Viktoria Räuchle | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (original) (raw)

Books by Viktoria Räuchle

Die Mütter Athens und ihre Kinder. Verhaltens- und Gefühlsideale in klassischer Zeit, 2016

Reviews: Laes, L'Antiquité Classique (2021); Bäbler, Gymnasium 124.5 (2017); Dasen, Sehepunkte 1... more Reviews: Laes, L'Antiquité Classique (2021); Bäbler, Gymnasium 124.5 (2017); Dasen, Sehepunkte 18 (2017); Descharmes, Historische Zeitschrift 307,2 (2018); Junker, HistLit (2017); Junker, Antike Welt 2 (2017); Matuszewski, Przeglad Historyczny CVIII, 4 (2017); Talkenberg, Damals – Das Magazin für Geschichte 5 (2017).
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Abstract: This book aims at reconstructing the specific norms and ideals that governed motherhood and maternal emotionality in classical Athens. Particular emphasis is placed upon the question whether and how certain maternal qualities were considered as natural or cultural in the visual and literary discourses.
Although the written accounts leave no doubt that maternal affection (storge or philia) was an inborn and natural quality the Athenian community was far from constructing their women as ›mother hens‹ exclusively devoted to the well-being of their breed. Over the entire classical period and in all kinds of media, the evidence suggests that the interaction between mothers and their offspring was largely governed by the ideal of sophrosyne: Through a closely knit network of medial discourses, ritual practices and rules of conduct, maternal behavior and emotions were incorporated into the Athenian value system. The aim of this ›cultivation process‹ was not to eliminate affection but to create a harmonious interplay between reason and feeling or: between norm and nature.

V. Räuchle – S. Page – V. Goldbeck (Hrsg.), Pathos und Polis. Einsatz und Wirkung von Emotionen im klassischen Griechenland, 2022

Emotions abounded in the Classical city-state. However, they were not exclusively considered to b... more Emotions abounded in the Classical city-state. However, they were not exclusively considered to be disruptive factors jeopardizing the social harmony. Emotions were regarded as indispensable tools to internalize the collective norms and values – and thus ultimately helped strengthening the community. This volume, based on a 2017 conference, sets out to illuminate the pragmatics of emotions in ancient Greek communities of the Classical era from an interdisciplinary perspective. By bringing together contributions from philology, ancient history, and classical archaeology, it covers a wide spectrum of sources as well as methodological and theoretical approaches, and thus accounts for the variety of aesthetic, rhetorical, and performative means that contributed to the 'theatre of pathos' in the Classical polis.

V. Räuchle – M. Römer (Hrsg.), Gefühle Sprechen. Emotionen an den Anfängen und Grenzen der Sprache, Dec 2014

„Gefühle sprechen“. Bei der Entstehung und Wahrnehmung emotionaler Phänomene nehmen ihre sprachli... more „Gefühle sprechen“. Bei der Entstehung und Wahrnehmung emotionaler Phänomene nehmen ihre sprachlichen Artikulationen einen zentralen Stellenwert ein. Sie äußern sich über vielfältige Ausdruckstechniken und in unterschiedlichsten Medien der Kunst: Gefühle sprechen nicht nur, sie sprechen viele Sprachen. Ob sie um Worte ringen, an die Grenzen des Sagbaren stoßen, verstummen oder gar zu neuen Ausdrucksformen finden und so die innere Erfahrung bereichern, wird in den hier versammelten Beiträgen aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive erkundet. Mit Blick auf diverse kulturelle und mediale Kontexte schlagen die Aufsätze aus den Fächern der Philosophie, Literatur- und Filmwissenschaft sowie Kunstgeschichte einen Bogen vom Abenteuerroman im deutschen Mittelalter bis zum Kino des New Hollywood. Das Phänomen der Unsagbarkeit emotionalen Erlebens kommt dabei ebenso zu Wort, wie das schöpferische Potential und die generative Macht sprachlichen und künstlerischen Ausdrucks.

Papers by Viktoria Räuchle

Revisiting Rape in Antiquity, 2023

Scenes of erotic pursuit and abduction on Athenian vases have been studied extensively; every con... more Scenes of erotic pursuit and abduction on Athenian vases have been studied extensively; every contribution bears the stamp of its time and is influenced by the changing attitudes towards sexuality and lust, by contemporary definitions of rape and consent. Although most scholars
refrain from furious accusations against ancient ‘rape culture’ in favour of a more differentiated perspective on the dynamics of ancient gender relations, they often categorize scenes of pursuit and abduction as ‘rape’ and/or automatically assume a lack of consent on the side of the desired.
One has to wonder whether this categorization can be backed up by the ancient evidence or whether the concentration on female victimhood is due to our own predilection. This chapter focuses on pictorial markers for female agency within scenes of erotic pursuit and abduction. Methodologically, it is a plea to read the images with the grain and thus uncover their intended messages with respect to female sexuality. The investigation will selectively touch upon contemporary literature in order to interpret the images within the broader context of erotic discourse in ancient Greek art and culture.

