Introduction
With this proposal, the PhD candidates of the XL cycle, Dorothea Latini, Valentina Gennaro, and Viola Giacomini, intend to propose the organization of a Study Day dedicated to the analysis of the mechanisms of representation of royal power between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Ancient Near East. In particular, the chosen theme, which revolves around the polyvalence of royal onomastics, concerns nomenclature in its various aspects, starting from the king’s personal name and extending to titulary and royal lexicon, as essential and codified manifestations of royal ideology. The initiative therefore takes the title:
“The Name of the King. Royal Titulary and Lexicon between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Ancient Near East (3rd–1st millennium BCE)”.
The scientific objective of this Study Day is to encourage, from a comparative interdisciplinary perspective, a discussion on the formulas and terminologies used to define the king and his power in different but historically connected geographical areas, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean between the 3rd and the 1st millennium BCE.
Rationale of the Project
The choice of this topic arose from our shared interest as PhD candidates in the study of kingship. Each of us is in fact examining, within our respective fields of research, the phenomenon of kingship which, although differentiated by its specific characteristics, sometimes shares common modes of expression and manifests itself through political and social dynamics that, if not identical, are at least comparable. Indeed, isolating one’s own field of interest and limiting the study exclusively to one’s specific area of expertise risks producing a final perspective deprived of the comparison and insights that may come from other contexts, more or less contemporary, with which individual kingdoms must necessarily have interacted within the geopolitical reality of the time. The aim of the Study Day proposed here is therefore to bring different forms of kingship into dialogue, in order to establish communication among disciplines and possibly identify common trends, adaptations or variations of recurring models, or, conversely, highlight their specificities. From this perspective, it will certainly be useful to open participation in the event to interested PhD candidates, as well as to students from both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs who wish to attend, in order to make the dialogue broader and more constructive.
Organization
It is proposed to organize the Study Day during the June doctoral teaching session of the current academic year (2025/2026), taking into account the time required for preparation, dissemination, and the involvement of speakers and audience. The event will take place over a single day (approximately between 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.) in one of the university’s lecture halls, with the possibility of online streaming in order to facilitate remote participation. The day will be divided into three thematic sessions, each dedicated to one of the geographical and cultural areas of interest (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Eastern Mediterranean/Aegean), followed by a final discussion aimed at fostering interdisciplinary exchange. The order of the presentations will follow thematic-geographical and chronological criteria: the day will begin with Mesopotamia, followed by the Egyptian context, and finally the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean context. Each session will include three presentations of 20 minutes each, followed by 30 minutes of discussion at the end of each panel. Scholars specializing in the three areas will be involved in order to provide a broad perspective on the topic: specifically, the intention is to include in each panel three speakers (two PhD candidates, including ourselves, + one professor, or one PhD candidate, including ourselves, + one scholar + one professor). The organizing committee will be responsible for logistics and communication. The initiative aims to promote dialogue and interdisciplinarity as tools for study and understanding, contributing to the enhancement of the University’s research.
Program:
Session I: Kingship in Mesopotamia, organized by PhD candidate Valentina Gennaro (9:30–11:30)
1. 9:30–9:50: general introduction, introduction to the theme, and greetings;
2. 9:50–10:10: first presentation
3. 10:10–10:30: second presentation
4. 10:30–10:50: third presentation
5. 10:50–11:20: discussion
12:00–13:30: Lunch break
Session II: Kingship in Egypt, organized by PhD candidate Dorothea Latini (13:45–15:25)
1. 13:45–13:55: introduction
2. 13:55–14:15: first presentation
3. 14:15–14:35: second presentation
4. 14:35–14:55: third presentation
5. 14:55–15:25: discussion
15:30–16:00: Coffee break
Session III: Kingship in the Aegean [and the Eastern Mediterranean], organized by PhD candidate Viola Giacomini (16:00–17:40)
1. 16:00–16:10: introduction
2. 16:10–16:30: first presentation
3. 16:30–16:50: second presentation
4. 16:50–17:10: third presentation
5. 17:10–17:40: discussion
17:40–18:00: Concluding remarks and closing greetings