Abstract
For the past thirty years, Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge has been working to understand the operating mechanisms of polytheism in the ancient Greek world and, beyond that, of plural religious systems in general, by opening up a dialogue with other societies in the ancient Mediterranean.
"Polytheism is one of the ways in which the overwhelming majority of ancient societies negotiated the representation of a complex world. An analysis of its modus operandi can not only help us to better understand these ancient societies, but also to reflect on the various ways of negotiating 'the religion of others'".
Director of research at the Belgian Scientific Research Fund (FNRS), she taught for almost fifteen years at the University of Liège, while directing the research unit " History and Anthropology of Religions ". Her election to the chair in Religion, History and Society in the Ancient Greek World continues a long tradition of Hellenic studies at the Collège de France.