Bielfeldt et al. (Hrsg.), Neues Licht aus Pompeji, 2022

V. Räuchle et al. (Hrsg.), Pathos & Polis. Einsatz und Wirkung von Emotionen im klassischen Griechenland, 2022

We tend to take it for granted that emotions manifest in body language. For the study of emotions... more We tend to take it for granted that emotions manifest in body language. For the study of emotions in the ancient visual arts, this paradigm poses a problem: images of the Graeco-Roman culture, especially of the Classical era, are notoriously hesitant in representing emotions via facial expressions. Even gestures and postures are used only in a controlled and carefully crafted manner to convey affective states and feelings. But is the reluctance towards expressive body language tantamount to a 'lack of visible emotions in most artworks'? 1 At any rate, it seems to be one of the reasons why the subject of emotions in Greek and Roman art has not (yet) received the scholarly attention it deserves. 2 Most of the, already scant, studies still focus on the semantics of facial expression 3 and/or body language 4 or concentrate on the iconography of individual emotions (with grief and mourning constantly maintaining the pole position). 5 Apart from a few preliminary surveys, 6 a comprehensive study on the manifold 'languages of emotion' in ancient imagery has yet to be written. 7 The following chapter proposes a methodological framework for the identification and interpretation of emotional content in Classical Greek (Athenian) imagery beyond facial expression and body language. Athenian vase painting of the fifth century bc offers an ideal starting point for this endeavour as it is unrivalled in its variety of mythological and non-mythological subjects. By 1 Bobou 2013, 273. 2 Mylonopoulos 2017, 73 considers another important factor: 'The main and most obvious reason was and partially remains that a discipline often accused of being "subjective" did not wish to deliver further ammunition to its critics.'

D. Cairns et al. (eds), Emotions through Time. From Antiquity to Byzantium, 2022

Please send me a message for full PDF!

J.-A. Dickmann – B. Engels, Der Ton macht die Figur. Terrakotten aus der Berliner Antikensammlung, 2021

Mètis, 2021

Hanna Ammar-Éros et jeux d'enfants dans la céramique attique des v e et iv e siècles av. J.-C.

D. Cairns (Hrsg.), A Cultural History of the Emotions in Antiquity, 2019

C. Nowak – L. Winkler-Horaçek (Hrsg.), Auf der Suche nach der Wirklichkeit, 2018

Annetta Alexandridis "Töchter der Wirklichkeit"?-Darstellungen alter Frauen in der griechischrömi... more Annetta Alexandridis "Töchter der Wirklichkeit"?-Darstellungen alter Frauen in der griechischrömischen Antike Kat.-Nr. 4: Porträtkopf einer alten Frau (sog. Lysimache oder Basler Alte) (

Cahiers Mondes Anciens Histoire Et Anthropologie Des Mondes Anciens, Jan 28, 2015

Cahiers Mondes Anciens 6, 2015

Handwörterbuch der antiken Sklaverei (HAS) I-V, 2014

V. Räuchle – M. Römer (Hrsg.), Gefühle Sprechen. Emotionen an den Anfängen und Grenzen der Sprache, 2014

Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verz... more Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.

S. Moraw - A. Kieburg (Hrsg.), Mädchen im Altertum / Girls in Antiquity. Frauen – Forschung – Archäologie, Band 11, 2014

C. Reinholdt – W. Wohlmayr (Hrsg.), Akten des 13. Österreichichen Archäologentages , 2012

Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliog... more Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb.de abruf bar.

Mythische Mörderinnen. Klytaimenstra, Prokne und Eriphyle auf attischen Vasen des 5. Jh. v. Chr. (unveröff. Diplomarbeit), 2008

The text deals with images of the mythical murderesses Klytaimnestra, Prokne and Eriphyle, focusi... more The text deals with images of the mythical murderesses Klytaimnestra, Prokne and Eriphyle, focusing on their appearance on the fifth century BC. All in all we have 80 illustrations of the three women, about two third of them found on Attic red-figure vases . The introduction defines and limits the subject of the thesis. It aims at analyzing the changing iconography of violence within the fifth century BC by describing and interpreting the illustrations of the selected myths. Another focus is set on identifying the visual elements which characterize and evaluate the three murderesses in the course of time and eventually comparing it to the situation situation of historical women back then? The main part of this text is divided into three chapters, one for each woman. Every chapter contains a short overview of the literary tradition and a detailed examination of the women's iconography, itself divided into different sujets in which the women play a role. Klytaimnestra stands out f...

