In Gremium. Studies in History, Culture and Politics

O Dorach, którzy się wymyślili dla siebie i dla innych

Adam Pałuchowski — 2025-10-24

For some time now, in specialized publications on the Dorian migration to Crete, in particular from an archaeological perspective, one challenges anew hypercritically not only the migration at the beginning of the Dark Age or the EIA, but even the ethnicity itself of the human groups migrating from mainland Greece and the Aegean islands at around that time. The aim of this paper is therefore to take a fresh look at the available archaeological material, against a background of all other available sources, including epigraphic and dialectological ones, in order to ultimately demonstrate that the deepest reasons behind this heightened hypercriticism are to be found not in antiquity, but in our very recent present.

Uwagi o karierach senatorów rzymskich z II-III wieku n.e. Marcus Domitius Valerianus – studium przypadku

Danuta Okoń — 2025-10-24

Streszczenie

Artykuł przedstawia analizę kariery Marcusa Domitiusa Valerianusa, rzymskiego senatora z Prusy w Bithynii, którego działalność z przełomu II i III wieku n.e. znana jest z siedmiu inskrypcji. Autorka tekstu dowodzi, że Valerianus nie pochodził z rodu senatorskiego, lecz był homo novus, który rozpoczął służbę jako ekwita, prawdopodobnie pełniąc funkcję praefectus cohortis (za panowania Caracalli), zanim awansował do stanu senatorskiego jako tribunus laticlavius. Jego kariera obejmowała wszystkie typowe urzędy senatorskie – od kwestury po konsulat. Na etapie pretorskim sprawował aż siedem funkcji, w tym dwa dowództwa legionów i namiestnictwa pięciu prowincji. Konsulat otrzymał dopiero za rządów Gordianusa III, co autorka interpretuje jako rezultat utraty wpływowych patronów (Iulia Maesa, Comazon) oraz polityką cesarską wobec homines novi.

W artykule zestawiono karierę Valerianusa z modelową ścieżką awansu tribuni laticlavii, co pozwala wskazać istotne odchylenia wynikające z jego pochodzenia społecznego. Autorka proponuje także nową rekonstrukcję jego cursus honorum, z uwzględnieniem niezbędnych korekt chronologicznych.

You can never have too many sources! On challenges and interdisciplinarity in research on the activity of priests in Ptolemaic Egypt.

Joanna Wilimowska — 2025-10-24

This paper is devoted to the problems and challenges in the research of ancient Egyptian history that are caused by the extremely extensive and diverse source base. This material includes mainly papyri and ostraca, inscriptions, literary texts, archaeological and numismatic sources. Integration of information provided by different categories of sources is a major problem in the research on Egypt and requires an interdisciplinary approach. Moreover, texts from Egypt are linguistically diverse, which requires researchers to read and analyse documents written in several languages, including Egyptian (which is written in different types of script), Greek, Coptic, Latin and Aramaic. On the other hand, this unique material allows for a detailed study of certain social and economic aspects in Egypt, which is often difficult or impossible in the case of other parts of the ancient world. This paper aims to present the source base from ancient Egypt, considering both the problems posed by the analysis of these sources and the opportunities they offer. The article focuses on sources dated to the Ptolemaic period that are related to the activity of temple personnel in Egypt. The above issues are discussed based on the results of a research project financed by the National Science Centre aimed at examining the social and economic status of priests and temple workers in the Ptolemaic period.

Plebejskie kolegium? Pochodzenia członków kolegium Septemviri epulones. Wstęp do analizy prozopograficznej

Joanna Marciniszyn — 2025-10-24

The college of the Septemviri epulones is one of the main Roman priestly colleges, known as the quattuor amplissima collegia. However, an analysis of existing academic works on the religion of the ancient Romans shows that it is overlooked and does not enjoy the same interest as the other three main colleges. The reason for this may be the belief, deeply rooted in literature, that this college was of a plebeian nature. This article presents an analysis of the origins of individual members of the college in subsequent years of its operation. This article also serves as an introduction to further considerations regarding the place and role of the college of the Septemviri epulones in Roman public religion, conducted using the prosopographic method.

