Calgacus in 2020

To mark the septcentenary of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, recognising Scotland’s independence from England, Tom Mackenzie (UCL) and Edith Hall (KCL) are convening a one-day symposium, on Calgacus and his reception, at UCL (IAS Common Ground) on Burns Night 2020 (25th January). Papers include discussions of the presentation of Calgacus in commentaries across the centuries on Tacitus’ Agricola, translations of his speech, the way it has informed anti-imperial or nationalist rhetoric subsequently, antiquarian and archaeological studies of the Battle of Mons Graupius, the presentation of Calgacus in the visual arts, fiction, drama, film and documentaries, his role in the Ossianic movement and Celtic revival and the journal Calgacus published by radical Gaelic-speaking poets in the 1970s.

Confirmed Speakers include

William Fitzgerald (KCL)

Filomena Giannotti (University of Siena)

Edith Hall (KCL)

Tom Mackenzie (UCL)

Alan Montgomery (independent scholar)

Giuseppe Pezzini (St Andrews)

Melanie Marshal (Oxford)

Papers will start at 10am and the day will conclude by 6pm

If you wish to join the speakers for the conference dinner, at your own expense, please email t.mackenzie@ucl.ac.uk