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Item Marine Frescoes in the Aegean Bronze Age: The Flying Fish of Phylakopi(2022) Cushmore, Georgianne; Corrado, Crispin; Yawn, LilaIn the Bronze Age, Minoans seemed to be mesmerized with images of nature. Throughout their cities and palaces, Minoans depicted landscapes, animals, flora and fauna in such beautiful compositions and with such accuracy that the images still enchant viewers today. Marine creatures were a special interest to the Minoan culture, as they were often depicted in their frescoes. However, as the Minoans constantly had access to the water, why would they have depicted the sea in their interior spaces? Throughout this thesis, this research will explore if there was significance to fish imagery in Minoan frescoes other than simply representing nature? For the purpose of this thesis, the focus is the Flying Fish Frescoes from the complex G3 from Phylakopi, Melos, as a central case study.In the course of researching the above question, I have compared the Flying Fish Frescoes to other marine frescoes, marine objects, and religious frescoes in order to deduce possible purposes of marine imagery. Additionally, the entire artistic program of the room in which the Flying Fish Fresco fragments were found, Room G3, is investigated in this thesis. Frescoes from Room G3 include the Nature Goddess, the Adorant, and a Marinescape. Furthermore, biological analysis, marine shrines, nature-based sanctuaries, and cultic objects are investigated as part of the assessment of these frescoes with respect to the G3 complex and Minoan culture. In conclusion, the evidence presented here suggests that the Flying Fish Frescoes of Phylakopi were a unique example of a marine fresco in Minoan Bronze Age art.Item An American in Rome: The Career of George William Breck (1863-1920) and the Mosaic Commissions for the Facade and West Wall of St. Paul’s Within-the-Walls, Rome(2021) Pierson, Madison Noel; Georgi, Karen; Linford, SarahDuring the first two decades of the 20th century, the American Artist George WilliamBreck received two substantial commissions to design mosaics for the facade and west wall ofSaint Paul’s Within-the-Walls, the American Episcopal Church in Rome, Italy. And yet, very littleis known about Breck’s career. Who was this American artist, and how did his career develop insuch a way that Breck received commissions in Rome? This thesis will use archival records tounravel Breck’s career, from the artist’s early years in New York City, through his time in Italy asfirst Fellow and then Director of the American Academy in Rome. A case study will be made ofBreck’s mosaic commissions for Saint Paul’s Within-the-Walls. This thesis and the ensuing tablesprovide a collection of archival sources for future studies of the career of George W. Breck.Item Past and Current Discrimination: A Call for Reparations for the Sami Indigenous People in Sweden(2023) Frylmark, Jessica; Harris, Pamela; Sunga, LyalThis research paper concerns the human rights of indigenous peoples with the example of the Sami People in Sweden. The research aims to use this case to show an example of how human rights of indigenous peoples could be realized. The paper explores the question: “How can Sweden and the Sami People exemplify the rights of indigenous peoples under international law?” The aim of the paper is to explore how the human rights of the Sami People in Sweden have been realized and the possible further actions that could be taken. Through this example the paper will explore the limits of international law compared to domestic practices concerning the human rights of indigenous peoples. The methodology involves an analysis of international law and existing literature on topics relating to indigenous peoples. By using qualitative research, the history of Sami People will be explored, and the current cases of the Sami People connected to rights to land, rights to pursue culture and traditions such as the reindeer husbandry, and the cases of discrimination against the Sami will be compared to their rights as an indigenous population. By exploring the possible means to further the implementation of existing international law of indigenous peoples the case of the Sami People in Sweden will be evaluated. This research is contributing to the larger framework of human rights of indigenous peoples by evaluating the purposes of the existing legal framework and possible implementations of the human rights of indigenous peoples through the example of the Sami People in Sweden. Through the suggestions of reparations, this paper will explore the example of the practical realization of the human rights of indigenous peoples.Item Olafur Eliasson’s Room for one colour: an ambient environment generating dialogue between artwork, space, artist and visitor(2023) Khvostova, Valeriia; Drake, Adrienne; Gianni, IlariaIn 2022 Olafur Eliasson recreated the installation Room for one colour (1997) in Palazzo Strozzi, Florence as a part of his Nel tuo tempo solo exhibition. With this version, the artist initiated a dialogue with the palace, taking into consideration both the interiors and the history of the role of the building throughout the centuries. This dialogue, in contrast with previous versions that took place in either a white cube or semi-public spaces, enhances the participatory quality of Room for one color. This thesis examines artwork’s direct relationship to spaces where installed each time, how the installation responds to and changes within definite types of locations with the specific focus on Palazzo Strozzi. The research also delves into artwork’s relationship to the viewer, how Room for one colour (2022) creates a dynamic interaction between the architectural space, artwork and viewer by facilitating a direct communication