#MAREMonday 08

On 01.11.2021 we present the eighth session of our online lecture series with a contribution by

Mieke Kassulke
(University of Malta)

Liquid Melody: An Archaeology of Sirens, Mythology and Maritime Navigation in the Greco-Roman World

Abstract:

This thesis situates the Homeric Sirens at the heart of a larger discussion of how myth was informed by, and in turn mediated experiences of seafaring in the Graeco-Roman world, and aims to trace this connection in the archaeological record. It first outlines the principles of ancient navigation in the Mediterranean and offers a new interpretation of the Siren episode in Homer’s Odyssey that suggests the Sirens are the mythic manifestation of hazards at sea. Homeric geography places the Sirens at points of convergence in the sea lane along the Tyrrhenian coast of Southern Italy; Cape Faro at the mouth of the Straits of Messina and the Sorrento Peninsula and its surrounding islands in the Gulf of Naples and Gulf of Salerno. It discusses how navigation, myth, as well as narrative and physical geographies manifest in the ritual landscape, and how Siren cults cannot be separated from Greek expansion westwards and the historical importance of the port cities of Magna Graecia. This is followed by an overview of Sirens in the iconographic record to examine the function of the Siren symbol in the Graeco-Roman mind.

The crux of the methodology is inspired by the maritime cultural landscape approach. This was chosen in order to bring together sources of tangible and intangible evidence. The first step is to reconstruct ancient seascapes in locations traditionally associated with the Sirens. The coastal topography, hydrography and meteorology at these points make the ship more vulnerable to shipwreck. These passages are characterised by narrow channels, high cliffs, and currents and wind that are often unpredictable. The shipwreck record is then overlaid to draw parallels between myth, landscape and archaeological evidence for trouble at sea. Ultimately, this thesis demonstrates how the Homeric Sirens can be understood as a dynamic cognitive agent within the maritime cultural landscape.