Fiction by Christina Videbech
"The child had died suddenly while sleeping. One morning his mother found him in his little woode... more "The child had died suddenly while sleeping. One morning his mother found him in his little wooden cradle. Had it not been for the unnatural whiteness of his skin, she would have thought him still asleep, soon ready to wake up. As she gently carried her little son, her firstborn, to his small funeral pyre, she kept reminding herself that children died all the time. It was not uncommon, in fact, it was almost expected. So why did her heart break at the thought of him now having to move to a different city than the one his life had begun in?"
These are some introduction texts I wrote for the Erasmus+ project “Ancient Cities”, which resulted in the MOOC “Discovering Greek and Roman Cities” (https://ou.edia.nl/courses/course-v1:AncientCities_Project+DGRC+DGRC_2020/about).
The texts are written as fiction but based on scholarly knowledge on the subject and have been fact-checked by leading experts in the field.
Papers by Christina Videbech
Acta Archaeologica 95(2) (2024), 2025
This article explores the Christianization of Rome’s suburbs from the 4th to the 6th century CE, ... more This article explores the Christianization of Rome’s suburbs from the 4th to the 6th century CE, emphasizing the collaboration between imperial, aristocratic and episcopal actors in shaping the sacred landscape. While competition for prestige and influence was evident, these groups frequently aligned their interests to construct, maintain and integrate martyr shrines into Rome’s religious and social fabric. Imperial patronage funded grand basilicas and aristocratic families provided resources and continuity, while bishops increasingly asserted their authority through liturgical practices and architectural projects. The study demonstrates, how these actors collectively transformed the suburbs into an extension of the city’s Christian identity and reinforcing the power of martyr memory as a unifying force.
Lived Spaces in Late Antiquity, 2024
This chapter examines how Rome’s actors used the Forum Romanum and the Forum Traiani during the s... more This chapter examines how Rome’s actors used the Forum Romanum and the Forum Traiani during the sixth century by analysing activities in the fora as recorded in archaeological, written and epigraphical sources. The focus is on the people who used the fora, how they used them and why. It is argued that the actors’ demographic changed as aristocrats and rulers left the fora open for Rome’s inhabitants to claim them. Forum Traiani appears pristine and clean in the sources, shaped by an elitist wish to crystalise Roman history. It contrasts the messy Forum Romanum, shaped by graves and daily life. Ironically, this ‘messiness’, which ensured the forum’s continued relevance and resilience, has often been deemed a symptom of decline. Meanwhile, Forum Traiani’s untouched state has been used to claim its continued use. Based on resilience theory and collective memory theory, the fora’s use is analysed, and it is questioned whether their development can be labelled as decline, even if its expression clashes with modern aesthetics.
City, Hinterland and Environment: Urban Resilience during the First Millennium Transition, Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia, S. Malmberg; E. Seland & C. Prescott, 2024
The conversion of the Curia in the Forum Romanum in the 7 th century is often regarded as the cul... more The conversion of the Curia in the Forum Romanum in the 7 th century is often regarded as the culmination of Christian presence in the old city centre. Finally, Christians, who had previously avoided the pagan heart of Rome had conquered this space. However, Christians had been present in more or less visible ways since the 4 th century. This paper presents the evidence for this presence as recorded in both texts and archaeology to dispense with scholarly truisms of Christians avoiding the Forum before the 6 th century. By applying the theory of collective memory and resilience theory, Christian changes in Rome are studied as human strategies to cope with changing times and circumstances, ensuring the Forum space's resilience in the process. The author suggests that, far from being rejected by Rome's Christian inhabitants, the cultural heritage was part of their identity and would continue to be so during the Middle Ages. Christianity was not a break with the past, but a natural continuation of ancient Rome, at least according to the Christians themselves. 1
MOOC "Discovering Greek & Roman Cities
Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - SHS, 2019
The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Discovering Greek&Roman Cities" ... more The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Discovering Greek&Roman Cities" is aimed at people interested in archaeology, art and cultural history, architecture and history. The participation does not require prerequisites such as possession of a qualification or a level of performance in earlier studies The course can be accessed online free of charge. Over a period of eight weeks, experts from five different European countries will impart basic knowledge about ancient cities and methods of urban archaeology. In this way, participants learn about the complexity of the ancient cultural heritage. The project is committed to the European idea, so the course will be available in German, English and French from 12 September 2019. The course is divided into eight modules. After an introduction, life, religion, death, politics, infrastructure and the economy of ancient cities will be discussed. The last module focuses on the legacy of ancient cities and the role of the ancient heritage in our cities today. Each module consists of three 10-minute videos. Following these clips, the participants can work on further assignments, answer quiz questions and go deeper into the subject matter on the basis of selected literature references. An online forum is available for virtual discussions and exchange with the teachers. Once a week, one of the lecturers gives insight into their own research area in a video conference and is also available to answer questions. Once the participants have watched all the videos and completed the corresponding assignments, they can finally receive an official certificate confirming their successful participation in the course.