between the artwork itself and the viewer as participant. Starting from the individual perception of the artwork, based on sensorial engagement and bodily intelligence, the research then delves into the understanding of collective experience. This experience, which is considered part of a larger “social turn” in art beginning in the 1990s-early 2000s, enhances the communication between the artwork and the artist with the space and the viewer, developing into a form of co-creation. By further relying on era-defining terms introduced by scholars and critics of the last fifty years, the thesis focuses on the latest direction of museums based on principles of inclusivity and social engagement. Through examining a number of concepts ranging from social, experiential and participatory practices it sets a framework for the analysis of aesthetic and conceptual qualities of Eliasson’s installation. The thesis contextualizes Room for one colour as a created immersive environment within museum space and analyses the way it facilitates a visitor’s individual and collective experience, both in the artwork and in relation to the outside world.Item Does Having Different Information Receiving Habits Impact Generational Cohorts on Their Perceptions of Free and Fair Elections in the United States?(2024) Whisenhunt, Jackson Cole; Startin, Nicholas James; Harris, Pamela: In recent years, the American public has witnessed an increasingly widening divide along partisan lines. At the same time, political media continues to permeate further into our private lives through our dependence on cellular devices, bringing along the rise of “Fake News” exposure. It is becoming evident that not all generations have equal experience for navigating such a media rich environment, and therefore, are unequally prepared to be exposed to and engage with political media to the extent we are. Such a disparity has caused different generational cohorts of Americans to consume political media in their own distinct ways, sometimes deliberately, such as turning on the news on the home television and sometimes incidentally, while scrolling through social media or while messaging people. This contrasts with the past when previous generations of Americans were exposed to the same and consistent levels of traditional media, thanks to scheduled news programs or the morning news paper. Given that political media and “Fake News” are now omnipresent in our lives and considering that not all generations are equally used to and prepared for this actuality, the question arises on to what extent attitudes towards political media, democracy and perceptions of free and fair elections vary between different generational cohorts. To what extent have political media outlets influenced these trends? Is the political divide within the United States more aligned to political affiliation, does it reflect the growing political cleavages that distinguish and identify members to a political party, or is the political divide rooted in different habits and interests cross generationally?Item A Comparative Analysis of Human and AI-Translated Texts: How do they differ?(2024) Schwarten, Christopher James; Cocciolillo, Berenice; Capoferri, FedericaNell’ultimo decennio l’intelligenza artificiale ha compiuto progressi significativi in diversi campi, incluso quello della traduzione linguistica. Con il crescente timore che essa possa prendere il posto di tutti coloro che eseguono attività che sono già state o potrebbero essere rivoluzionate dall’IA stessa, come quella della traduzione, è importante capire se questa sia una possibilità concreta o meno. Analizzando tre testi di Pier Paolo Pasolini appartenenti a generi differenti, che coprono argomenti diversi e che variano per complessità e lunghezza, la presente tesi analizza la capacità di ChatGPT e di DeepL, rispettivamente un agente conversazionale e un servizio di traduzione linguistica entrambi alimentati dall'intelligenza artificiale, di tradurre efficacemente dei testi. I testi tradotti sono poi stati paragonati con le traduzioni effettuate da chi scrive per valutare il tempo impiegato e, soprattutto, se l’intervento umano sia ancora necessario. I risultati hanno indicato che, sebbene strumenti come ChatGPT e DeepL siano di grande aiuto in termini di tempo, la revisione finale del testo da parte di un essere umano è ancora necessaria. Questi risultati contribuiscono alla letteratura sull'intelligenza artificiale e, in ultima analisi, offrono spunti di riflessione per i traduttori professionisti e per coloro che desiderano avvicinarsi al mondo della traduzione.Item Gifts in the Iliad: The Legacy of Homer’s Winged Words(2024) Lalli, Matilde; Govero, Thomas; Pušić, DanicaIn Homer’s Iliad the practice and ritual of the art of gift giving plays a significant role. This thesis focuses on selected instances and moments from books I, VI, and IX, examining the circumstances and the implications of these gift exchanges both on the characters and on the narrative. This thesis will be divided in three macro sections, one for each book, all prefaced by a common introduction which will contextualize the work and the theme of gift giving itself, as well as its connection to the epic poem concerning the Trojan War. The first section, pages 10 to 25, after the introduction will be centered on the first book of the Iliad, and it will discuss the use and meaning of the words δῶρον, τιμή, γῆρας, and κλέος, in the context of the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon. The second section, pages 26 to 39, will focus on the exchange of armors between Diomedes and Glaucus, and it will analyze the term ξενία and its weight and value within the ancient Greek society and the Iliad itself. The last section before the conclusion, pages 40 to 54, will analyze the connotations of the