Producing and Framing Realities by Words and Images

Ancient Greek and Roman societies — as well as the societies that followed them in medieval Europe and the Mediterranean region — reflected on their environment, social relations, and historical events in an interplay of linguistic and visual forms of expression. Our research area investigates how different realities were created, framed, and made effective in an ongoing process through words and images.

Our focus is on the social and political needs behind such conceptions of reality: When and why do alternative interpretations arise? What forms do they take – from iconic motifs and visual formulas to narrative patterns, topoi, and rhetorical strategies? And how are they used to define belonging, legitimize authority, assert order, or make changeplausible?

The relevance of this area of research lies in systematically exploring the mechanisms of reality construction and interpretation in ancient and medieval societies – and thus precisely capturing the intertwining of medium, social practice, and political order. The historical depth of this analysis also opens up a space for resonance with contemporary issues: How do media shape perceptions of reality? How do interpretive authorities arise? And how do images and narratives structure social dynamics – then as now?