Minoan Frescoes and the Archaic Greek Cosmos: Visual Imagery in Early Greek Thought
Public support
Provider
Czech Science Foundation
Programme
Standard projects
Call for proposals
SGA0202600001
Main participants
Univerzita Pardubice / Fakulta filozofická
Contest type
VS - Public tender
Contract ID
26-21282S
Alternative language
Project name in Czech
Minoan Frescoes and the Archaic Greek Cosmos: Visual Imagery in Early Greek Thought
Annotation in Czech
Could Minoan visual culture have shaped Homer’s cosmological imagination and contributed to the formation of early Greek thought? While scholarship foregrounds Near Eastern influences, this project integrates religious studies, classical philosophy, and visual archaeology to explore overlooked links between Minoan visual-spatial conventions and early Greek cosmology. Analyzing non-narrative strategies (vertical perspective, suppressed focalization, map-like composition) it identifies continuities between Minoan frescoes and Homeric perception of space, especially as manifested in the ekphrastic description of the Shield of Achilles—continuities that have been largely overlooked by narrative-centered approaches. Through visual documentation, comparative inquiry into ancient color perception, and close philosophical-textual analysis, the project aims to reconstruct conceptual bridges linking Minoan artistic practices with foundational Greek cosmological terms such as kosmos and physis. In doing so, it offers a new perspective on the intellectual history of the ancient Mediterranean.
Scientific branches
R&D category
ZV - Basic research
OECD FORD - main branch
60304 - Religious studies
OECD FORD - secondary branch
60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
OECD FORD - another secondary branch
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CEP - equivalent branches <br>(according to the <a href="http://www.vyzkum.cz/storage/att/E6EF7938F0E854BAE520AC119FB22E8D/Prevodnik_oboru_Frascati.pdf">converter</a>)
AA - Philosophy and religion
Solution timeline
Realization period - beginning
Jan 1, 2026
Realization period - end
Dec 31, 2028
Project status
Z - Beginning multi-year project
Latest support payment
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Data delivery to CEP
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data delivery code
CEP26-GA0-GA-R
Data delivery date
May 11, 2026
Finance
Total approved costs
3,828 thou. CZK
Public financial support
3,828 thou. CZK
Other public sources
0 thou. CZK
Non public and foreign sources
0 thou. CZK