bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic fields in the Milky Way from pulsar observations: effect of the correlation between thermal electrons and magnetic fields
Authors: Seta Amit , Federrath Christoph
Published: January 2021

Pulsars can act as an excellent probe of the Milky Way magnetic field. The average strength of the Galactic magnetic field component parallel to the line of sight can be estimated as $\langle B_\parallel \rangle = 1.232 \, \text{RM}/\text{DM}$, where RM and DM are the rotation and dispersion measure of the pulsar. However, this assumes that the thermal electron density and magnetic field of the interstellar medium are uncorrelated. Using numerical simulations and observations, we test the validity of this assumption. Based on magnetohydrodynamical simulations of driven turbulence, we show that the correlation between the thermal electron density and the small-scale magnetic field increases with increasing Mach number of the turbulence. We find that the assumption of uncorrelated thermal electron density and magnetic fields is valid only for subsonic and trans-sonic flows, but for supersonic turbulence, the field strength can be severely overestimated by using $1.232 \, \text{RM}/\text{DM}$. We then correlate existing pulsar observations from the Australia Telescope National Facility with regions of enhanced thermal electron density and magnetic fields probed by 12CO data of molecular clouds, magnetic fields from the Zeeman splitting of the 21 cm line, neutral hydrogen column density, and H α observations. Using these observational data, we show that the thermal electron density and magnetic fields are largely uncorrelated over kpc scales. Thus, we conclude that the relation $\langle B_\parallel \rangle = 1.232 \, \text{RM}/\text{DM}$ provides a good estimate of the magnetic field on Galactic scales, but might break down on sub-kpc scales.
Connection among environment, cloud–cloud collision speed, and star formation activity in the strongly barred galaxy NGC 1300
Authors: Maeda Fumiya , Ohta Kouji , Fujimoto Yusuke , Habe Asao
Published: January 2021

Cloud-cloud collision (CCC) has been suggested as a mechanism to induce massive star formation. Recent simulations suggest that a CCC speed is different among galactic-scale environments, which is responsible for observed differences in star formation activity. In particular, a high-speed CCC is proposed as a cause of star formation suppression in the bar regions in barred spiral galaxies. Focusing on the strongly barred galaxy NGC 1300, we investigate the CCC speed. We find the CCC speed in the bar and bar-end tend to be higher than that in the arm. The estimated CCC speed is ${\sim}20$, ${\sim}16$, and ${\sim}11~\rm km~s^{-1}$ in the bar, bar-end, and arm, respectively. Although the star formation activity is different in the bar and bar-end, the CCC speed and the number density of high-speed CCC with ${\gt}20~\rm km~s^{-1}$ are high in both regions, implying the existence of other parameters that control the star formation. The difference in molecular gas mass (average density) of the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) between the bar (lower mass and lower density) and bar-end (higher mass and higher density) may be cause for the different star formation activity. Combining with our previous study, the leading candidates of causes for the star formation suppression in the bar in NGC 1300 are the presence of a large amount of diffuse molecular gases and high-speed CCCs between low-mass GMCs.
Assessing telluric correction methods for Na detections with high-resolution exoplanet transmission spectroscopy
Authors: Langeveld Adam B , Madhusudhan Nikku , Cabot Samuel H C , Hodgkin Simon T
Published: January 2021

Using high-resolution ground-based transmission spectroscopy to probe exoplanetary atmospheres is difficult due to the inherent telluric contamination from absorption in Earth’s atmosphere. A variety of methods have previously been used to remove telluric features in the optical regime and calculate the planetary transmission spectrum. In this paper we present and compare two such methods, specifically focusing on Na detections using high-resolution optical transmission spectra: (1) calculating the telluric absorption empirically based on the airmass and (2) using a model of the Earth’s transmission spectrum. We test these methods on the transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter HD 189733 b using archival data obtained with the HARPS spectrograph during three transits. Using models for Centre-to-Limb Variation and the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, spurious signals which are imprinted within the transmission spectrum are reduced. We find that correcting tellurics with an atmospheric model of the Earth is more robust and produces consistent results when applied to data from different nights with changing atmospheric conditions. We confirm the detection of sodium in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, with doublet line contrasts of $-0.64 \pm 0.07~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (D2) and $-0.53 \pm 0.07~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (D1). The average line contrast corresponds to an effective photosphere in the Na line located around 1.13 Rp. We also confirm an overall blueshift of the line centroids corresponding to net atmospheric eastward winds with a speed of 1.8 ± 1.2 km s−1. Our study highlights the importance of accurate telluric removal for consistent and reliable characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres using high-resolution transmission spectroscopy.
SuperWASP variable stars: classifying light curves using citizen science
Authors: Thiemann Heidi B , Norton Andrew J , Dickinson Hugh J , McMaster Adam , Kolb Ulrich C
Published: January 2021