Book Reviews by Viktoria Räuchle

Die Mütter Athens und ihre Kinder. Verhaltens- und Gefühlsideale in klassischer Zeit, 2016

V. Räuchle – S. Page – V. Goldbeck (Hrsg.), Pathos und Polis. Einsatz und Wirkung von Emotionen im klassischen Griechenland, 2022

V. Räuchle – M. Römer (Hrsg.), Gefühle Sprechen. Emotionen an den Anfängen und Grenzen der Sprache, Dec 2014

Revisiting Rape in Antiquity, 2023

Bielfeldt et al. (Hrsg.), Neues Licht aus Pompeji, 2022

V. Räuchle et al. (Hrsg.), Pathos & Polis. Einsatz und Wirkung von Emotionen im klassischen Griechenland, 2022

D. Cairns et al. (eds), Emotions through Time. From Antiquity to Byzantium, 2022

Please send me a message for full PDF!

J.-A. Dickmann – B. Engels, Der Ton macht die Figur. Terrakotten aus der Berliner Antikensammlung, 2021

Mètis, 2021

Hanna Ammar-Éros et jeux d'enfants dans la céramique attique des v e et iv e siècles av. J.-C.

D. Cairns (Hrsg.), A Cultural History of the Emotions in Antiquity, 2019

C. Nowak – L. Winkler-Horaçek (Hrsg.), Auf der Suche nach der Wirklichkeit, 2018

Cahiers Mondes Anciens Histoire Et Anthropologie Des Mondes Anciens, Jan 28, 2015

Cahiers Mondes Anciens 6, 2015

Handwörterbuch der antiken Sklaverei (HAS) I-V, 2014

V. Räuchle – M. Römer (Hrsg.), Gefühle Sprechen. Emotionen an den Anfängen und Grenzen der Sprache, 2014

S. Moraw - A. Kieburg (Hrsg.), Mädchen im Altertum / Girls in Antiquity. Frauen – Forschung – Archäologie, Band 11, 2014

C. Reinholdt – W. Wohlmayr (Hrsg.), Akten des 13. Österreichichen Archäologentages , 2012

Mythische Mörderinnen. Klytaimenstra, Prokne und Eriphyle auf attischen Vasen des 5. Jh. v. Chr. (unveröff. Diplomarbeit), 2008

Mit " Der Gott des Gelages " legt Alexander Heinemann ein, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, Opus Mag... more Mit " Der Gott des Gelages " legt Alexander Heinemann ein, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, Opus Magnum vor, das nicht nur seiner materiellen Gestalt, sondern auch seines Inhalts wegen als Schwergewicht unter den archäologischen Publikationen bezeichnet werden kann.

Große Mommsen-Tagung 2019: „Die Altertumswissenschaften und die Cultural Turns. Forschungen zur K... more Große Mommsen-Tagung 2019:
„Die Altertumswissenschaften und die Cultural Turns.
Forschungen zur Klassischen Antike im (inter)disziplinären Dialog“
3. bis 5. Mai 2019 an der Freien Universität, Berlin

In the visual arts of ancient Greece and Rome, we are confronted with a great variety of contexts... more In the visual arts of ancient Greece and Rome, we are confronted with a great variety of contexts in which (elements of) African physiognomies can occur. In some cases, ethnic markers can serve as direct reference to a figure’s descent (e.g. the Egyptian king Busiris or the companions of Ethiopian king Memnon in Athenian vase-painting). More often, however, ‘ethnical markers’ are not primarily intended to indicate a figure’s origin but are used for status distinction (e.g. domestic slaves displaying African physiognomies) or as a comic element (e.g. parodies or grotesques). In these instances, ethnical features are often combined with other ‘deviant’ markers (e.g. short stature or old age) and thus have to be interpreted as a strategy to denote the figure as ‘the Other’ rather than ‘the African’.
The mythical tribe of the pygmies is a special case insofar as it is, at least to some accounts, located in Africa but at the same time represents a somewhat idiosyncratic topos that exceeds ethnical attributions: Whether as dwarf-like creatures fighting against the cranes on Athenian pottery or as uncontrolled midgets satisfying their sexual needs on the walls of Pompeian houses, they clearly belong to the realm of parody rather than ‘objective ethnology’.
The paper presents a short survey on the physiognomic features associated with African descent and their dominant contexts in Graeco-Roman art. The second part takes a closer look at the iconography of pygmies and tries to identify the particular functions and meanings of their physiognomic as well as habitual markers. The closing remarks are dedicated to the question if and how these images might have shaped the perception of Africa and its inhabitants in the Graeco-Roman world.

