Eden Dijkstra and Rosemary Selth winners of first H.S. Versnel Prize
Master's students Eden Dijkstra and Rosemary Snelth are the first winners of the H.S. Versnel Prize for best master's or research master's thesis in the field of ancient religion. According to the jury, their theses were so original, well-written and of such high quality that both deserved first place.
In her thesis, Rosemary investigated how local religious figures were used in monumental representations in Delphi to promote politically advantageous narratives. By examining the selection and positioning of figures, the text of accompanying inscriptions and the location of monuments in relation to each other, she offers insight into why certain figures were depicted and what kinds of narratives were emphasised.
Eden conducted research into inscriptions bearing the names of gods in Roman North Africa and Roman Britain. He compared 5,700 inscriptions from North Africa with 1,500 inscriptions from Britain and combined the results with a qualitative study of votive inscriptions in three types of settlements from each of the areas: an army camp, an economic centre and a place of pilgrimage. This revealed that although Roman deity names predominate in the inscriptions in both provinces, they are more dominant in North Africa than in Britain. This difference is linked to the presence or absence of a tradition of creating religious inscriptions and a divine pantheon in pre-Roman times.
About the prize
The H.S. Versnel Prize is named after Professor of Ancient History Henk S. Versnel (1936–2025) and has been awarded since this year to the best Master's thesis in the field of ancient religion. The prize consists of a cash award and a certificate. It is awarded by the Leiden Centre for the Study of Ancient Religions, affiliated with the Institute of History, and is made possible by a grant from the A.G. Leventis Foundation.