We present the first analysis of results from the SuperWASP variable stars Zooniverse project, which is aiming to classify 1.6 million phase-folded light curves of candidate stellar variables observed by the SuperWASP all sky survey with periods detected in the SuperWASP periodicity catalogue. The resultant data set currently contains >1 million classifications corresponding to >500 000 object–period combinations, provided by citizen–scientist volunteers. Volunteer-classified light curves have ∼89 per cent accuracy for detached and semidetached eclipsing binaries, but only ∼9 per cent accuracy for rotationally modulated variables, based on known objects. We demonstrate that this Zooniverse project will be valuable for both population studies of individual variable types and the identification of stellar variables for follow-up. We present preliminary findings on various unique and extreme variables in this analysis, including long-period contact binaries and binaries near the short-period cut-off, and we identify 301 previously unknown binaries and pulsators. We are now in the process of developing a web portal to enable other researchers to access the outputs of the SuperWASP variable stars project.
Therapeutic targeting of transcriptional elongation in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
Authors: Katagi Hiroaki , Takata Nozomu , Aoi Yuki , Zhang Yongzhan , Rendleman Emily J , Blyth Gavin T , Eckerdt Frank D , Tomita Yusuke , Sasaki Takahiro , Saratsis Amanda M , Kondo Akihide , Goldman Stewart , Becher Oren J , Smith Edwin , Zou Lihua , Shilatifard Ali , Hashizume Rintaro
Published: January 2021

Background

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is associated with transcriptional dysregulation driven by H3K27 mutation. The super elongation complex (SEC) is required for transcriptional elongation through release of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Inhibition of transcription elongation by SEC disruption can be an effective therapeutic strategy of H3K27M-mutant DIPG. Here, we tested the effect of pharmacological disruption of the SEC in H3K27M-mutant DIPG to advance understanding of the molecular mechanism and as a new therapeutic strategy for DIPG.

Methods

Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were used to suppress the expression of AF4/FMR2 4 (AFF4), a central SEC component, in H3K27M-mutant DIPG cells. A peptidomimetic lead compound KL-1 was used to disrupt a functional component of SEC. Cell viability assay, colony formation assay, and apoptosis assay were utilized to analyze the effects of KL-1 treatment. RNA- and ChIP-sequencing were used to determine the effects of KL-1 on gene expression and chromatin occupancy. We treated mice bearing H3K27M-mutant DIPG patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with KL-1. Intracranial tumor growth was monitored by bioluminescence image and therapeutic response was evaluated by animal survival.

Results

Depletion of AFF4 significantly reduced the cell growth of H3K27M-mutant DIPG. KL-1 increased genome-wide Pol II occupancy and suppressed transcription involving multiple cellular processes that promote cell proliferation and differentiation of DIPG. KL-1 treatment suppressed DIPG cell growth, increased apoptosis, and prolonged animal survival with H3K27M-mutant DIPG PDXs.

Conclusions

SEC disruption by KL-1 increased therapeutic benefit in vitro and in vivo, supporting a potential therapeutic activity of KL-1 in H3K27M-mutant DIPG.
Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3: opportunities and challenges of Cu-based small-pore zeolites
Authors: Shan Yulong , Du Jinpeng , Zhang Yan , Shan Wenpo , Shi Xiaoyan , Yu Yunbo , Zhang Runduo , Meng Xiangju , Xiao Feng-Shou , He Hong
Published: January 2021

Zeolites, as efficient and stable catalysts, are widely used in the environmental catalysis field. Typically, Cu-SSZ-13 with small-pore structure shows excellent catalytic activity for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3-SCR) as well as high hydrothermal stability. This review summarizes major advances in Cu-SSZ-13 applied to the NH3-SCR reaction, including the state of copper species, standard and fast SCR reaction mechanism, hydrothermal deactivation mechanism, poisoning resistance and synthetic methodology. The review gives a valuable summary of new insights into the matching between SCR catalyst design principles and the characteristics of Cu2+-exchanged zeolitic catalysts, highlighting the significant opportunity presented by zeolite-based catalysts. Principles for designing zeolites with excellent NH3-SCR performance and hydrothermal stability are proposed. On the basis of these principles, more hydrothermally stable Cu-AEI and Cu-LTA zeolites are elaborated as well as other alternative zeolites applied to NH3-SCR. Finally, we call attention to the challenges facing Cu-based small-pore zeolites that still need to be addressed.
Smell
Authors: Maxwell Catherine
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores the topic of olfaction and perfume in decadent culture by arguing that many decadent authors styled themselves as olfactifs—cultivated individuals with a refined sense of smell. They celebrated fragrance both in their personal lives and in their writings, where the odors of perfume, incense, and tobacco emerge as the dominant olfactory keynotes of decadence. The chapter opens with a discussion of smoking and notes its various olfactory meanings for both male and female decadent writers, before considering incense, perfume use, and fashion, including the positive and negative attitudes toward perfume wearing in the mid- to late Victorian era. The final section focuses on flower fragrance in an urban environment and examines poems by Arthur Symons and Laurence Binyon to tease out some of the complex relations between decadence, perfume, artifice, and nature prevalent at this time.
Science
Authors: Kistler Jordan
Published: January 2021