Journal of Archaeology and Education, 2022
In this paper we present an overview of the Ancient Cities project’s outcomes and experiences wit... more In this paper we present an overview of the Ancient Cities project’s outcomes and experiences with producing and testing digital educational material in the field of archaeology. In the first part, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Discovering Greek & Roman Cities is introduced with respect to its target audiences and learning objectives, the ways in which it was disseminated to the target audiences, and how its structure and learning material were developed. Based on several questionnaires
answered by the participants and user data from the MOOC platform itself, we were able to collect comprehensive information on the demography of the participants, their expectations, and their experiences. These data allow us to draw conclusions about the opportunities and difficulties of open education in the historical humanities. In the
second part, we show how the course’s materials were successfully implemented in academic teaching at the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the University of Paris-Saclay (UVSQ), and the University of Pennsylvania. These examples highlight how smaller academic fields in the humanities can design and enhance their respective teaching environments in the digital age.
Geschichtsdidaktische Perspektive auf die 'Vormoderne', 2021
The paper presents the MOOC Discovering Greek & Roman Cities, created by an international team un... more The paper presents the MOOC Discovering Greek & Roman Cities, created by an international team under the Strategic Partnership (ERASMUS+) Ancient Cities. In two runs in fall 2019 and spring 2020, the course has reached a total of 4,800 learners. In this paper, we present an overview of the course's target audiences and learning objectives, as well as the ways in which we promoted the MOOC to the target audiences. Following this, we present the structure and the learning material developed. Based on several questionnaires answered by the participants and user data of the MOOC platform, we were able to collect comprehensive information on the demography of the participants, their expectations and their experiences. These data allow us to draw conclusions about the opportunities and difficulties of open education in the historical humanities, which will be discussed.
Der Aufsatz stellt den MOOC Discovering Greek & Roman Cities vor, der von einem internationalen Team im Rahmen der Strategischen Partnerschaft (ERASMUS+) Ancient Cities erstellt worden ist. In zwei Durchgängen im Herbst 2019 und Frühjahr 2020 hat der Kurs insgesamt 4.800 Lernende erreicht. In diesem Beitrag geben wir einen Überblick über die Zielgruppen und Lernziele des Kurses und stellen vor, auf welchen Wegen wir den MOOC bei den Zielgruppen bekannt gemacht haben. Daran anschließend stellen wir die Struktur und das erarbeitete Lernmaterial vor. Auf Basis mehrere Fragebögen, die von den Teilnehmer*innen beantwortet worden sind, sowie Nutzerdaten der MOOC-Plattform haben wir umfassende Informationen über die Demographie der Teilnehmer*innen, ihre Erwartungen und ihre Erfahrungen sammeln können. Diese Daten lassen Aussagen über Chancen und Schwierigkeiten offener Bildungsangebote in den historischen Geisteswissenschaften zu, die diskutiert werden.
Teaching Classics in the Digital Age, 2021
The paper presents the international, multilingual teaching project 'Ancient Cities'. The contrib... more The paper presents the international, multilingual teaching project 'Ancient Cities'. The contributors explain the production of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) 'Discovering Greek & Roman Cities', its structure and learning material (such as videos, introductory texts, and quizzes), the participants’ varied demographics and their feedback. Furthermore, they show how the course’s materials were successfully implemented in academic teaching at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and at the University of Pennsylvania.
Places of Memory Spatialised practices of remembrance from prehistory to today, 2020
During Late Antiquity, the Basilica of St. Peter became increasingly important, taking over funct... more During Late Antiquity, the Basilica of St. Peter became increasingly important, taking over functions previously reserved for other public places, sometimes even rivaling the old fora. On several occasions did the church become a part of the adventus and the triumphal representation of the imperial family. Furthermore, imperial decrees were announced here and the aristocracy increasingly used the church for self-representation.
This paper is a study of the basilica, focusing on the transition of functions and political ideologies from the fora to the church and the basilica as a place of collective memory. It will explain this transition of functions through the debated use of spolia and discuss the arguments for and against such an interpretation. Was spolia used as a reference to the past and a tool for manipulating the collective memory of Roma Aeterna, hereby legitimizing Christianity? Was the past used as a stabilizing factor in an Empire, which was in constant flux and did the basilica thus serve as a spatial framework, giving memories the illusion of stability?
