Welcome to the African takeover of the Classical Reception Studies Network blog which will run roughly for the first half of 2021. We are a group of academics from Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, involved in the reception of classical antiquity in different fields and using different approaches. We are excited to share some of the work we have been involved in. We hope to demonstrate that the discipline is alive and well on the African continent in vibrant, critical and dynamic forms that relate to our own unique contexts.
There are a number of African countries that still offer classical subjects at university level and many African scholars engaged in research or praxis related to classical antiquity, or, more broadly, ancient Mediterranean and North African studies. As can be expected, the so-called ‘Classics’ were inherited in these countries mostly through European colonial expansion; the subjects of Greek, Latin and Classical Culture/Studies being established at schools and universities as a result of the legacy of colonialism. This is a complicated and fascinating history that includes the reception and use of classical subjects and languages in the areas of law, governance, theology, theatre, art education, architecture and others. The physical, aesthetic and intellectual landscapes of these African countries have, therefore, in the last few centuries, been influenced by the ‘classical’ in a number of ways.
African intellectuals have long called for a ‘decolonisation of the mind’ and among a multitude of other disciplines, this appeal applies to the continent’s engagement with classical antiquity. Much of the work currently being done in classics responds to this appeal and shows a critical engagement with the history, teaching and applicability of classical subjects in contemporary African societies. During this takeover, we aim to showcase some of the work being done in African countries, which engages with classical antiquity in the modern and local contexts in a critical decolonial era.
The team that has been assembled to spearhead the African takeover are:
Prof. Mark Fleishman, Jayne Batzofin, and Mandla Mbothwe, from the University of Cape Town, South Africa; Ms Gifty Etornam Katahena from the University of Ghana, Legon; Dr Samantha Masters from Stellenbosch University, South Africa; and Prof. Olakunbi Olasope, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
We are looking forward to engaging, critiquing, sharing and exploring over the next few months.
Interested in getting to know us a little bit better? Check out our blog Introducing the African takeover team members.
>>Top image: Chorus from Antigone (not quite/quiet) as photographed by Mark Wessels.