This chapter considers the relationship between decadence, individualism, and science at the end of the nineteenth century. Individualism was considered key to the decadent style, yet it was also widely understood by sociologists and scientists to be symptomatic of nervous disease and social decline. This chapter argues that the overly civilized, nervous, and exhausted heroes of decadent literature result from the widespread understanding of the human being as an energy system, subject to the recently formulated laws of thermodynamics. As isolated systems, these characters use up their energy in increasing disorder, “continually suffering deductions, [until] these unceasing deductions finally result in the cessation of motion” (Herbert Spencer, “Progress: Its Law and Cause,” 1880). Thus, many decadent texts can only end with nothing other than the death of their protagonist.
Classification of Acute Stress Disorder
Authors: Sayer MacKenzie A. , Ostrowski-Delahanty Sarah , Pacella-LaBarbara Maria L. , Delahanty Douglas L.
Published: January 2021

The diagnosis of acute stress disorder (ASD) was originally introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) to identify survivors soon after a trauma who were likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, despite demonstrating acceptable predictive power, subsequent research often failed to display high rates of sensitivity or specificity for ASD predicting PTSD. This led researchers to question the utility of the diagnosis and ultimately led to a revision of the diagnosis in the fifth edition of DSM. The updated ASD diagnosis was intended to primarily promote access to healthcare services following a traumatic event, and symptoms were not selected with the aim of predicting likelihood of one developing PTSD. Ultimately, the DSM-5 ASD criteria align more closely with PTSD symptoms without an emphasis on dissociative symptoms (as was true of the DSM-IV). This chapter summarizes the development of the ASD criteria/diagnosis and evaluates the utility of the reconceptualized diagnosis for both clinicians and researchers.
Kushites in Egypt, 664 BCE–14 CE
Authors: Howley Kathryn
Published: January 2021

After the end of the 25th Dynasty in 664 bce, Kushite kings no longer had territorial control over Egypt. Nevertheless, reflecting the long history of interaction between the two lands, Kushite presence in Egypt continued. This article discusses evidence for Kushites in Egypt from the beginning of the 26th Dynasty to the end of the reign of Augustus, and argues that the continuing presence of Kushites in Egypt was largely driven by the shared religious practice of the two cultures. The differing cultural backgrounds of the two lands, in particular their incompatible views of territorial borders, meant that religious interaction often went side by side with political conflict. This conflict produced a unique religious architecture in the frontier region in which the two-way, entangled nature of interaction between Kushite and Egyptian culture can be seen.
Language and Writing in the Kingdom of Meroe
Authors: Rilly Claude
Published: January 2021

Sudan is one the rare places in inner Africa where the study of languages can rely on a long historical depth, thanks to ancient Egyptian sources. Two linguistic phyla, Afro-Asiatic and Nilo-Saharan, are present in the region for millennia. Meroitic, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan phylum, was since the 2nd millennium bce the main spoken language of Nubia. Although its two scripts were deciphered in 1911, the language is not yet fully understood. Further progress is expected from linguistic comparison with living languages of the same family and from future excavations.
Arts and Crafts of the Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia
Authors: Zielińska Dobrochna
Published: January 2021

After the collapse of the Meroitic Empire, three independent kingdoms arose within its former territory. Because of a lack of centralized political authority and artistic production, their early development, although based on the Meroitic inheritance, was determined by different sources of influence. From the 8th century two united northern kingdoms became a powerful state, which is also reflected in its art. Rising creativity from the 9th century onwards reflected local needs and ambitions. In the course of time, surrounded by Islamic neighbors, Nubian art on one hand remained independent in its forms of art, but on the other hand absorbed a new style and iconographic details, which is most visible in 12th-century wall painting. Most probably it reflected a changing lifestyle, inspired by the wider Middle Eastern world at that time. The late period, although characterized by much less activity and financial possibilities of individuals or communities, still shows flourishing activities of Nubian artists. Christian Nubian culture ended almost simultaneously with the Byzantine empire, leaving almost one thousand years of its unique heritage.
Exploitation of Geological Resources
Authors: Harrell James A. , Ali Mohamed Abdelrahman
Published: January 2021

