This open access book explores the history and historiography of the Heresy of the Free Spirit, the name given to a group of individuals in the late Middle Ages who believed that their spiritual perfection had reached such a state that they were unable to sin. This book explores the historiography of this heresy, revealing how and why an idea of a distinct social movement was constructed and perpetuated across the centuries, from the mid-thirteenth to the twentieth century. It shows how this heretical sect became entangled with both the concept and terminology of another medieval religious movement, the beguines and beghards. Including detailed analysis and contextualization of both medieval inquisitorial sources and modern historiography, the author investigates how historical interpretations of this so-called sect have been influenced by the methods and practices of historians from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.

The political struggle that reshaped the Roman Republic in the 70s BCE is reinterpreted here from a new perspective. The analysis argues that the followers of Q. Sertorius forged a coherent movement for political reform that actively challenged the Sullan regime across several Roman provinces, including Hispania Ulterior, Hispania Citerior, and Asia.

By integrating literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and archaeological evidence, the study reconstructs the political discourse developed by this group of exiles engaged in a Republican civil war. A central focus lies on the Sertorian glandes inscriptae, inscribed lead slingshots from Hispania bearing formulas such as Q. Sertorius proconsul on the obverse and values including ius, pietas, fides, veritas, and spes, alongside symbols such as fasces, palm branches, anchors, and rudders. These messages reveal a shared vocabulary of legality, moral authority, and imperial projection of power. Through this material, the book demonstrates the existence of two competing Republics, one ruled by the Sullani, the other by the Sertorians, contesting hegemony across the Mediterranean basin. It will appeal to scholars of Roman civil wars, provincial history, political language and symbolism, as well as material culture.

Die Verehrung der Heiligen und ihrer Reliquien erlangte im Mittelalter grosse Bedeutung. Immer wieder wurden dabei unentdeckte Graeber von Heiligen oder Reliquien aufgefunden.

Diese Studie stellt Erzaehlungen von ueber einhundert solcher Auffindungen vor. Die Texte berichten von Vorgaengen, die sich zwischen dem 4. Jahrhundert, als Damasus von Rom und Ambrosius von Mailand die ersten Reliquien im lateinischen Westen auffanden, und dem Jahr 1200 ereignet haben sollen. Sie stammen aus dem karolingisch-fraenkischen Raum in seiner groessten Ausdehnung. Die Arbeit zeigt die breite Vielfalt der Erzaehlkontexte, narrativen Strategien, Topoi, Intentionen der Verfasser und funktionalen Zusammenhaenge auf. Sie widerlegt die aeltere Einschaetzung, dass den ?Inventiones‘ ein einheitliches Muster und aehnliche Funktionen zugrunde laegen.

Inter duo Imperia ? zwischen zwei Reichen. So beschreibt Plinius die Lage der Oase Tadmor, deren im griechischen auch als Palmyra bekannte Stadt neben fantastischen Ruinen ein einzigartiges epigraphisches Zeugnis hinterlassen hat: einen Schatz aus mehr als dreitausend Inschriften auf Palmyrenisch, Griechisch und Latein aus der Zeit zwischen 50 vor und 370 nach Christus. So einzigartig wie Lage und Geschichte, so umstritten ist die gesellschaftliche Struktur Palmyras in der Forschung: Handelte es sich um eine griechische Stadt mit Kolonnade, Tempeln, Magistraten und Aemtern? Oder war es eine Ansammlung von polymorphen Staemmen, aeusserlich griechisch, aber innerlich zusammengehalten durch Blutsbande, Fernhandelsertraege und Waffenglueck?

Zur Bearbeitung dieser Fragen geht diese Arbeit von einer umfangreichen Prosopographie aus, die sodann systematisch fuer einzelne Teilbereiche des Palmyrenischen Lebens ausgewertet werden, um Palmyras Institutionen in ihrer ganzen Bandbreite zu beleuchten: Symposien und Staemme, Zolleintreiber und Magistrate, Fernhaendler, Fremde, Nomaden und die Palmyrener der Diaspora.

This book is about suicidal behavior in Bangladesh. Suicidal behavior is a major; however, an under-researched public health problem in Bangladesh. The country still lacks a national suicide surveillance system, a national suicide prevention strategy. Therefore, access to quality suicide data for policymaking is a fundamental challenge. There are wide variations in the suicide rate as per different studies and international reports. Additionally, there is a strong possibility of under-reporting of suicidal behavior in the country. Suicide attempt is a criminal offense in the legal system of the country that certainly hinders the disclosure of suicidal behavior. A high level of stigma, lower level of suicide literacy, enduring culture, Muslim majority religious background, criminality badge, patriarchal social norms, and intimate partner violence affect suicide prevention in Bangladesh. Fortunately, an increased number of studies are coming out in the current decade exploring multiple aspects of suicidal behavior indicting that social factors have a prominent role than the mental disorder which is a noticeable difference in the country from the Western findings. Therefore, this book aims to discuss suicidal behavior in Bangladesh based on existing evidence and expertise covering epidemiology, sources of quality data, local culture, forensic and legal aspects, health and mental health care, media and suicide, crisis management system, suicide prevention, and status of evidence in the country. This book is the first of its kind to address multiple aspects of suicidal behavior in Bangladesh.

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of cognitive disabilities, particularly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), primarily focusing on understanding, diagnosing, managing, and advancing the treatment of these impairments. The scope of this book extends beyond existing strategies by offering research-focused content, including diagnostic tools, emerging treatment modalities, and the latest developments in nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) for the management of AD-associated cognitive disabilities. The book's unique viewpoint on the diagnosis and therapeutic management of cognitive disabilities as the primary focus of Alzheimer's pathology makes it an indispensable resource for neuroscientists, cognitive researchers, and medical professionals. By connecting clinical insights with current research, the book provides readers with a deeper understanding of the disease's mechanisms, which can be applied for related clinical or research purposes.

This edited volume critically examines the role of higher education institutions in the Arab Gulf States in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the region's distinctive resource dependence, environmental vulnerability, and rapid socio-economic transformation. Drawing on original empirical research from across the region, the book analyses how universities are supporting sustainable development through teaching, research, and institutional governance. By combining system-level perspectives with institutional case studies, the volume offers insights into how sustainable development is being interpreted, implemented, and institutionalized within the region's higher education systems and institutions.
The book makes a distinctive contribution by focusing on the Arab Gulf as a highly developed yet under-researched region of the Global South, where universities operate within ambitious state-led sustainability frameworks and post-oil development transitions. Through detailed case studies, the chapters highlight innovative pedagogical and institutional approaches, including project-based learning, living laboratories, and interdisciplinary research collaborations that support progress toward the SDGs. The volume offers policy-relevant and practice-oriented insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners concerned with the role of higher education in advancing sustainable development in diverse national and regional contexts.

This book offers a localised cultural approach to understanding (im)politeness behaviour in Mexico, thereby making a meaningful contribution to the study of pragmatics. It combines theory and practice to examine contextualised relational conduct, with the aim of moving away from essentialist approaches that stem from national perceptions. Taking Guadalajara, Mexico as its example, the book underscores the extent to which localised practices align with, or diverge from, broader patterns of (im)politeness, also serving as a case study for extrapolation to other locations. It critically examines the concepts of conventional and nonconventional politeness, how politeness changes according to societal and generational norms, and forms of resistance or opposition to politeness. It will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of Mexican Spanish-language education and linguistics, specifically applied linguistics, including pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and second language acquisition.