Myths of rape of maidens in association with the cults of Artemis: sexual assault as a cover-stor... more Myths of rape of maidens in association with the cults of Artemis: sexual assault as a cover-story in myth-making 13:45 -14:45 Lunch

Death has many faces – ancient imagery, too, has found numerous ways to deal with the inevitable ... more Death has many faces – ancient imagery, too, has found numerous ways to deal with the inevitable fate of human nature. Representations of corpses and dead people can have the calm and harmonious features of someone who peacefully passed away or show a grimace distorted by the pain and suffering of someone violently killed. In addition, the modes of visualizing or alluding to the ›other world‹, that vague and almost intangible concept of life after death, are just as versatile: There are ›shadows‹ in form of complete human bodies that return from the foggy idea of Hades to the realm of the living; winged creatures en miniature buzzing around the grave as personifications of the soul; or those hardly discernible (and therefore harshly discussed) signs of »Entrückung« (rapture) that might indicate that a deceased person – while still pictured as part of the living – already belongs another sphere.
The proposed paper presents some selected cases to illustrate the manifold modes in which death and being dead could be visualized in Greek and Roman antiquity. Special attention will be given to the manifestation of death in the human face since it is the most important carrier of human expression. Furthermore, I shall look at the semantics of these various modes of representations in the context of their creation and reception and then try to connect them to underlying concepts of death and the ›beyond‹.

In the written and visual sources of ancient Greece, and especially Athens, there is a striking c... more In the written and visual sources of ancient Greece, and especially Athens, there is a striking correlation between the image of the nursing mother and the advent of traumatic events (see most recently Pedrucci 2013). Most of the times, the maternal breast is ›popping up‹ as a harbinger of the child’s death; more rarely, the act of lactation is invoked by mothers who face their own fate of matricide. Maternal milk is rarely innocent but almost always flows in the name of terror.

In a very basic sense, emotional trauma can be understood as a violation of psychological integrity. Yet the definition of what is perceived as such a violation may differ substantially: Not only is it dependent on personal experiences, it is also largely shaped by culture: What is experienced as highly traumatizing today might have been daily business in antiquity – and vice versa.

However, there seems to be one dramatis persona were all the individual and cultural differences fade in the light of a »universal law«: the mother. In ancient Greek sources, the love of a mother is perceived as a natural imperative: inextricably linked to the body (pregnancy, giving birth, breastfeeding), and unrivaled in its intensity. This emotional predisposition makes the mother particularly vulnerable towards traumatization.

In this nexus, the seemingly idyllic image of the nursing mother not only epitomizes the natural bond between mother and child but already insinuates its potential violation – be it the death of the child, be it matricide. Thus, it serves as a powerful means to emphasize the traumatic nature of the subsequent events and to amplify the emotional effects on the audience.

The starting point of my analysis are gestures and postures on Attic grave reliefs of the 5th a... more The starting point of my analysis are gestures and postures on Attic grave reliefs of the 5th and 4th centuries BC: most of these monuments show highly idealized and stylized representations of the deceased amidst his bereaved relatives. These figures are connected with each other via communicative or at times even emotional gestures. The handshake (dexiosis) is by far the most common visual formula of interaction to be found on this medium.
While earlier scholars used to interpret the dexioisis as a gesture of farewell or reunion respectively, more recent studies tend to reject this narrative understanding of the handshake in favor of a vague, fuzzy description as an „expression of connectedness“. For instance, the moving family scene on the stele 870 in the National Museum of Athens – still called „welcome stele“ by convention! – is nowadays understood as purely metaphorical, without any concrete narrative or situative content.
This abstract reading of grave reliefs demonstrates a research trend that can be found in studies on other genres and motifs as well: a trend to deny the narrative connotations of gestures and postures in classical Greek iconography and to conceptualize them as „ideal“ signs of an abstract message instead. That this scholarly reservation about a narratological perspective on Athenian imagery is not only contra-intuitive but also methodologically disputable can be demonstrated by the following three strands of evidence:

Intrinsic to the image: Greek art tends to depict the moment just before the real action takes place. Thus, the onlooker is encouraged to complete the action and thereby create a narrative in their mind.
Written sources: Several documents inform us about real life contexts in which certain gestures where used.
Cognitive sciences: Various studies on the cognition and perception of visual representations indicate that the human brain automatically develops static images into actions – and therefore „stories“.
Narrative elements allow the recipient to link the image with their own experiences and thereby generate higher (more abstract) levels of meaning from it. By (re-)emphasizing the narrative as a crucial element of classical imagery, it is possible to challenge the old notion of Athens as a highly intellectualized place in which even the works of simple artisans are pervaded by deep symbolism and complex networks of meaning.

