Writings of Late Antiquity on Ethical and Religious Questions

Greek and Latin texts of Later Antiquity (1st–4th centuries AD) have for a long time been overshadowed by those dating back to so-called ‘classical’ times. The first four centuries of our era have, however, produced a cornucopia of works in Greek and Latin dealing with questions of philosophy, ethics, and religion that continue to be relevant even today.

The series SAPERE (Scripta Antiquitatis Posterioris ad Ethicam Religionemque pertinentia), funded by the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities, undertakes the task of making these texts accessible through an innovative combination of edition, translation, and commentary in the form of interpretative essays. The acronym ‘SAPERE’ deliberately evokes the various connotations of sapere, the Latin verb. In addition to the intellectual dimension – which Kant made the motto of the Enlightenment by translating ‘sapere aude’ with ‘dare to use thy reason’ – the notion of ‘tasting’ should come into play as well. On the one hand, SAPERE makes important source texts available for discussion within various disciplines such as theology and religious studies, philology, philosophy, history, archaeology, and so on; on the other, it also seeks to whet the readers’ appetite to ‘taste’ these texts.

Consequently, a thorough scholarly analysis of the texts, which are investigated from the vantage points of different disciplines, complements the presentation of the sources both in the original and in translation. In this way, the importance of these ancient authors for the history of ideas and their relevance to modern debates come clearly into focus, thereby fostering an active engagement with the classical past.

Funding for the SAPERE project provided by the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities ended in 2022. However, the series is being continued. The data are updated on the website of the SAPERE research unit at the University of Bern. The volumes can be downloaded there or via the publisher Mohr Siebeck.

 

Published Volumes

An overview of the published volumes can be found below as well as on the website of the SAPERE research unit in Bern. Most  volumes are also available for download.

 

People

Editors and Permanent Members of the Management Committee:
Prof Dr Reinhard Feldmeier (New Testament, Göttingen) | Prof Dr Heinz-Günther Nesselrath (Spokesperson, Classical Philology, Göttingen) | Prof Dr Rainer Hirsch-Luipold (New Testament, Bern)

Advisory Council and Further Members of the Management Committee:
Prof Dr Barbara Borg (Classical Archaeology, Exeter) | Prof Dr Maximilian Forschner (Philosophy, Erlangen) | Prof Dr Dorothee Gall (Latin Studies, Bonn) | Prof Dr Reinhard Gregor Kratz (Old Testament, Göttingen) | Prof Dr Gustav-Adolf Lehmann (Ancient History, Göttingen) | Prof Dr Jan Opsomer (Philosophy, Leuven) | Prof Dr Ilinca Tanaseanu-Döbler (Religious Studies, Göttingen)

Staff: 
Dr Natalia Pedrique | Dr Simone Seibert | Dr Andrea Villani | Maria Gkamou, M.A. | Marius Pfeifer, M.Sc. | Dr Tina Wellhausen | Barbara Hirsch, M.A.

