This science communication article explores the profound relationship between human identity, genealogy, and the physical landscape in the ancient Mediterranean. While ancient concepts of origin and emotion are often studied through abstract philosophical or theological frameworks, this text demonstrates that the ancient mind mapped its deepest vulnerabilities directly onto the natural environment. Through an analysis of the enduring proverb "born from oak or rock", tracing its evolution from the epic poetry of Homer and Hesiod to the intimate letters of Plutarch and the prophetic texts of the Hebrew Bible, the article reveals that trees and boulders were not mere rhetorical metaphors. Instead, they served as living archives of memory, providing a tangible vocabulary for expressing grief, human lineage, and divine communication. Bridging classical philology, lived religion, and landscape archaeology, the article advocates for a renewed understanding of how ancient communities organically intertwined their personal existence with the sacred and oracular topography of their world. This publication is part of the digital outreach and knowledge transfer strategy for the HIEROTOPOI project (10.55776/PAT2141125).
Ramón Soneira-Martínez (Mon,) studied this question.