Nubia is well endowed with the geological resources needed to supply a succession of ancient cultures and kingdoms. Igneous and metamorphic rocks of the region’s Basement Complex provided most of the materials, including gold, copper, gemstones, and a variety of ornamental stones. Overlying the Basement Complex are sedimentary rocks and among these is the Nubian Sandstone Formation, which supplied the material used to build Nubia’s many temples and pyramids. This formation also provided the oolitic ironstone that was the raw material for Kushite iron production as well as two unusually hard varieties of sandstone—iron oxide-cemented ferricrete and quartz-cemented quartzite—that were used in buildings where extra strength was needed and also for many ornamental applications. Surficial sediments deposited by the Nile River and desert wadis were important sources of gold, gemstones, and, for ceramics, clay. A total of 117 ancient mines and quarries have been identified in Nubia with twenty-three for sandstone, seven for ornamental stones, four for quartzite, seventy-six for gold, five for copper, one each for iron and lead, and three for gemstones.
Wisdom in Patristic Interpretation
Authors: Ticciati Susannah
Published: January 2021

This essay explores the way in which wisdom language is used in the patristic period to articulate two corresponding unities: scriptural and cosmic. It does so through a focus on Athanasius’s treatment of Prov 8:22 in the context of the “Arian” controversy, showing how his christological identification of Wisdom (quite alien to the modern exegete) arises naturally from the intertextual reading practice he shares with most other authors from the period. It makes sense of this practice (which is equally alien to the modern exegete) in terms of a wisdom hermeneutic according to which the unity of Scripture is akin less to a plot than to an interconnected set of proverbs. It shows how Athanasius’s hermeneutic, for which Scripture is a unity, corresponds to an understanding of the unity of the cosmos in Christ as the Wisdom through which it was both created and renewed.
Wisdom in Nature
Authors: Habel Norman
Published: January 2021

This article focuses on innate Wisdom located in nature by the wise, the scientists of the Wisdom school of the ancient Near East. In the Wisdom Manifesto of Job 28, God is portrayed as a Wisdom scientist who searches the face of Earth and “discerns” Wisdom in the forces of nature. In this school of thought, all living creatures and all domains of nature possess the innate “way” of Wisdom that determines their character. On his tour of the cosmos, Job is guided to discern Wisdom in all domains of the cosmos. In Proverbs 8, God acquires Wisdom as the primal blueprint for designing the cosmos. Innate Wisdom extends from the ants to the atmosphere, from the antelope to astrophysics.
Solomon and the Solomonic Collection
Authors: Dell Katharine J.
Published: January 2021

Solomon as the key figurehead of wisdom is explored in this article in relation to his character as the ideal wise man as portraits of him emerge from the narrative texts that introduce him in 1 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Crucial periods of his life related to wisdom as depicted there are focused upon—his birth and accession, his acquisition of wisdom, and the visit of the Queen of Sheba. Questions of Solomon’s historicity both as a person and in relation to the literary accounts that reveal him are examined in relation to the scholarship, as are matters regarding the nature of Solomon’s wisdom, which has also been under discussion. The Solomonic collection is then examined from brief references within the canon to whole books—such as Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs—that are more influenced by his persona. The article concludes with a brief glimpse of Solomon’s afterlife, in particular in Handel’s opera Solomon (1749).
Ecclesiastes
Authors: Forti Tova L.
Published: January 2021

The figure of Qoheleth draws upon the historical figure of King Solomon. Though traditionally dated to that time, linguistic clues within Ecclesiastes have led scholars to consider the work a later composition. The purpose of the fictionalized royal setting of the work is then to concretize effectively its central idea: the futility of wealth, power, and wisdom in the face of the arbitrariness of death. Qoheleth is notable within his literary milieu for exercising independent judgment based on his observed environment. This central feature of the work has led scholars to explore parallels between Ecclesiastes and other ancient philosophical and sapiential literature, though no conclusive evidence of direct influence has been found. The dissonance between Qoheleth’s numerous conservative statements and skeptical observations contradicting traditional beliefs is the most characteristic theme of the work.
The Wisdom of Solomon
Authors: Aitken James K. , Matusova Ekaterina
Published: January 2021

The Wisdom of Solomon combines Greek philosophical traditions with biblical exegesis to portray the eschatological fate of humans. To develop his argument, the author draws upon earlier texts in both a creative and a critical way, and integrates them, inconsistently, with Platonic philosophical themes. Imagery of and associations with the figure of Solomon from 1 Kings and Proverbs unite the sections of the book, but the biblical figure remains unnamed since the characteristics of all biblical figures are universalized. The author of Wisdom clearly used the Greek versions of such Hebrew works as Proverbs, 1 Kings, and Sirach, but also shows apparent familiarity with terms and themes from Hebrew works among the Dead Sea Scrolls, especially 4QInstruction. This would suggest some intermediary Greek version or a ready transfer of ideas between Hebrew and Greek Jewish writings. The philosophical material and social context place the work in late first century bce.
The Pursuit of Wisdom at Qumran
Authors: Goff Matthew
Published: January 2021