Authors:
Dr. Matthias Adrian, Theologie, Augsburg (Band 36) | Prof. Dr. theol. Stefan Alkier, Neues Testament, Frankfurt (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Eugenio Amato, Gräzistik, Nantes (Band 13) | Prof. Dr. Walter Ameling, Alte Geschichte, Köln (Band 27) | Dr. Yuri Arzhanov, Orientalistik, Bochum (Band 26) | Prof. Dr. Sydney-Hervé Aufrère, Ägyptologie, Marseille (Band 38) | Dr. Balbina Bäbler, Klassische Archäologie, Göttingen (Bände 2,6) |  (†) Prof. Dr. Matthias Baltes, Gräzistik, Münster (Band 7) |  Prof. Dr. Manuel Baumbach, Gräzistik, Bochum (Bände 9, 22 & 32) | Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Becker, Neues Testament, Heidelberg (Bände 32 & 34) | Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h. c. Okko Behrends, Rechtsgeschichte, Göttingen (Band 18) | Prof. Dr. Nicole Belayche, Alte Geschichte und Religionswissenschaft, Paris (Band 41) | Prof. Dr. Andreas Bendlin, Geschichte, Toronto (Band 33) | Prof. Dr. Jonathan Ben-Dov, Judaistik, Tel Aviv (Band 37) | Dr. Fabio Berdozzo, Gräzistik, Wuppertal (Bände 14 & 33) | Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bernard, Gräzistik, Rostock (Band 21) | Prof. em. Dr. Ulrich Berner, Religionswissenschaft, Bayreuth (Band 1) | Prof. Dr. Richard Bett, Philosophie, Baltimore (Band 25) | PD Dr. Ursula Bittrich, Klassische Philologie, Gießen (Band 24) | Prof. Dr. Bruno Bleckmann, Alte Geschichte, Düsseldorf (Band 17, 39) | Dr. Folker Blischke, Neues Testament, Roßla (Band 27) | Dr. Mareike Blischke, Neues Testament, Roßla (Band 27) | Prof. em. Dr. Boothe, Klinische Psychologie, Zürich (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Barbara Borg, Klassische Archäologie, Exeter (Bände 13, 31 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Prof. Dr. George Boys-Stones, Philosophie, Toronto (Band 14) | Prof. Dr. Christian Brockmann, Gräzistik, Hamburg (Band 29) | Dr. Renate Burri, Kirchengeschichte, Bern (Bände 13 & 23) | Dr. Börje Bydén, Byzantinistik, Genf (Band 24) | (†) Prof. Dr. George Cawkwell, Alte Geschichte, Oxford (Band 16) | Prof. Dr. Clive Chandler, Klassische Philologie, Cape Town (Band 23) | Prof. Dr. John J. Collins, Altes Testament, Yale, New Haven (Band 37) | Dr. Lorenzo Corti, Philosophie, Nancy (Band 25) | Prof. Dr. Hans Daiber, Orientalistik, Frankfurt (Band 23) | Prof. Dr. Frank Daubner, Alte Geschichte, Trier (Band 35) | Prof. Dr. Albert F. de Jong, Religionswissenschaft und Iranistik, Leiden (Band 6) | Dr. Maria Carmen de Vita, Philosophie, Salerno (Band 39) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Heinrich Detering, Germanistik, Göttingen (Band 30) | Prof. em. Dr. Werner Deuse, Romanistik, Siegen (Band 16) | Prof. em. Dr. John M. Dillon, Gräzistik, Dublin (Bände 4, 7, 16 & 34) | Prof. Dr. Lutz Doering, Neues Testament & Judaistik, Münster (Band 30 & 37) | (†) Prof. Dr. Pierluigi Donini, Gräzistik, Mailand (Band 7) | Prof. Dr. Tiziano Dorandi, Klassische Philologie, Paris (Band 25) | Prof. Dr. Janet Downie, Klassische Philologie, North Carolina (Band 33) | Prof. Dr. David S. du Toit, Neues Testament, Erlangen (Band 4) | Prof. Dr. Michael Durst, Kirchengeschichte & Patristik, Chur (Band 26) | Prof. Dr. Eva Ebel, Religionspädagogik, Zürich (Band 22) | Prof. em. Dr. Martin Ebner, Neues Testament, Bonn (Band 3) | Prof. Dr. Wilfried Eisele, Neues Testament, Tübingen (Band 26) | Dr. Dorit Engster, Alte Geschichte, Göttingen (Band 19) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Erler, Gräzistik, Würzburg (Band 20) | Dr. Frank Feder, Koptisches Altes