Portret cesarza rzymskiego Juliana Apostaty w źródłach literackich

Anna Pająkowska-Bouallegui — 2025-10-24

Emperor Julian, known as the Apostate, who ruled in the years 361-363, is an extraordinary figure in the history of the Roman Empire. He became famous as a just ruler, a prudent commander, a brave soldier, an efficient administrator, and a talented writer.

In my article, I present the image of Julian the Apostate contained in selected writings of 4th-century authors: the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, the Church Father Gregory of Nazianzus, and the emperor Julian the Apostate himself, as well as analyzing to what extent their portrait descriptions faithfully reflect Julian's true appearance, and to what extent they are fictitious. I check whether these authors, when describing his character, reached for the canon of portraiture popularized in ancient times by physiognomy (greek: ϕυσιογνωμονία) – a discipline of ancient knowledge that studied the relationship between a person's appearance and their character traits.

The portraits of Julian by Ammianus and Gregory are extremely interesting, presenting the ruler from completely different points of view. On the other hand, it is evident from Julian's own writings that from the beginning he wanted to be perceived as a philosopher-ruler, and his extremely long beard becomes a symbol of suppressing passions, cultivating the virtues of good governance and subordination to the gods. Moreover, it should also be understood as a general expression of education and erudition.

Eusebiana II

Anna Kotłowska — 2025-10-24

This article presents the state of preservation and attempts to reconstruction the partially lost work written by Eusebius of Caesarea (d. 339), titled Quaestiones evangelicae. The manuscript tradition of the fragments, attested in Greek and Oriental sources, is thoroughly discussed, together with literature on the subject dating back to the 16th century. Despite several centuries of research, there is still no critical edition of all the surviving testimonies. Particularly interesting in this context seems to be the letter written by Latino Latini in 1563, testifying to the then found codex with the text of the Quaestiones. Unfortunately, the codex disappeared under unknown circumstances and its last owner, G. Sirleto, failed to publish it.

Beyond the Clergy and Monks: Preliminary Observations on Lay Religiosity in Late Antique Egypt

Przemysław Piwowarczyk — 2025-10-24

This article provides an introduction to the study of lay Christian religiosity in late antique and medieval Egypt, focusing on the names and status of laypeople from the fourth century onward. The laity is presented as an unstable and fluid category, defined primarily in opposition to clergy and monks. However, the lay status of individuals was often ambiguous, as there were overlapping identities between the clergy and laity (e.g., those in ‘minor orders’) and between the laity and monks (e.g., ‘the pious ones’). The article identifies four major clusters of sources for studying lay religiosity: church canons, homilies, miracle collections, and documentary papyri. A brief overview of each cluster is provided, highlighting their relevance to the study of lay Christian practices.

Theodosius, son of Maurice. A miraculously saved emperor or a Persian impostor?

Dawid Buczyński — 2025-10-24

In this article I try to present the figure of Theodosius, son of the byzantine emperor Maurice I. The subject of the analysis is the fate of the heir to the throne after the overthrow of Maurice by the military coup of Phocas, that is, the period when Theodosius allegedly fled, asking for help from the ruler of Persia, Khosroes II, who was closely associated with Maurice. The most important thing in this matter seems to be the conflict of accounts we have about the actions of Theodosius, who was recognized by one side as the legal successor to his father. While his opponents claim the pretender is actually an impostor, impersonating the deceased imperial son. The conflict here will mainly revolve around the analysis of the two authors who most broadly present the figure of Theodosius. Questioning the authenticity of the pretender Theophylact Simokatte who was active among the Persians, and Sebeos describing his modest activities.

Kontakty klasztoru kanoników regularnych w Żaganiu z piastowskimi książętami żagańskimi w XV wieku (w świetle kroniki klasztornej)

Joanna Karczewska — 2025-10-24

The article portrays the relations between the Żagań monastery of canons regular and the local Piast princes until the time of sale of the Żagań duchy to the Saxon princes in 1472. Over the space of the 15th century contacts between the monastery and the princes were negative which stemmed mainly from an abrupt and unruly politics performed by the Żagań princes John I and John II as well as the international repercussions related to the appointment of Hussite George of Poděbrady for the kind of Czechs and the Hussites’ invasions in Silesia. These conflicts mostly impacted the economic state of the monastery. The situation calmed down after 1472 when the Żagań duchy came under the rule of Saxon princes.

