly anyone has not heard of the biblical Noah, God’s chosen one who survived the flood, but few know that long before history was recorded in the Bible, there was Ziusudra – the chosen one of the Sumerian gods who decided to destroy humanity as they unleash the waters and flood the earth. This paper presents a historical, geographical and substantive description of the cuneiform tablet revealing the history of the flood. Examples of other Sumerian cultural artifacts related to the myth are presented, as well as analogies with civilizations far and close to the Sumer, which in turn brings information about international relations in antiquity and the significance of a history present in human global civilization over the millennia.

The Relation of Ispillurtu to the Assyrian Royal Ideology in the Letter SAA 10 030

Връзката на Ispillurtu с Асирийската царска идеология в писмото SAA 10 030

Author(s): Kiril Mladenov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: ancient Near East; Assyriology; Neo-Assyrian Empire; cuneiform texts; Assyrian royal correspondence,;Assyrian royal ideology

The present paper discusses some elements of the Neo-Assyrian royal ideology attested t the beginning of the letter SAA 10 030. In the text the Akkadian words 𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑢, 𝑘𝑖𝑧𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢 and 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑡𝑢 refer to the position of the crown prince and his relationship with the god Nabu. This relationship is attested in different texts of the period, such as 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑎𝑏𝑢 and the so-called 𝐴𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙. The author proposes that SAA 10 030 and two other texts, part of the royal correspondence, in which 𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑢 is mentioned, could be dated in the years when Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal were crown princes. Furthermore, the study explains the context of the letters SAA 10 030 and SAA 16 143 with the inauguration of the magistrates, who worked under the orders of the crown prince. In this way, we partially revive an old idea, suggested by the renowned Assyriologist S. Parpola in 1980s. The author also considers the possibility 𝑘𝑖𝑧𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢 to represent a copy of the famous vassal treaties of Esarhaddon

Etymology of the Names 𝑍𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑎, 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑘, and 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑘𝑎 near Stara Zagora

Етимология на названията „загора“, „бедек“ и „бедечка“ до Стара Загора

Author(s): Mariana Minkova,Ivan T. Ivanov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Zagora region; Proto-Bulgarians; Stara Zagora city; Bedechka

Toponymic name Zagora is practically absent over the vast territories inhabited in the past and recently by Slavic population excluding the Bulgarian land. In our communication five historical areas with such toponimic names are listed on the territory of the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms. These are: Tervel’s Zagora, Zagora around the town of Melnik, Zagora around the town of Belogradchik, Zagoria (Zagori hori) in Northern Pindus mountain, and Zagora around the capital Tarnovo. To these, we can add the region of Zagura (VI century) placed in the North-Western Carpathians and inhabited by early Bulgarians, as well as areas Zahra-i Dobruca (Zagora in Dobruja), Paroraia (“Trans-mountain” in Greek) in the Strandzha mountain and the former Bulgarian region of Rashka later called Serbian Zagora (XII century). Taking into account the predominant border location of the mentioned areas with the Bulgarian name Zagora, we assume kinship of this name with the early Persian šahr “subordinate country, newly annexed province”. The names of Bedechka river and of the mountain peaks Bedek and Beter are all known for being very windy. Hence, the semantic root “bed”, common for these names, is derived from the rare Old Bulgarian word “bad” “wind” which has strong kinship with similar Iranian words. The presence of such early Bulgarian appellations in the Stara Zagora vicinity is related to the information of Theophylact of Ohrid and Blazius Mili about the early occupation of the Beroe region by the newly established Bulgarian state.

The Dynasty of Constantine The Great (306–363) and the Cities of the Province of Moesia Secunda

Династията на Константин Велики (303–363) и градовете на провинция Втора Мизия

Author(s): Gergana Gercheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Constantine; Moesia Secunda; construction activity

In 306 after the death of Constantius Clorus, his troops in York proclaimed his son Constantine for Roman emperor in violation of the established by Diocletian political system, called tetrarchy. After two decades of wars Constantine established himself as the sole ruler of the Empire. After his death his three sons divided the Roman empire and between 306 and 363 the state was ruled by his nephew Julianus Apostates. The name of the province of Second Moesia was mentioned many times in written sources during this period as well as its towns’ and archaeological data show the serious construction activity undertaken in them.

English Present Participle as an Object Complement and its Macedonian Equivalents

English Present Participle as an Object Complement and its Macedonian Equivalents

Author(s): Katerina Vidova / Language(s): English,Macedonian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: English present participle; object complement; translation; Macedonian equivalent

The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of the present participle as an object complement in English and its Macedonian translation equivalents. The research is conducted on a corpus of sentences excerpted from English and American literature and their Macedonian translation equivalents. The results show that the present participle as an object complement is translated into Macedonian mostly with 𝑘𝑎𝑘𝑜 – dependent clauses. However, there are also examples in which the present participle as an object complement is translated with relative clauses, da-clauses, clauses with a verbal adjective, clauses with a verbal adverb, clauses with a verb in Imperfect and temporal dependent clauses.

The Role of the King as a Priest in the Early Neo-Assyrian Empire (934 – 745 B.C.)

Ролята на царя като жрец в ранната Новоасирийска империя (934 – 745 г. пр. Хр.)

Author(s): Zozan Tarhan / Language(s): English,Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: Neo-Assyrian Period; king; priest; rituals; reliefs; cuneiform sources

The present paper deals with the priestly role of the early Neo-Assyrian kings as represented in the royal inscriptions, visual sources and ritual texts. The study casts light on this aspect of the king’s roles in order to understand better the Assyrian kingship and the ideology behind it. It traces how the priesthood of the Assyrian ruler was perceived and in what context it was attested. At the same time, the ritual activities performed by the Assyrian king are identified, under what circumstances they were performed with the active participation of the king, how they took place and to what extent they were recorded in the source base. Both textual and visual sources are analyzed. Royal inscriptions and ritual texts are included in the first group. The iconographic group comprises scenes especially from the Northwest palace in Kalḫu and the city of Imgur-Ellil. Royal inscriptions present to a large extent the ideological part of the Assyrian ruler’s priestly role and less the practical execution of his sacerdotal functions. There are a few groups of mentions that referred to the king’s priestly role (Table 1). Reliefs involve ideological motifs and scenes of ritual activities. In the context of the scenes, some specific attributes held by the royal officials during the ritual activities are discussed; based on accounts from ritual texts, suggestions are made regarding their names and function. The ritual texts are more objective and aim to inform about the sequence of the ritual steps performed by the king, also including the other priests and participants.

The Project of February 14, 1919. The Covenant

Le Projet du 14 Février 1919. Le Pacte

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English,French / Publication Year: 0

Keywords: covenant of the League of Nations;

The Covenant of the Leqgue of Nations (final version)

Le Pacte de la Solciété des Nations (version finale)

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English,French / Publication Year: 0