words δωτίνῃ and άποινᾰ, seeking to establish their meaning in the context of Agamemnon’s list of offerings to Achilles. Through my own careful translation of the interested sections and books, I analyze the terminology used in the semantic field of gift giving and gift-exchanges, and the context in which these occur, with the aim of shedding light on the complexities of gifts in the ancient Greek world. Through a deep dive into the aforementioned instances in the Iliad, this thesis will provide further understanding of the values and customs surrounding gifts as social relations in Homer’s epic.Item The Ideology of Spolia in Early Christian Buildings(2024) Di Cesare, Lorena; Paxton, Nicole Constantina; Salvadori, SharonThis thesis analyzes the ideological use of architectural spolia in early Christian Roman churches of the fourth and sixth centuries and the ways in which this reflects the social, political, and religious transformations of the time. The use of spolia changed with the arrival of Christianity, which has led historians to question the motivations for its use, whether ideological or practical. The present analysis contributes to this discussion through an investigation of changes in the reuse of architectural elements. After a general introduction of the meaning of spolia in the first chapter, in the second chapter, the arch of Constantine will be examined as a model with an ideological reason. Its analysis will be an excellent model to highlight the ideological use of spolia as a method of political propaganda, trying to keep the panels in an elegant appearance. Instead, the spolia present in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the Battistero Lateranense, and the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano, seems to be used and arranged differently from the example previously discussed. In this case, spolia was used on a large scale and was not hidden, as in the past; hence, it no longer respected the canons of the classical tradition. This change in the use of the spolia from imperial Roman commissions to ecclesiastic use led to different opinions on the part of historians. Some historians argued that the use of the spolia had a purely practical and economic purpose. Instead, according to other lines of thought, the reuse of architectural elements had an ideological purpose. The departure from traditional standards, the heterogeneous use of spolia, could represent the search for a new style that identified Christianity as a new aesthetic paradigm of romanitas. The investigation of continuity and discontinuity in the use of the spolia is the basis of the thesis. Incorporating elements from ancient buildings gave prestige and authority to the new building. Differently, immediately after the formalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire, iii spolia begins to be applied in a heterogeneous way, breaking the rules of tradition. Spolia use in early Christianity did not follow the order between capitals, the column shafts were not homogeneous, and the signs of architectural reuse were not hidden. This thesis explores the factors that motivated the use of spolia in the early Christian space, both practical and ideological. While the use of spolia may have, at times, depended on necessity because of limited resources available or economic decay, it also reveals a departure from polytheistic practices. Many buildings and pagan monuments were abandoned or destroyed, of which materials were reused in new Christian buildings. This thesis investigates the appropriation and transformation of the pre-existing cultural and religious heritage by exploring the spolia columns in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the Battistero Lateranense, and the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano. Incorporating a body of columns from pagan temples into a new Christian church changed their original meaning and gave it a new spiritual dimension.Item Divine Discourse: Ontological Arguments for God’s Existence(2024) Chapman, Miles; Bryson, Annette; Sorgner, StefanThe divine and our concept of it, whatever it may be, is a fundamental building block of society. Commonality in religion is where many societies are born, and diversity where countless conflicts spur. What is so special about this concept to warrant such actions? That is a question for another time. For now, in this paper, rather than looking at the application of the concept, known as religion, will place focus on the concept itself, specifically the monotheistic concept of an all-powerful God. Who, or what, is God? How do we define the notion of God? What logic do we cling to in order to defend our faith? Following will be an analysis of the premises used in the so-called ontological argument for God’s existence. Philosophers such as the 13th century Thomas Aquinas, 11th century Anselm of Canterbury, and 20th and 21st century works by contemporary philosopher, Alvin Plantinga, will all be judged on the merits of their arguments. These three philosophers, who all attempt to put logic to faith, are essential to understand as building blocks of the common notion of a divine entity referred to as God. This paper will give a chronological account of their findings and highlight the advancements made in their respective works. Subsequently, it will provide the reader with an understanding of what it means to speak about a divine entity beyond the context of religious texts. With that knowledge, the question will be posed as to whether or not it is rational to reject God’s existence on the grounds of scientific or logical understanding. The answer, after close examination of the aforementioned teachings must undoubtably be that those who blankly reject the divine on such grounds fail to comprehend the very logic they assume to defend.