The Quest and Conquest of Capital Cities in the "Translatio Imperii”

Hybrid Workshop, June 17, 2024

RomanIslam Center (Early Islam) – Universität Hamburg

Organizers: Stefan Heidemann (RomanIslam Center, Universität Hamburg)

All three major empires of the larger western hemisphere, the Roman, the Islamic and the Spanish Empire conquered capital cities of preceding empires, which they then inherited in one or the other way. Each of the three empires initiated transcultural processes, by which the indigenous people embraced the imperial language and western salvation religion. It became part of their identity. While the Roman Empire embraced a salvation religion only late in its history as a means for its invigoration, the Islamic Empire brought along a new one, and the Spanish Empire has always been deeply committed to a centuries-old salvation religion. The effects of these empires were the creation of cultures of their own. It resulted in two to three paradigms of Western Empires (including Islam). The Roman Empire conquered Carthage and Alexandria from the Ptolemais, Antioch from the Seleucids and many capital cities in Gallia and Hispania; also the Islamic Empire seized Alexandria, Caesarea, Antioch, and Ctesiphon from the Romans; and the Spanish Empire took Tenochtitlan from the Aztecs and Cusco from the Incas.

How did the newcoming empires deal with the legacy of these cities, whether physical or symbolic? Did they come to terms with them, or did they rather turn them into symbols of Translatio Imperii, the transfer of imperial power?

We cordially invite you to our hybrid workshop "The Quest and Conquest of Capital Cities in the Translatio Imperii", organized by Prof. Dr. Stefan Heidemann (RomanIslam Center, Universität Hamburg), which will take place on Monday, June 17 2024, at Universität Hamburg, Edmund-Siemers Allee 1, Rm 11 – meeting room.

To attend online or in person please register by June 14, 2024 with romanislam"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

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