Testament, Göttinger Akademie der Wissenschaften (Band 21) | Prof. Dr. Barbara Feichtinger-Zimmermann, Latinistik, Konstanz (Band 10) | Prof. em. Dr. Reinhard Feldmeier, Neues Testament, Göttingen (Bände 1, 8, 17, 20, 30 & Miteditor der Reihe) | Prof. Dr. Franco Ferrari, Philosophie, Pavia (Band 31, 40) | Dr. Uta Barbara Fink, Mannheim (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Sotera Fornaro, Gräzistik, Sassari (Band 13) | Prof. em. Dr. Maximilian Forschner, Philosophie, Erlangen (Bände 6, 22, 36 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Dr. Alexander Free, Alte Geschichte, München (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Jörg Frey, Theologie, Zürich (Band 37) | Prof. Dr. Klaus S. Freyberger, Archäologie, Rom (Band 18) | Prof. Dr. Therese Fuhrer, Latinistik, München (Band 11) | Prof. Dr. Dr. Alfons Fürst, Alte Kirchengeschichte, Münster (Bände 11, 27 & 31) | Prof. Dr. Dorothee Gall, Latinistik, Bonn (Band 19, 38 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Prof. Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt, Kirchengeschichte, Göttingen (Band 28) | Prof. em. Dr. Martin George, Alte Kirchengeschichte, Bern (Band 4) | Prof. Dr. Christine Gerber, Neues Testament, Berlin (Band 15) | Dr. Jens Gerlach, Gräzistik, Hamburg (Band 9) | Dr. Sebastian Gertz, Philosophie, Oxford (Band 24) | Prof. Dr. Reinhold F. Glei, Latinistik, Bochum (Band 32) | Prof. Dr. Hans Rupprecht Goette, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Berlin (Band 19) | Prof. em. Dr. Herwig Görgemanns, Klassische Philologie, Heidelberg (Bände 10 & 17) | Prof. Dr. Fritz Graf, Klassische Philologie und Epigraphik, Ohio (Band 10) | Prof. Dr. Sven Grosse, Theologie, Basel (Band 20) | Prof. Dr. Holger Gzella, Alttestamentliche Theologie, München (Band 3) | PD Dr. Peter Habermehl, Latinistik, FU Berlin (Band 5) | Prof. Dr. Markus Hafner, Gräzistik, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Ralph Häfner, Neuere deutsche Literaturgeschichte, Freiburg (Band 7) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Johannes Hahn, Alte Geschichte und Epigraphik, Münster (Bände 13 & 18) | Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hammerstaedt, Klassische Philologie u. Papyrologie, Köln (Band 5) | Dr. Dirk U. Hansen, Gräzistik, Greifswald (Band 9) | PD Dr. Udo Hartmann, Alte Geschichte, Jena (Band 34) | Prof. Dr. Bernhard Heininger, Neues Testament, Würzburg (Band 1) | Prof. Dr. Andreas Heller, Pastoraltheologie und Pastoralpsychologie, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Birgit Heller, Religionswissenschaft, Wien (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Christoph Helmig, Philosophie, Köln (Band 34) | Prof. Dr. Charlotte Hempel, Judaistik, Birmingham (Band 37) | Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Herrmann-Otto, Alte Geschichte, Trier (Band 19) | (†) Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Werner Heun, Rechtswissenschaft, Göttingen (Band 19) | Barbara Hirsch M.A., Archäologie, Bern (Band 8) | Prof. Dr. Rainer Hirsch-Luipold, Neues Testament, Bern (Bände 1, 8, 27, 30, 31 & Miteditor der Reihe) | Dr. Vera Hofmann, Alte Geschichte, Wien (Band 35) | Prof. Dr. Martin Hose, Gräzistik, München (Band 21, 40) | Prof. Dr. Werner G. Jeanrond, Systematische Theologie, Oslo (Band 10) | Prof. Dr. Lenka Karfiková, Philosophie & Theologie, Prag (Band 7) | Prof. em. Dr. Hans-Josef Klauck, Neues Testament, Chicago (Bände 2 & 14) | Prof. Dr. Lutz Koch, Pädagogik, Bayreuth (Band 8) | Prof. Dr. Reinhard Gregor Kratz, Altes