How did the memory stored in the basilica evolve over time? Did several kinds of memories coexist? In regards to such questions, the basilica is a valuable case study, not only for the study of Late Antique Rome, but also contributing to the discussion of the decline and fall of what we call “Roman culture”.
For volume content: http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/DMS/B6AA6F7E0AF4423B89FC0A8193CF48B9/9781789696134-sample.pdf
Sfinx, 2019
Kurset udbydes på engelsk, fransk og tysk og kan opleves gratis fra den 12. september 2019 på www... more Kurset udbydes på engelsk, fransk og tysk og kan opleves gratis fra den 12. september 2019 på www.ancientcities.eu Vignette til online-kurset om antikke byer. © Tegning: Jonathan Westin. Design: Florent Alias. Kort over alle de byer, der naevnes i MOOC'en. Udført af Stephanie Merten.
Flyer MOOC "Discovering Greek & Roman Cities", 2019
The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Discovering Greek&Roman Cities" is aimed at people interes... more The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Discovering Greek&Roman Cities" is aimed at people interested in archaeology, art and cultural history, architecture and history. The participation does not require prerequisites such as possession of a qualification or a level of performance in earlier studies The course can be accessed online free of charge. Over a period of eight weeks, experts from five different European countries will impart basic knowledge about ancient cities and methods of urban archaeology. In this way, participants learn about the complexity of the ancient cultural heritage. The project is committed to the European idea, so the course will be available in German, English and French from 12 September 2019.
The course is divided into eight modules. After an introduction, life, religion, death, politics, infrastructure and the economy of ancient cities will be discussed. The last module focuses on the legacy of ancient cities and the role of the ancient heritage in our cities today. Each module consists of three 10-minute videos. Following these clips, the participants can work on further assignments, answer quiz questions and go deeper into the subject matter on the basis of selected literature references. An online forum is available for virtual discussions and exchange with the teachers. Once a week, one of the lecturers gives insight into their own research area in a video conference and is also available to answer questions. Once the participants have watched all the videos and completed the corresponding assignments, they can finally receive an official certificate confirming their successful participation in the course.
In the late western Roman Empire it was not unusual to reuse public sculpture in private collecti... more In the late western Roman Empire it was not unusual to reuse public sculpture in private collections. Funerary sculpture and votive offerings in particular could be removed from their previous contexts and used as pieces in private sculpture collections. This paper presents a survey of the evidence of similar reuse in private collections from Asia Minor, dated from the 3rd–6th centuries A.D. The discussion will focus on a method to recognize such reuse and the problems regarding such a study. Furthermore, what such reuse of public sculpture in a private
context reveals about society, and the role of the private collector, in the eastern Roman Empire during the 3rd–6th centuries is also addressed. Whether or not the reused public sculpture served for the transfer of memory will be contemplated.
Anchoring Innovations in Rome from the 4 th -6 th Century: The Case of the Basilica of St. Peter
The Late Antique fora of Rome were, as centres of both the city itself and of the Roman Empire, i... more The Late Antique fora of Rome were, as centres of both the city itself and of the Roman Empire, important for shaping Roman identity. However, during the Late Empire, churches appeared as alternatives to earlier public places in Rome. They became the new civic and political focal points, and dedications, self-representation and the like could now be performed there. This was also the case for the Basilica of St. Peter, which took over political and ideological functions, occasionally even becoming a part of the imperial adventus and triumphal representation, seemingly rivalling the fora. Additionally, imperial decrees were announced here and the aristocracy increasingly used the church for their self-representation. Based on archaeological, epigraphic and literary evidence this case study will examine the basilica, focusing on the transition of political and social functions from the fora of Rome to the church, using the Forum Romanum and the Forum Traiani as examples. These transfers were made possible by intentional and unintentional manipulation of Roman collective memory through the process of anchoring. The basilica will be examined as a place of collective memory and Roman identity: a place for continuing the traditions previously upheld in the fora, but also a place of innovations.
Gucci og Akropolis
An essay in Norwegian commenting on the recent rejection by the Greek Archaeological Council of t... more An essay in Norwegian commenting on the recent rejection by the Greek Archaeological Council of the proposal by the luxury group Gucci to stage a fashion-show on the Acropolis of Athens.
