On the last day of the Annual Interdisciplinary School of Ancient Greek, Egyptology, and Oriental Languages, participants enjoyed the translation and interpretation of ancient Greek texts, as well as a series of varied lectures in the fields of Egyptology, Coptology, and Byzantine studies, which explored definitions and perspectives on lies and truth. Lecturer Andra Stoiculescu (University of Bucharest) and Dr. Ana-Maria Răducan (Institute of the Levant) read, together with the students, passages from the work "The Life of Moses" by Gregory of Nyssa, where truth is an incarnate Person, while lies are a fabrication of the human mind, as well as a passage from "The Library” of Photius, which discussed the alleged authorship of a work by Dionysius the Areopagite.
Andra Gh. Midache ("Ovidius" University of Constanța) explored the duality of the Egyptian mythological imaginary in her communication titled "Maat / Isfet, order and chaos," while Dr. Ovidiu Achim (Levant Institute) gave a literary and philosophical incursion into the concerns of the great scholar Cantemir in conveying the historical truth "Sacro-sanctae scientiae indepingibilis imago (1700): Dimitrie Cantemir's Search for Truth".
Dr. Mona Sawy (University of Assiut) and So Miyagawa (University of Tsukuba, Japan) presented the communication "Truth and lies in Coptic oaths," which highlighted the role of oaths in Egyptian society and religion, based on the authority of the pharaoh and the god. The session concluded with a lecture dedicated to the history of Byzantine art: Dr. Antonio Pio di Cosmo (University of Modena): "Visualizing the stability of truths: conciliar sessions and implications of their representations in material culture."
At the end of the School, the organizers expressed their deepest gratitude for the recently concluded successful event, and Mark Donfried, the general director of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, announced the theme of the sixth edition of the School (2026): "Law and Lawlessness in Antiquity."
Mark Donfried, Director of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin:
Distinguished colleagues, esteemed scholars, dear participants,
As we gather here on the final day of this enriching and thought-provoking week, it is with deep gratitude and reflection that I offer these closing words on behalf of the organizing institutions—the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.
Over the course of these six days, in the historic and intellectually vibrant settings of Potsdam and Berlin, and through our shared digital space online, we have embarked together on a journey across time and geography. Through rigorous dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange, we have engaged with the intellectual legacies of the ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and African worlds. From hieroglyphic scripts to Homeric verse, from Mesopotamian cosmologies to Platonic ideals, we have reaffirmed not only the enduring relevance of antiquity, but also the shared human pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and connection across cultures.
In reflecting on our collective endeavor, I am reminded of the words of Plato, who wrote in Theaetetus:
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” Θαυμάζειν γάρ ἐστιν ἀρχὴ φιλοσοφίας.
It is precisely this spirit of wonder—toward the ancient world, its languages, its philosophies, its spiritualities—that has animated our discussions and deepened our understanding. And it is this same wonder that continues to bind us together, as scholars and seekers, across disciplines and borders.
Let us leave this gathering not with final answers, but with renewed questions. May the dialogues initiated here echo beyond this week—into future collaborations, further research, and the continued building of bridges between past and present, East and West, tradition and innovation.
Before we part, it is with great pleasure that I announce the theme for the 2026 edition of the Annual Interdisciplinary School of Ancient Greek, Egyptology, and Oriental Studies:
"Law and Lawlessness in Antiquity."
We look forward to reconvening around this timely and enduring subject, examining how ancient societies conceived of justice, authority, rebellion, and the legal imagination.
Thank you all—for your contributions, your insights, and your presence. We look forward to welcoming you again, as we continue to explore the ancient world in all its depth and complexity.
Until then, may the pursuit of wisdom guide us onward.
Thank you.
