Hilmar Klinkott – författare

Empires still attract increased attention, both in the scholarly world and from an interested public audience. However, the term ʻempireʼ has remained ambiguous and there is still a vigorous debate on how to use and apply the term in various historical contexts and periods. The 13 contributions of this volume attempt to establish a more precise characterization of the notion of ‘empire’ by focusing on the specific phenomenon of ‘Short-Term Empires’ from different perspectives. They encompass a broad chronological and territorial range that deal with the topic from Central Asia to Great Britain, from the 5th c. BCE to the 19th. c. CE. By employing a cross-cultural and comparative approach, the papers of this volume enrich and stimulate the ongoing debate about empires in world history and their fundamental determinants.

A mysterious tomb structure, a scandalous murder, a world in upheaval – in Ephesus, one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world, Cleopatra’s sister Arsinoë was murdered and buried. Who were the key players, and what role did the political transformations of the first century BC and CE play?The essays in this volume explore cultural-historical questions concerning the central actors of the time – Caesar, Mark Antony, Augustus, and Cleopatra. The latest findings from Austrian archaeological excavations in Ephesus complement the perspectives of archaeological, historical, and cultural studies.The result is a multifaceted panorama of an interconnected ancient world in which cultural “codes” were consciously employed to secure power – a world where the means of power were diverse and murder was an everyday occurrence. Exhibition, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Neue Hofburg, 20 October 2026 to 29 March 2027New insights into the so-called Octagon in EphesusSculptures, inscriptions, funerary reliefs, and manuscripts tell of intrigues and power struggles in antiquity

A mysterious tomb structure, a scandalous murder, a world in upheaval – in Ephesus, one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world, Cleopatra’s sister Arsinoë was murdered and buried. Who were the key players, and what role did the political transformations of the first century BC and CE play?The essays in this volume explore cultural-historical questions concerning the central actors of the time – Caesar, Mark Antony, Augustus, and Cleopatra. The latest findings from Austrian archaeological excavations in Ephesus complement the perspectives of archaeological, historical, and cultural studies.The result is a multifaceted panorama of an interconnected ancient world in which cultural “codes” were consciously employed to secure power – a world where the means of power were diverse and murder was an everyday occurrence. Exhibition, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Neue Hofburg, 20 October 2026 to 29 March 2027New insights into the so-called Octagon in EphesusSculptures, inscriptions, funerary reliefs, and manuscripts tell of intrigues and power struggles in antiquity