In recent years, the category of Wisdom Literature, primarily a designation for a type of biblical literature, has been applied to texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls. At the same time, the usefulness of Wisdom as a literary category has been questioned. This situation prompts us to examine why we have the category, what its limitations and problems are, and also to assess its value. Genre theory encourages us to understand the nature of Wisdom as a literary category, recognizing that it is not simply a taxonomic scheme but also an etic and constructed convention of reading. Employing this category to classify texts, from both the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, has pragmatic value for interpreters despite its limitations, since it helps us recognize the affinities between texts so classified and better understand the pedagogy of ancient Judaism.
Order
Authors: Schwienhorst-Schönberger Ludger
Published: January 2021

The idea of order permeates Old Testament Wisdom Literature. This is true especially for Proverbs. In Job, this conception is brought into a crisis, whereas it is critically scrutinized in Ecclesiastes. In both cases, however, order is not rejected in principle, but its understanding deepened through the integration of seemingly contradictory insights and experiences. This deeper insight is accompanied by the theologization of wisdom, which enables the revelational and apophatic character of the biblical doctrine of God to become evident. God becomes a constitutive aspect of sapiential thinking, and yet the mysterious character of the divine reality remains unfathomable. Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon develop these two aspects each in their own manner, and explicitly connect them with Torah and Prophecy.
Wisdom in Egypt
Authors: Quack Joachim Friedrich
Published: January 2021

Current definitions of “Wisdom” for ancient Egypt often suffer from the influence of categories developed for the Hebrew Bible. Applying emic categories leads instead to a focus on instructions, which have a clear Egyptian term (sbꜣy.t). They are typically stylized as the teaching of a son by his father and authorized by the indication of name and title of the teacher. Often a prologue indicates the setting of the teaching more closely. Some historical development can be recognized, but at the same time, there are also contemporary compositions with different outlooks and social settings. For some periods, the older “classical” texts exist together with more recent ones, and the question of their respective role has still to be studied in more detail. The older compositions often have a casuistic structure of maxims recommending behavior in certain situations, while the younger ones are more loosely organized. The main aim of the texts is to teach how to have success in life.
Genetics and the Law
Authors: Mehlman Maxwell , Suter Sonia
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines state and federal laws in the United States that govern legal and ethical issues concerning genetic and genomic analysis for diagnostic purposes; regulation of genetic testing, genetic discrimination, and privacy; and clinical applications of genomics. At the state level, legislatures have enacted laws in various areas, including newborn screening and nondiscrimination and privacy protections. In addition, state courts have addressed some issues concerning genetics, such as the duty to warn. At the federal level, the US Congress has enacted a specific statute, the Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act, which protects genetic information. Other federal statutes, which do not address genetics or genomics in particular, also have relevance in the genetics context, including laws that protect against certain forms of discrimination or that regulate laboratories. Federal agencies also play a role, for example, in protecting genetic privacy or regulating genetic tests. Finally, the US Constitution is relevant to genomics, especially concerning reproductive rights, which are pertinent to reproductive genetic testing.
Islam and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Platas Melina R.
Published: January 2021

The world’s fastest-growing Muslim population resides in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that experiences the lowest levels of economic and human development globally. This chapter shows that Muslims in Africa often experience worse development outcomes than Christians. Across countries, Muslim majority countries are on average poorer, with higher levels of child mortality and lower levels of education, than countries where Muslims are a minority. Within countries, Muslims have fewer years of education than Christians, and experience higher rates of child mortality in a number of countries as well. The chapter discusses three channels through which religion may matter in explaining these divergent development trajectories: institutions, norms and beliefs, and geography. There is evidence of a role for both institutions and norms and beliefs in explaining gaps in development outcomes between Christians and Muslims. However, it is not necessarily the religious content of institutions or beliefs that matters. Colonial legacies that differ across Muslim and non-Muslim areas and the historical role of Christian missionaries in providing social services in Africa are among the factors that also appear to affect long-term development trajectories.
Mapping and Explaining Arab Attitudes toward the Islamic State: Findings from an Arab Barometer Survey and Embedded Experiment
Authors: Tessler Mark , Robbins Michael , Jamal Amaney
Published: January 2021