Ishøjfyrstens grav (Sfinx-artikel)
Haeftet er opbygget som en fortløbende historie om kejser Augustus og hans familie. Vi hører, hvo... more Haeftet er opbygget som en fortløbende historie om kejser Augustus og hans familie. Vi hører, hvordan en dag i den romerske kejsers liv ser ud i år 8 f.Kr. Teksten er skrevet i et levende, letlaeseligt og informativt sprog, som suppleres af illustrationer, faktabokse, ordforklaringer, tidslinjer, stamtrae, mm. Illustrationerne har uddybende forklaringer.
Conference Presentations by Christina Videbech
How does change happen? What role do human relationships and decisions play? Are societal changes... more How does change happen? What role do human relationships and decisions play? Are societal changes only generated by external and uncontrollable large-scale events that predict certain types of inevitable trajectories, or do they on the contrary result from small-scale decisions and interactions between multiple and different human and non-human actors? This conference offers a platform for scholars of all theoretical persuasions to discuss these questions together.
Uploads
Fiction by Christina Videbech
These are some introduction texts I wrote for the Erasmus+ project “Ancient Cities”, which resulted in the MOOC “Discovering Greek and Roman Cities” (https://ou.edia.nl/courses/course-v1:AncientCities_Project+DGRC+DGRC_2020/about).
The texts are written as fiction but based on scholarly knowledge on the subject and have been fact-checked by leading experts in the field.
Papers by Christina Videbech
answered by the participants and user data from the MOOC platform itself, we were able to collect comprehensive information on the demography of the participants, their expectations, and their experiences. These data allow us to draw conclusions about the opportunities and difficulties of open education in the historical humanities. In the
second part, we show how the course’s materials were successfully implemented in academic teaching at the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the University of Paris-Saclay (UVSQ), and the University of Pennsylvania. These examples highlight how smaller academic fields in the humanities can design and enhance their respective teaching environments in the digital age.
Der Aufsatz stellt den MOOC Discovering Greek & Roman Cities vor, der von einem internationalen Team im Rahmen der Strategischen Partnerschaft (ERASMUS+) Ancient Cities erstellt worden ist. In zwei Durchgängen im Herbst 2019 und Frühjahr 2020 hat der Kurs insgesamt 4.800 Lernende erreicht. In diesem Beitrag geben wir einen Überblick über die Zielgruppen und Lernziele des Kurses und stellen vor, auf welchen Wegen wir den MOOC bei den Zielgruppen bekannt gemacht haben. Daran anschließend stellen wir die Struktur und das erarbeitete Lernmaterial vor. Auf Basis mehrere Fragebögen, die von den Teilnehmer*innen beantwortet worden sind, sowie Nutzerdaten der MOOC-Plattform haben wir umfassende Informationen über die Demographie der Teilnehmer*innen, ihre Erwartungen und ihre Erfahrungen sammeln können. Diese Daten lassen Aussagen über Chancen und Schwierigkeiten offener Bildungsangebote in den historischen Geisteswissenschaften zu, die diskutiert werden.
This paper is a study of the basilica, focusing on the transition of functions and political ideologies from the fora to the church and the basilica as a place of collective memory. It will explain this transition of functions through the debated use of spolia and discuss the arguments for and against such an interpretation. Was spolia used as a reference to the past and a tool for manipulating the collective memory of Roma Aeterna, hereby legitimizing Christianity? Was the past used as a stabilizing factor in an Empire, which was in constant flux and did the basilica thus serve as a spatial framework, giving memories the illusion of stability?
How did the memory stored in the basilica evolve over time? Did several kinds of memories coexist? In regards to such questions, the basilica is a valuable case study, not only for the study of Late Antique Rome, but also contributing to the discussion of the decline and fall of what we call “Roman culture”.
For volume content: http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/DMS/B6AA6F7E0AF4423B89FC0A8193CF48B9/9781789696134-sample.pdf
The course is divided into eight modules. After an introduction, life, religion, death, politics, infrastructure and the economy of ancient cities will be discussed. The last module focuses on the legacy of ancient cities and the role of the ancient heritage in our cities today. Each module consists of three 10-minute videos. Following these clips, the participants can work on further assignments, answer quiz questions and go deeper into the subject matter on the basis of selected literature references. An online forum is available for virtual discussions and exchange with the teachers. Once a week, one of the lecturers gives insight into their own research area in a video conference and is also available to answer questions. Once the participants have watched all the videos and completed the corresponding assignments, they can finally receive an official certificate confirming their successful participation in the course.
context reveals about society, and the role of the private collector, in the eastern Roman Empire during the 3rd–6th centuries is also addressed. Whether or not the reused public sculpture served for the transfer of memory will be contemplated.
Conference Presentations by Christina Videbech