Mediterranean dots and Isiac knots : interrogating the idea of the Mediterranean through the maritime cult of Isis

Abstract

The dissertation critically examines the frameworks of Hellenisation and Romanisation, interrogating their essentialist underpinnings, while reflexively applying and challenging the globalisation and Mediterraneanisation frameworks as interpretative models. Using the maritime cult of Isis as a case study, the research explores how individuals, communities, and societies interpreted, adapted, and integrated the goddess within their specific contexts from the third century BCE to the fourth century CE. By analysing textual artefacts and portable material culture, the study reveals that the expansion of Isis’s divine roles and inconography was a dynamic process of cross-cultural exchange, shaped by political, religious, and social influences across the Mediterranean. The findings highlight the limitations of the static ethno-cultural labels such as ‘Egyptian’, ‘Greek’, and ‘Roman’, emphasising instead the fluidity of cultural interactions and the agency of both humans and objects in shaping identity and experience. The research critiques the globalisation-Mediterraneanisation frameworks, warning against their potential to become overly broad and lose heuristic value. However, it also demonstrates their capacity to offer nuanced insights into interconnected systems of influence, adaptation, and localisation. This study contributes to Mediterranean studies, Isiac cults, and archaeology by advocating for more reflexive, interdisciplinary methodologies and urging greater precision in the use of theoretical frameworks. Ultimately, it underscores the importance of embracing complexity, rejecting reductive narratives, and continuously refining our approaches to understanding the ancient and contemporary Mediterranean space.