This chapter uses data from Arab Barometer surveys and an embedded experiment carried out in seven Arab countries in 2016–2017 to examine views about the Islamic State held by ordinary Sunni Muslim citizens. The data show that attitudes toward the Islamic State are very negative. There is some variance, however, and this is considered in hypotheses and associated causal stories in which the dependent variables are attitudes toward the goals of the Islamic State; toward the organization’s methods, meaning its use of violence; and about whether the organization’s actions are compatible with the teachings of Islam. A significant finding is that greater personal religiosity pushes toward the view that the actions of the Islamic State are not compatible with the teachings of Islam. Another is that a low level of political trust pushes toward negative views of the Islamic state on all three dimensions: goals, methods, and compatibility with Islam. The experiment randomly assigned respondents to a control group and one of four treatment groups, each of the latter priming with a different kind and amount of information about the Islamic State. In general, the treatments did not have a significant effect on respondent attitudes. Among the few instances where the treatment did make a difference is the finding that primes describing both the Islamic State’s use of violence and its political objectives significantly lowered agreement with the organization’s use of violence. Another is that receiving information about the organization’s methods alone significantly reduced agreement with its goals.
Plutarch
Authors: Van der Stockt Luc
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores Plutarch’s Lives of Galba and Otho, as well as his Lives of Aratus and Artaxerxes. Those of Galba and Otho are closely knit together and, together with a lost Life of Vitellius, were probably part of one book, or at least a continuous series. By contrast, and like some other lost Lives, the Lives of Aratus and Artaxerxes are truly isolated. However, all four Lives are ‘single’ Lives in the sense that they are not written within the framework of parallelism (such as those in the Parallel Lives, on which see Chapter 13). It is tempting to regard them as a finger exercise for the great enterprise of the Parallel Lives. In that hypothesis, they would be somewhat different concerning biographical technique and/or theme and goal. Testing this hypothesis through an analysis of the ‘single’ Lives should eventually bring out their specific characteristics against the background of Plutarch’s biographical activity in the Parallel Lives.
Types of Life-Writing in Suetonius’ Lives Of The Caesars and Illustrious Men
Authors: Pausch Dennis
Published: January 2021

This chapter highlights Suetonius’ biographical work, considering some of the literary techniques he employed in both his Lives of the Caesars and Lives of Illustrious Men, and comparing his approach with the biographical tradition in Rome. The usual approach of studying the surviving parts of Suetonius’ œuvre separately from one another and instead comparing them to the works of their predecessors within the respective generic tradition has often led to severe criticism. Many of the typical features of his biographies—such as their stylistic simplicity or thematic idiosyncrasy—can be explained, however, and thus perhaps even seen in a more favourable light, if his writings are studied in close connection with each other. Viewed in this light, it is not at all surprising that he continues his antiquarian approach with regard to both style and content. At the same time, he was fully aware of the tradition of biographical writing and thus adopted the qualities that seemed suitable to him in the Caesars as well as in Illustrious Men.
Monastic Lives
Authors: Edwards Mark
Published: January 2021

This chapter focuses on biographies of monks. The works commemorating the deeds of monks lack many features which are typical of a bios; if they nonetheless approximate more closely to the pagan model, the reason may be that—in contrast to the martyrs of old, the apostles, the prince of theologians, and the first Christian emperor—the ascetic of current or recent times was sufficiently like the reader to be taken as an exemplar. Indeed, it would appear that the Life of Antony and the works that it inspired were always intended to excite not only wonder but also emulation. Antony is depicted in the Life as an eloquent mouthpiece of the Nicene faith, unmoved by the sophistries of its opponents. The chapter also considers Pachomius, the founder of the cenobitic life. The ancient Lives of Pachomius concede the historical precedence of Antony, but only to add authority to his confession that the younger saint has chosen the better way.
Popular Biography
Authors: Konstantakos Ioannis M.
Published: January 2021

Ancient popular biographies are distinguished by a set of common characteristics: primacy of content over form, simple one-dimensional characterization, a non-organic accumulative structure, circulation in variant versions, wide appeal across space and time, and heavy dependence on oral storytelling materials. The various traditions regarding the Seven Sages current in classical Greece were a form of collective popular oral biography of this group and influenced later biographical compositions significantly. The protagonists of these stories are often shown in roles typically found in the folktale repertoire. The Life of Aesop is an exemplary representative of popular biography. It combines old legends about Aesop, anecdotes borrowed from other cultural traditions, pieces of wisdom literature, and widespread folktales. It incorporates many specimens of folk genres (fables, scabrous novellas, proverbs, riddles) and reproduces the structure of Aesopic fables on a magnified scale. Other biographical compositions containing such popular elements (Life of Secundus, Alexander Romance, Lives of Homer) are also briefly discussed.
Jewish Biography
Authors: Geiger Joseph
Published: January 2021

This chapter assesses Jewish biography. Jews have produced a rich literature in Hebrew, included in the Hebrew Bible, as well as works now lost. After the conquests of Alexander and their coming into the orbit of classical civilization, Jews also contributed to Greek literature, mainly in two forms. First, the Pentateuch and then the other books of the Hebrew Bible were translated into Greek (the Septuagint). Second, they produced a copious literature in Greek, intent on conforming to the language, styles, and genres of Greek literature, but true to their own traditions, concerns, and beliefs (Jewish-Hellenistic literature). This chapter analyses the biographical elements in the Hebrew Bible and addresses the few biographical and autobiographical works of Jewish-Hellenistic literature. It is only the two Hellenized Jews, Philo of Alexandria and the historian Josephus, who produced Jewish biographies and an autobiography, while Herod’s memoirs belong here only insofar as the king was a Jew.
Fifth-Century Preliminaries
Authors: Pelling Christopher
Published: January 2021

