We, Antonio Papapicco (Scuola Normale Superiore) and Valeria Spacciante (Columbia University), are the organizers of the Classical Reception Studies Network’s 2025 Classical Reception Summer Speaker Series titled Ancient Violence and Contemporary Receptions: Challenges and Perspectives. The seminars, organized in collaboration with the Institute of Classical Studies in London, were held on Zoom, spanning from April to June 2025; each speaker gave a 45-minute presentation, followed by a 45-minute Q&A session. Across six sessions, scholars from a range of disciplines came together to explore how violence was conceptualized, represented, and interpreted in the ancient world, and how these interpretations resonate today.
The series offered us a unique opportunity to engage with the complex topic of violence in antiquity and its modern receptions. It is our pleasure to say a few words to express our gratitude to the CRSN and ICS and to comment on our experience as a whole; over these months we have learnt so much, being inspired by interdisciplinary approaches and constantly sparked by the rich discussions among the engaged and lively participants.
The opening talk, by Rory McInnes-Gibson (University of Durham), invited us to consider the historiographical and ideological dimensions of destruction in antiquity. Taking the ruins of Tadmor-Palmyra as his case study, Rory highlighted how sites of violence continue to shape contemporary memory and our interpretation of the past, reminding us that material remains carry with them a profound ethical and historical weight.
The subsequent papers engaged with violence through a variety of lenses. Toni Alimi (Cornell University) offered a nuanced reflection on Augustine’s ‘varieties of natural slavery’ and its contemporary receptions, emphasizing the philosophical and theological frameworks through which societies rationalized social hierarchies and coercion over time. Chella Ward (Open University) focused on the epistemic violence inherent in classical reception itself, raising critical questions about the ways knowledge is produced, transmitted, and sometimes distorted across time.
The series also explored the transformative potential of translation and reinterpretation. Emma Ianni (Dickinson College) provocatively described translation as both an act of violence and an act of reparation, highlighting the delicate balance between fidelity to ancient texts and the ethical responsibilities of modern readers and interpreters. Mar Rodda (University of Oxford) offered a striking example of how literary and medical discourses intersect, examining representations of medicalized violence in Lucian’s writing, and challenging us to reconsider classical texts in the light of bodily experience and gendered vulnerability.
The seminar series concluded with a session by Kirsten Day (Augustana College) on the reception of ancient violence among incarcerated populations. Her talk vividly illustrated the social and pedagogical implications of classical reception, showing how engagement with ancient narratives of violence can foster catharsis, reflection, and, in some contexts, personal transformation. Her paper reiterated once again that studying violence in antiquity has important stakes in the present, as classical texts continue to resonate in contemporary struggles over justice, identity, and historical memory.
As this brief summary shows, the key theme of the series was the interplay between past and present. Ancient violence, whether encountered through ruins, texts, or artistic representations, is never merely ‘historical’. It is continuously reshaped by ethical, cultural, and ideological frameworks, prompting reflection on contemporary issues of justice, memory, and identity. Each paper highlighted the importance of critical engagement, showing how classical studies can illuminate not only the past, but also our own moral and intellectual responsibilities.
As organizers, we found the engagement of the series participants remarkable. Discussions following each presentation were vibrant and thought-provoking, revealing how these ancient and modern perspectives on violence continue to spark curiosity, debate, and reflection. The sense of a shared intellectual community—students and academics at every stage of their careers—added a richness that went beyond the content of individual talks.
On a personal note, organizing this series has been a deeply rewarding experience. Working together to bring these diverse voices to the seminar was a constant source of inspiration and discussion. From planning the schedule to witnessing the lively conversations each week, we both felt a strong sense of the seminar as a living, collaborative space. Moments that stood out were not just the lectures themselves, but the conversations they inspired—often extending well beyond Zoom, in ways that reminded us why dialogue and exchange remain at the heart of classical reception.
In sum, the 2025 Classical Reception Summer Speaker Series has been a reminder of why we continue to study the Classics and how we must constantly keep eroding and rethinking them through discussion, criticism, and re-evaluation. We are deeply grateful to all the speakers, participants, and colleagues who made this series possible, and we look forward to seeing how the discussions shared this summer will continue to resonate in our own research, teaching, and everyday thinking.
