We are happy to announce the schedule for the upcoming 2025 Classical Reception Seminar Series in collaboration with the Institute of Classical Studies, London. These seminars will be held on Mondays from 3:30 – 5 pm (UK time), on Zoom. The theme for this series is:
Ancient Violence and Contemporary Receptions: Challenges and Perspectives
The forms and perceptions of violence in the ancient world remain a widely debated issue in contemporary scholarship. This speaker series aims to explore the various ways in which violence was conceptualized, represented, and interpreted in antiquity, as well as its reception and reinterpretation in modern contexts. By bringing together scholars from different disciplines, including history, philosophy, material culture, and literature, the series seeks to offer a comprehensive perspective on the role of violence in shaping ancient societies and its lasting impact on contemporary thought.
Through this interdisciplinary approach, the series aims to provide new insights into the multifaceted nature of violence in antiquity and its enduring influence on modern societies. By critically engaging with both ancient sources and their receptions, the discussions will contribute to a deeper understanding of how violence has been, and continues to be, a crucial element in shaping cultural and intellectual traditions.
The series will open with a reflection on the historiographical and ideological dimensions of violence, considering how modern interpretations have shaped and, at times, distorted our understanding of its role in antiquity. This methodological approach will serve as a foundation for further discussions on the philosophical, theological, and political implications of violence in the ancient world, including its intersections with slavery, power structures, and social hierarchies. Further sessions will examine the ways in which violent acts and representations of violence have been mediated through various forms of cultural production. This includes an exploration of textual and visual narratives, considering how translation, adaptation, and artistic representations have framed and reshaped perceptions of violence across time. Special attention will be given to the ethical and ideological implications of these reinterpretations, as well as their resonance in contemporary discourse.
The series will also engage with the reception of violence in modern media, from literature to film, and its role in educational and rehabilitative contexts. By analyzing how ancient violence is reimagined in contemporary storytelling, the discussions will highlight the pedagogical and social functions of these narratives, particularly in addressing issues of justice, identity, and historical memory.
April 28: Rory McInnes-Gibson (University of Durham) – ‘Ruins Still Standing at the Frontline of Violence: Tadmor-Palmyra and the Future of the Site’
May 12: Toni Alimi (Cornell University) – ‘Augustine’s Varieties of Natural Slavery’
May 19: Chella Ward (Open University) – Reception and the Epistemic Violence of the Classical
June 2: Emma Ianni (Dickinson College) – Translation as an act of violence/reparation
June 9: Mar Rodda (University of Oxford) – ‘Giving Zeus a C-section: Gynaecology and medicalised violence in Lucian of Samosata’
June 16: Kirsten Day (Augustana College) – ‘Classics and Catharsis: Receptions of Ancient Violence in Incarcerated Populations’
Organisers: Antonio Papapicco (Scuola Normale Superiore) and Valeria Spacciante (Columbia University)