This chapter studies the fifth-century antecedents of biography, focusing on two writers: Stesimbrotus of Thasos and Ion of Chios. These ‘preliminaries’ are not the roots of a single tree thrusting upwards, shortly to blossom into something called ‘biography’. Stesimbrotus and Ion represent several different seeds, and some will be productive in quite different ways: the anecdotal, the focus on self, the miscellaneity, and the graphic descriptions are all important features that will recur in many different strands of later literature, and are no more prominent in biography than elsewhere. Equally, the fourth-century biographers would have thought that other precursors mattered more, the Odyssey and praise-oratory in particular. Eastern influences may operate directly on, particularly, Cyropaedia, even if the impact of that eastern material on Herodotus had already prepared that particular path.
Seventeenth-Century Lutheran Reception of Aquinas
Authors: Mayes Benjamin T. G.
Published: January 2021

Academic German Lutherans of the seventeenth century made full use of the theology and philosophy that had been handed down to them, in which Thomas Aquinas was a significant voice among other medieval schoolmen. Lutherans did not view Thomas as an authority, though many of them valued his thought. Normally he was to them an important medieval schoolman among many others. Having a shared theological heritage (Holy Scripture and St Augustine), points of similarity between Thomas and seventeenth-century Lutherans are not difficult to find. On the de auxiliis controversy, Lutherans accepted the new vocabulary of the Molinist side (middle knowledge) and rejected the new vocabulary of the Dominican side (natural predetermination), but did not find either side of the debate to be correct. Broad philosophical similarities between Thomas and seventeenth-century Lutherans could be demonstrated, but sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Aristotelian philosophers were far more influential.
Seventeenth-Century Catholic Reception Outside the de auxiliis Controversy
Authors: Robertson Charles
Published: January 2021

Seventeenth-century Thomists, with the exception of John of St Thomas, are today virtually unknown. Nevertheless, in their day they contributed to the Catholic reception of the thought of the Angelic Doctor not only by continuation of the commentarial tradition but also by engaging in the intramural Catholic debates in which the Holy See intervened. After introducing the reader to some of the more prominent Thomists of the century, this chapter outlines some Thomist responses to intramural Catholic debates concerning the formation of conscience in light of probable opinions, the nature of our desire for the beatific vision and its compatibility with love of God above self, and the role of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
Thomas Aquinas’ Reception in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium
Authors: Polemis Ioannis
Published: January 2021

The translation of the two Summae of Thomas Aquinas by the brothers Demetrios and Prochoros Kydones was an important event that set in motion several intellectual forces in Byzantium in the late fouteenth century. A close circle of intellectuals who were opposed to the teaching of Gregory Palamas embraced the scholastic movement and became estranged from the Byzantine Church. However, most Byzantine theologians, Neilos Kabasilas being most prominent among them, rejected Western scholasticism, arguing that the use of proofs as exemplified in the case of the discussion of theological problems by Aquinas was contrary to traditional theology. In spite of that, even some Orthodox theologians like Theophanes of Nicaea were influenced by the thought of Thomas Aquinas, considering it a valuable tool for the solution of various theological problems.
The Reception of Aquinas in the Philosophy of Nature and Science
Authors: Dodds Michael J.
Published: January 2021

Although Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy of nature had a stormy reception by modern science, the discoveries of contemporary science have led to a warmer welcome. This chapter explains Aquinas’ understanding of science and the philosophy of nature and then reviews his account of the distinction of the sciences, including the ‘mixed sciences’ that apply mathematics to the study of nature. It briefly explains material, formal, efficient, and final causality as these function in his hylomorphic philosophy. It then considers his thought in relation to modern and contemporary science, sketches various approaches to a philosophy of nature in different schools of Thomism, and suggests how his thought might contribute to a philosophy of science. It concludes with a few principles essential to any authentic reception of his philosophy of nature.
Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Russian Reception of Aquinas
Authors: Karpov Kirill
Published: January 2021

The origin of Russian theological thought goes back to the middle of the seventeenth century. Its formation was stimulated by two outside factors—Catholic and Protestant scholasticism. Apart from obvious doctrinal differences, both are characterized by the application of the quaestio method, use of Latin, and the raising of precise and narrow questions. In the nineteenth century, with a rise in Orthodox theological self-consciousness accompanied by reform of the theological schools, the reception of Aquinas became more deliberate. This process involved both ecclesiastical and lay thinkers. In the latter group (especially the famous Slavophile circle), a harsh critique of scholasticism emerged, attacking both Catholic and Protestant (especially Lutheran) varieties. The Slavophiles claimed that the Western way of philosophizing is alien to Russian and, more broadly, to Orthodox life and reasoning. We find in this period perhaps the first sustained study of Aquinas’ legacy in the shape of a dissertation devoted to his moral teaching.
The Western Reception of Aquinas in the Fifteenth Century
Authors: Jindráček Efrem
Published: January 2021