My paper aims at reconstructing the specific care system of Athenian upper class households in th... more My paper aims at reconstructing the specific care system of Athenian upper class households in the Classical era (5th and 4th century BC).
The written sources inform us that childcare (trophé) was considered crucial for the development of the human character. The accounts also state that the trophé was a primarily female task and that it was allomaternal, i.e. the mother was supported by other female members of the household, especially nurses.
By turning to the visual accounts of the classical Era, it is possible to gain more clarity on the exact nature of ancient trophé and its main protagonists: Classical vase paintings as well as grave reliefs suggest a »relational triangle« between the infant and its two main attachment figures, mother and nurse. The mother is mostly interacting with the child on a communicative or psychological level by establishing eye contact and making encouraging gestures. The nurse, on the other hand, is carrying the child around and therefore assisting the mother in meeting the physical needs of her offspring.
These results can be set in a wider, cross-cultural context. The developmental psychologist H. Keller distinguishes two parental strategies that also serve different didactic aims. The so called »distal strategy« is characterized by exclusive mental attention between caretaker and child and was embodied by the Athenian mother. It encourages individuality, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility from an early age and thus coheres with the cultural model of psychological autonomy. The »proximal care strategy« is characterized by a constant body contact between child and care taker and was primarily adopted by the nurses. It supports a deep sense of group solidarity and a high adaptiveness and thus coheres with the cultural model of relational adaptation.
This combination of different parenting strategies matches perfectly with the specific expectations towards citizens and citizen wives in classical Athens: On the one hand, there was a very strong demand of self-awareness, self-restraint and personal responsibility – qualities that require psychological autonomy. On the other hand, the welfare of the household and the whole state was considered more important than the well-being of the individual. Athenians were always embedded in a system of relational adaptation.

Einsatz und Wirkung affektiver Elemente in der griechischen Welt Internationale altertumswissensc... more Einsatz und Wirkung affektiver Elemente in der griechischen Welt Internationale altertumswissenschaftliche Konferenz 11.-14. Oktober 2017, Topoi-Haus, Freie Universität Berlin Pathos und Polis So hat man nicht nur darauf zu achten, dass die Rede beweisend und überzeugend sei, sondern man muss auch dafür sorgen, sich selbst und den Beurteiler in eine gewisse Verfassung zu bringen. Denn es macht für die Überzeugungskraft viel aus, […] dass die Hörer selbst gerade in einer gewissen Stimmung sind. Arist. Rhet. 2,1,2 f.

Pathos and Polis […] it is not only necessary to consider how to make the speech itself demonstra... more Pathos and Polis […] it is not only necessary to consider how to make the speech itself demonstrative and convincing, but also that the speaker should show himself to be of a certain character and should know how to put the judge into a certain frame of mind. For it makes a great difference with regard to producing conviction […] that the hearers should be disposed in a certain way towards him.

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT: "Pathos & Polis. The Pragmatics of Emotion in Ancient Greece" WHEN?... more CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT:
"Pathos & Polis. The Pragmatics of Emotion in Ancient Greece"

WHEN?
11th - 14th October 2017

WHERE?
Free University Berlin

11th October: Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik, Schloßstraße 69b, 14059 Berlin
12th - 14th October: Topoi-Haus Dahlem, Hittorfstraße 18, 14195 Berlin

REGISTRATION until 1st of October 2017 at: vibeke.goldbeck@fu-berlin.de. Please indicate which days you wish to attend.

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT: "Pathos & Polis. The Pragmatics of Emotion in Ancient Greece" WHEN?... more CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT:
"Pathos & Polis. The Pragmatics of Emotion in Ancient Greece"

WHEN?
11th - 14th October 2017

WHERE?
Free University Berlin

11th October: Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik, Schloßstraße 69b, 14059 Berlin
12th - 14th October: Topoi-Haus Dahlem, Hittorfstraße 18, 14195 Berlin

REGISTRATION until 1st of October 2017 at: vibeke.goldbeck@fu-berlin.de. Please indicate which days you wish to attend.