The idea of the conference is to investigate the ways in which it was believed, anticipated or hoped that the living could meet and converse with the dead, either by visiting the place of repose or by being visited themselves by the deceased in dreams, visions and various other ways. The frequency of such encounters in the ancient Mediterranean world suggests that according to a common understanding, the two worlds, that of the living and that of the dead, were neither sharply divided nor totally independent from each other. Furthermore, the geography of the netherworld was, in most ancient Mediterranean cultures, conceived as an extension of the world of the living with boundaries that could be traversed, though only by certain people and under certain circumstances. The conference will focus on both the locality and/or the methods of communication between the living and the dead. It will also explore the purposes of such encounters.

Organising Committee
  • Dimitris Kyrtatas
  • Nanno Marinatos
  • Dimitris Palaiothodoros
Coordinators
  • Eleni Pachoumi
  • Anthi Tsiroyianni
Downloads