The Western reception of Aquinas in the fifteenth century was characterized by the formation of the Thomistic school, with new authorities, most notably John Capreolus and Thomas de Vio, called Cajetan. In this period, there evolved various new disciplines––such as ecclesiology, moral theology, and social doctrine––which were absent in Aquinas’ works but founded on his principles. The authenticity of Aquinas’ works was examined closely and, after 1450, his texts were printed. Aquinas’ thought was successively established outside Dominican environments and commentaries were gradually added to his texts which successively replaced Peter Lombard’s Sentences. The increasing polemics among Albertists, Neoplatonists, Scotists, and Nominalists did not exclude an acceptance by Thomists of terminology or arguments not used by Thomas himself.
Sixteenth-Century Reception of Aquinas by Luther and Lutheran Reformers
Authors: Luy David
Published: January 2021

Luther’s reception of Aquinas depended to a large extent upon various receptions and uses of Aquinas’ theology he encountered in the early sixteenth century. The construal of Aquinas that Luther appropriated from these various sources rendered the angelic doctor indistinguishable in many salient respects from late medieval nominalist thinkers. As a result, Luther’s critique of Aquinas is frequently little more than a reiteration of arguments he had already formulated in his early anti-scholastic writings where Aquinas was not a significant person of interest. By the late 1510s, Luther came to blame Aquinas for the ascent of a pernicious Aristotelianism in medieval theology and thus felt compelled to reject Aquinas and Thomism in very strong terms. It is clear in retrospect that Luther misinterpreted Aquinas at a number of critical junctures. This fact raises important questions about the relationship between the theology of Luther and the theology of Aquinas.
The Industrial Working Class
Authors: Swett Pamela E.
Published: January 2021

This chapter analyses industrial workers as an occupational category, i.e. in their patterns of work on the shop floor, in their social environment, i.e. in terms of wages, living costs and housing, and in the context of the social and cultural associations that structured their leisure time pursuits. The materials presented in this chapter demonstrate that ‘industrial workers’ never comprised a fully unified social class with identical needs or desires. Some workers were beginning to aspire to the middle class. Others held on to Christian values and associations. Rivalries existed between coworkers over skills and status. Working-class women and men lived very different lives. And rural workers had little in common with those in the tenements of the metropolises. On top of these long-standing differences, the coming of new forms of mass culture also challenged workers’ loyalties to any singular identity. In all its early manifestations mass culture began to tap into commonalities within German society across class divides; it also began to offer a language of personal consumption and pleasure that reached across national borders.
Youth and Youth Movements
Authors: Stambolis Barbara
Published: January 2021

During the Weimar Republic, crucial initiatives in the field of youth welfare gave rise to the justified hope that the conditions under which adolescents grew up could improve. In the 1920s, legal regulations and social initiatives intertwined to advance reform processes. A broad consensus on these values indicated a solid foundation on which youth welfare and support services could build. This was supported by some social democrats, the Centre Party, and social and educational reformers who saw Weimar as a promising, forward-looking, social and cultural project. Before 1914, members of the youth movements had claimed autonomy for adolescents and had expressed excitement about the future and reform optimism. This optimism continued in the 1920s. In addition, multifaceted types of youth communities developed, which were expressions of the changed needs and expectations of young people in Germany during the inter-war period. However, excessive demands that were placed on young people contributed to a crisis of legitimacy of the democratic political system. Its representatives ultimately failed to secure broad support among the younger generation. The answers to social and societal youth issues thus proved to be a seismographic indicator of the stability or instability of the Weimar Republic.
Nationalism and Nationhood
Authors: Hochman Erin R.
Published: January 2021

The genocidal war waged by the Nazis has long influenced our understanding of German nationalism. Scholars have argued that the Third Reich was a direct result of German nationalism, which had been antisemitic, racist, militaristic, and anti-democratic from its beginnings. However, as this chapter will highlight, there was never a singular form of German nationalism, especially during the Weimar period. It is certainly true that conservatives and right-wing extremists used this virulent version of German nationalism to attack the Weimar Republic, its supporters, and the post-war international order. Yet German nationalism was not simply the domain of the political right. The supporters of the republic crafted their own form of German nationalism to help them popularize the new political system. Challenging the arguments of their opponents, these republicans insisted that there were no inherent contradictions between democracy and Germany, internationalism and nationalism, and Jews and Germans. They created a version of German nationalism that was democratic, peaceful, and more inclusive. Multiple and opposing German nationalisms therefore existed in the Weimar era.