Lecture by Adam Wiznura

Adam Wiznura (Elisabeth Alföldi-Rosenbaum Fellow, Canadian Institute in Greece; PhD student, Department of Ancient History, University of Groningen)

Contests Connecting Communities: Thessalian Participation at Panhellenic Festivals

Festivals of all types, including athletic and religious festivals, contribute to a sense of belonging and identity at a local level and are a way of creating connectivity at a regional and trans-regional level. The Hellenistic period sees a spectacular rise of festival culture in the Greek world. In the region of Thessaly this involved the creation of new festivals and evidence for the indication of more people competing from around the Mediterranean. This presentation will focus on the participation of Thessalians at Panhellenic festivals, first by exploring participation at the larger crown games, and second by focusing on the larger festivals arising within the Thessalian region. It will demonstrate that in the region of Thessaly, festivals were a core element of social cohesion, fostering local and interregional relationships, and will also illustrate the changing patterns we see of Thessalian participation with the rise of festival culture.

LIVE-STREAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99aFrRO1iT8