Testament, Göttingen (Band 37) | Prof. Dr. Jill Kraye, Geschichte, London (Band 23) | Dr. Marie-Luise Lakmann, Neues Testament, Münster (Bände 7 & 28) | Prof. Dr. Francesca Lamberti, Jura, Lecce (Band 5) | Prof. Dr. Daniel Lanzinger, Neues Testament, Paderborn (Band 36) | Dr. Adrien Lecerf, Antike Philosophie, Paris (Band 41) | Prof. em. Dr. Gustav Adolf Lehmann, Alte Geschichte, Göttingen (Bände 19 & 35 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Dr. Erich Lehner, Psychotherapie, Bad Fischau (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Achim Lohmar, Philosophie, Essen (Band 20) | PD Dr. Katharina Luchner, Gräzistik, München (Band 17) | Dr. Michael Lurje, Klassische Philologie, Edinburgh (Band 4) | Prof. Dr. Irmgard Männlein-Robert, Gräzistik, Tübingen (Bände 20, 32 & 34) | Dr. Milena Melfi, Archäologie, Oxford (Band 29) | Dr. Detlef Melsbach, Theologie, Hamburg (Band 41) | Dr. Noam Mizrahi, Judaistik, Tel Aviv (Band 37) | Prof. Dr. Claudio Moreschini, Klassische Philologie, Pisa (Band 38) | Prof. Dr. Heinz-Günther Nesselrath, Gräzistik, Göttingen (Bände 3, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 39 & Miteditor der Reihe) | Prof. Dr. Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Neues Testament, Jena (Bände 15 & 27) | Prof. Dr. Maren R. Niehoff, Judaistik, Jerusalem (Bände 27, 30 & 36) | Prof. Dr. Vered Noam, Judaistik, Tel Aviv (Band 37) | Prof. em. Dr. Vivian Nutton, Medizingeschichte, London (Band 12) | Prof. em. Dr. Dominic O'Meara, Philosophie, Fribourg (Band 34) | PD Dr. Friederike Oertelt, Neues Testament, Erlangen (Band 36) | Dr. Christiana M. M. Olfert, Philosophie, Boston (Band 25) | Prof. Dr. Jan Opsomer, Philosophie, Leuven (Bände 10, 41 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Prof. em. Dr. Robert Parker, Gräzistik, Oxford (Bände 16 & 29) | Prof. em. Dr. Christopher Pelling, Gräzistik, Oxford (Band 16)Prof. em. Dr. Peter Pilhofer, Neues Testament, Erlangen (Band 9) | Dr. Thomas Pitour, Theologie, Munderkingen (Band 26) | Prof. Dr. Zlatko Pleše, Religion, Chapel Hill (Band 38) | Prof. Dr. Uta Poplutz, Neues Testament, Wuppertal (Band 20) | Prof. Dr. Peter E. Pormann, Klassische Philologie und Graeco-Arabistik, Manchester (Band 12) | Prof. Dr. Robert Porod, Gräzistik, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Ferdinand R. Prostmeier, Neues Testament, Freiburg (Band 28) | Prof. Dr. Joachim F. Quack, Ägyptologie, Heidelberg (Band 38) | Prof. Dr. Ilaria Ramelli, Klassische Philologie, Mailand (Bände 13 & 14) | Prof. Dr. Stefan Rebenich, Alte Geschichte, Bern (Band 40) | Prof. em. Dr. Eckart Reinmuth, Neues Testament, Rostock (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Friedrich V. Reiterer, Altes Testament, Salzburg (Band 27) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Ernst Ribbat, Germanistik, Münster (Band 3) | Prof. Dr. Christoph Riedweg, Gräzistik, Zürich (Band 32) | Prof. em. Dr. Dres. h.c. Adolf Martin Ritter, Alte Kirchengeschichte, Heidelberg (Bände 5, 17, 28, 33 & 40) | (†) Prof. em. Dr. Donald A. Russell, Klassische Philologie, Oxford (Bände 16, 24 & 29) | PD Dr. Thomas Rütten, Medizinhistoriker, Newcastle (Band 12) | Prof. em. Dr. Jacques Schamp, Klassische Philologie, Fribourg (Band 13) | Dr. Elizabeth Scharffenberger, Klassische Philologie, New York (Band 25) | PD Dr. Oliver Schelske, Gräzistik, München (Band 20)Prof. Dr. Peter Schenk, Latinistik, Köln (Band 5) | Prof. Dr. Peter Scherrer, Archäologie, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmeller, Neues Testament, Frankfurt