An Introduction to Prosopography

James Baille

Cataloging

Contextualizing

Storing

Identifying

Organizing

Daten

Authentizität

Integrität

Personenbezogene Daten

Nachnutzung

Prosopography is the study of groups of people through the collective examination of their lives, often using historical records, literary sources, and artifacts. Rather than focusing on a single individual, prosopography analyzes patterns in a group, such as shared roles, relationships, or social status, to better understand historical societies and social structures. This method is especially useful when detailed information about individuals is scarce, as it allows researchers to draw insights from broader trends and connections between people. By assembling these collective biographies, prosopography helps reconstruct historical contexts and offers a richer understanding of past societies. This resource introduces the concept of the prosopon, an invaluable tool in historical and literary studies that represents a collected literary depiction of a person. It encompasses all forms of information about an individual, gathered from texts, records, and artifacts. Often, our understanding of past people comes from these constructions, whether through others’ representations or physical records, which can be fragmented or biased. Despite these limitations, prosopons help us piece together comprehensive portraits of individuals, revealing their societal roles, personal relationships, and historical significance. The resource also explores the Theory of Identity, examining aspects like roles, titles, ethnicity, gender, and religion to understand the multi-dimensional identities of historical figures. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of scoping prosopography projects, guiding learners to define manageable research boundaries, focus on relevant data, and apply their skills effectively to produce meaningful results.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)

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