Świadczenia lecznicze Ubezpieczalni Społecznej w Zielonej Górze w latach 1945-1950

Hanna Kurowska — 2025-10-24

Ubezpieczalnia Społeczna w Zielonej Górze działała od października 1945 roku do połowy 1950 roku. Obejmowała swoim działaniem cztery powiaty: gubiński, krośnieński, świebodziński i zielonogórski, a od 1947 roku kożuchowski i żarski. W tym okresie otoczyła opieką lekarską swoich członków, czyli pracowników, którzy opłacali składki zdrowotne. Początkowo byli to zakontraktowani lekarze domowi i specjaliści przyjmujący we własnych gabinetach, a po uruchomieniu własnych zakładów leczniczych, jak ambulatorium, przychodnia dentystyczna, zatrudnieni w nich lekarze i personel średni. Największa liczba lekarzy pracowała na terenie miasta Zielona Góra, najmniej w powiecie gubińskim. Z każdym rokiem ubezpieczalni zwiększała liczbę swoich członków, ale nie mogła zakontraktować większej liczby lekarzy, gdyż tych po prostu nie było – w całym kraju panował deficyt personelu medycznego, Dużą rolę odegrały także położne, które przyjmowały rosnącą po wojnie liczbę urodzeń. Niestety ten rozwój został przerwany przez państwo, na mocy ustawy w połowie 195-0 roku ubezpieczalnie w Polsce zostały zlikwidowane.

Hieronim Szczegóła (1931-2024). Historyk, organizator nauki, działacz społeczny i sportowiec

Dariusz Dolański — 2025-10-24

Hieronim Szczegóła was a historian specialising in the regional history of the Lubuskie province, the Polish-German borderland and contemporary Polish history. He was an academic teacher at the Higher School of Engineering in Zielona Góra, the Higher School of Pedagogy in Zielona Góra, where he was the rector and director of the Institute of History for many years, and at the University of Zielona Góra. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was involved in the development of science and sport in the region, having previously been active in athletics himself.

Is Intelligent Design Theory an Argument from Ignorance?

Dariusz Sagan — 2025-10-24

According to intelligent design theory, certain biological and cosmic phenomena were designed by an intelligent being, which could just as well be natural and supernatural, and this design is scientifically detectable. Critics of this theory claim it is not scientific because it employs solely negative argumentation and thus is an incorrect argument from ignorance or an attempt to place God in the gaps of scientific knowledge. In the article, I indicate the shortcomings of this objection and show that intelligent design theory is using – and have to use – both negative and positive argumentation. A good criterion of design – applicable to cases when a cause is inferred on the basis of an observed phenomenon, with the help of background knowledge but without independently given information about the actual history of the phenomenon – combines both something what one can regard as a sign of intelligent activity and the lack of naturalistic explanation of it. Thus, the methodological basis of this theory is not an argument from ignorance but the so-called inference to the best explanation which is a form of abductive reasoning. However, the fact that this concept is based on this form of reasoning, which is commonly used in science, does not, by itself, imply its scientific status, for the inference to the best explanation is widely applied also outside of the domain of natural sciences. But if we acknowledge that the design theorists’ way of reasoning does not, in its overall form, differ essentially from the design detection procedures employed in disciplines recognized as scientific, like forensic science or archaeology, then design theorists may interpret this fact as a strong rationale in favor of scientific status of their theory.

Kazimierz Biskupi. Erem Kamedułów w Bieniszewie. Dzieje, duchowość, kultura, świadectwa, red. Marek Golemski, Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Kazimierzu Biskupim, Kazimierz Biskupi 2022, ss. 212

Andrzej Wałkówski — 2025-10-24

Kazimierz Biskupi. Pobernardyński zespół klasztorny. Historia, kultura, społeczność, red. Ryszard Jałoszyński, Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Kazimierzu Biskupim, Kazimierz Biskupi 2021, ss. 221

Andrzej Wałkówski — 2025-10-24