a.M. (Band 22) | Prof. Dr. Stefan Schorn, Alte Geschichte, Leuven (Band 34) | PD Dr. Michael Schramm, Klassische Philologie, Göttingen (Band 39 & 40) | Prof. Dr. Stephan Schröder, Gräzistik, Erlangen (Band 16) | Prof. Dr. Monika Schuol, Alte Geschichte, Berlin (Band 21) | Prof. Dr. Peter-Klaus Schuster, Kunstgeschichte, Berlin (Band 12) | Prof. em. Dr. David Sedley, Philosophie, Cambridge (Band 25) | Dr. Simone Seibert, Latinistik, Göttingen (Band 36) | Prof. em. Dr. Anne Sheppard, Philosophie, London (Band 24) | Prof. em. Dr. Folker Siegert, Judaistik und Neues Testament, Münster (Band 11) | Prof. Dr. Nicolai Sinai, Orientalistik, Oxford (Band 36) | Prof. Dr. Andrew Smith, Klassische Philologie, Dublin (Band 23) | Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Spickermann, Alte Geschichte, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Angela Standhartinger, Neues Testament, Marburg (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Florian Steger, Medizinhistoriker, Ulm (Band 29) | Prof. Dr. Jan R. Stenger, Gräzistik, Würzburg (Band 39) | Prof. Dr. Heike Sternberg-el Hotabi, Ägyptologie und Koptologie, Göttingen (Band 38) | Prof. Dr. Holger Strutwolf, Patristik, Münster (Band 28) | Prof. Dr. Simon Swain, Klassische Philologie und Graeco-Arabistik, Warwick (Band 12) | Prof. Dr. Hidemi Takahashi, Orientalistik, Tokyo (Band 23) | Prof. Dr. Ilinca Tanaseanu-Döbler, Religionswissenschaft, Göttingen (Bände 17, 24, 39, 40 & Mitglied der Leitungskommission) | Prof. Dr. Johan C. Thom, Klassische Philologie, Stellenbosch (Band 23) | Dr. habil. Tobias Thum, Klassische Philologie, München (Band 35) | Prof. Dr. Eibert Tigchelaar, Theologie, Leuven (Band 37) | Dr. Andrei Timotin, Religionsgeschichte, Bukarest (Band 29) | Prof. Dr. Peter Toohey, Altertumswissenschaft, Calgary (Band 12) | Dr. Benjamin Topp, Latinistik, Osnabrück (Bände 32 & 34) | Prof. Dr. Christian Tornau, Klassische Philologie, Würzburg (Band 38) | Prof. Dr. Michael Trapp, Gräzistik, London (Bände 29 & 31) | Dr. Anna Tzvetkova-Glaser, Gräzistik, Heidelberg (Band 23) | Dr. Robbert M. van den Berg, Antike Philosophie, Leiden (Band 41) | Prof. Dr. Philip van der Eijk, Klassische Philologie, Berlin (Band 12) | Prof. Dr. Peter van Nuffelen, Alte Geschichte, Gent (Band 30) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Vincenzo Vitiello, Philosophie, Mailand (Band 31) | Prof. Dr. Manuel Vogel, Neues Testament, Jena (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Katja Maria Vogt, Philosophie, New York (Band 25) | Prof. Dr. Samuel Vollenweider, Neues Testament, Zürich (Band 22) | Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael von Albrecht, Latinistik, Heidelberg (Band 4) | Dr. Jörg Völlnagel, Kunstgeschichte, Berlin (Band 12) | Prof. Dr. Martin Wallraff, Kirchengeschichte, München (Band 18) | Prof. em. Dr. Peter Walter, Dogmatik, Freiburg (Band 11) | Prof. Dr. James Warren, Philosophie, Cambridge (Band 25) | Prof. Dr. Klaus Jürgen Wegleitner, Pastoraltheologie und Pastoralpsychologie, Graz (Band 42) | Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, Alte Geschichte, Erlangen (Band 18) | Prof. Dr. Florian Wilk, Neues Testament, Göttingen (Band 30) | Dr. Alexei V. Zadorozhnyy, Gräzistik, Liverpool (Band 14) | Prof. Dr. Jürgen K. Zangenberg, Neues Testament, Leiden (Band 15) | Prof. Dr. Barbara Zehnpfennig, Politikwissenschaft, Passau (Band 19)

 

SAPERE Unit Bern

Universität Bern
Theologische Fakultät
Länggassstrasse 51
CH-3012 Bern 

Barbara Hirsch, M.A.
barbara.hirsch@unibe.ch
https://sapere-series.ch