Classical Association of the Canadian West (CACW)
University of Manitoba, 6-7 March 2009
Violence in Greek and Roman Antiquity
The University of Manitoba will host the next conference of the Classical Association of the Canadian West on 6-7 March 2009. The keynote speaker is Dr. Victoria Pagán of the University of Florida. Her recent books include Conspiracy Narratives in Roman History (University of Texas Press 2004) and Rome and the Literature of Gardens (Duckworth 2006).
Papers are invited on all topics of interest to Classicists, but we particularly encourage papers on topics related to the broad theme of violence in the ancient world.
Violence permeated all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman culture. Ancient literature, art, and historical evidence demonstrate that the Greeks and Romans understood the important role which violence played in their cultures. Myth provided numerous stories of acts of violence committed by both gods and humans. Watching violence in the form of gladiatorial competitions was a popular form of entertainment. The violence which initiated and later removed tyranny in Athens, as well as the regularity with which Roman emperors were assassinated, demonstrates that the Greeks and Romans understood that violence was a means of achieving political ends. Violence was also state sanctioned: the testimony of a slave was only admissible in a Roman trial if extracted under torture. And Greek tragedy explored violence as a manifestation of some of the darker aspects of human nature.
Despite the fact that Greeks and Romans were confronted by violence, both real acts of violence and representations of violence, our understanding of the phenomenon in the ancient world is still very limited. This conference aims to place Classicists in a position to understand better the complex discourses of violence in Greek and Roman history, literature, and art, as well as early modern and contemporary representations of the ancient world. The conference aims to explore violence from the perspectives of both those who commit acts of violence and their victims.
Topics might include:
* violence in/ as sport and public entertainment
* violence in art
* ancient law and violence
* ancient morality of violence
* punishment and torture
* spectators versus participants in acts of violence
* women as victims
* revenge
* changing attitudes towards violence in Christian Rome
* cruelty as a character trait, especially of foreigners
* violence in cinematic representations of the ancient world
* violence in ancient Israel, Egypt or ancient Near East versus ancient Greece and Rome
The committee strongly encourages proposals on the following themes:
* violence in myth, including myths of foundation
* political violence (esp. assassination)/ stasis/ discordia
* violence in ancient epic
Abstracts of up to 200 words for papers of twenty minutes should be sent by Monday, 8 September 2008 to Dr. James Chlup at chlupj AT cc.umanitoba.ca . The committee particularly invites proposals from those in related disciplines and graduate students. Notification of acceptance will be conveyed no later than the end of September. We will be seeking funding support for the conference from SSHRC. Therefore, titles and abstracts must also be accompanied by the following information:
Family name, given name, initials
Institutional affiliation (if any) and department
Degrees received; please identify discipline
Recent positions held
Recent publications, especially those relevant to the theme of the conference
Please also indicate any audio-visual or other requirements.
Please send proposals and enquires to: Dr. James T. Chlup, Department of Classics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M8. Phone +204 474-9171. E-mail: chlupj AT cc.umanitoba.ca . Electronic submissions are preferred.
University of Manitoba, 6-7 March 2009
Violence in Greek and Roman Antiquity
The University of Manitoba will host the next conference of the Classical Association of the Canadian West on 6-7 March 2009. The keynote speaker is Dr. Victoria Pagán of the University of Florida. Her recent books include Conspiracy Narratives in Roman History (University of Texas Press 2004) and Rome and the Literature of Gardens (Duckworth 2006).
Papers are invited on all topics of interest to Classicists, but we particularly encourage papers on topics related to the broad theme of violence in the ancient world.
Violence permeated all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman culture. Ancient literature, art, and historical evidence demonstrate that the Greeks and Romans understood the important role which violence played in their cultures. Myth provided numerous stories of acts of violence committed by both gods and humans. Watching violence in the form of gladiatorial competitions was a popular form of entertainment. The violence which initiated and later removed tyranny in Athens, as well as the regularity with which Roman emperors were assassinated, demonstrates that the Greeks and Romans understood that violence was a means of achieving political ends. Violence was also state sanctioned: the testimony of a slave was only admissible in a Roman trial if extracted under torture. And Greek tragedy explored violence as a manifestation of some of the darker aspects of human nature.
Despite the fact that Greeks and Romans were confronted by violence, both real acts of violence and representations of violence, our understanding of the phenomenon in the ancient world is still very limited. This conference aims to place Classicists in a position to understand better the complex discourses of violence in Greek and Roman history, literature, and art, as well as early modern and contemporary representations of the ancient world. The conference aims to explore violence from the perspectives of both those who commit acts of violence and their victims.
Topics might include:
* violence in/ as sport and public entertainment
* violence in art
* ancient law and violence
* ancient morality of violence
* punishment and torture
* spectators versus participants in acts of violence
* women as victims
* revenge
* changing attitudes towards violence in Christian Rome
* cruelty as a character trait, especially of foreigners
* violence in cinematic representations of the ancient world
* violence in ancient Israel, Egypt or ancient Near East versus ancient Greece and Rome
The committee strongly encourages proposals on the following themes:
* violence in myth, including myths of foundation
* political violence (esp. assassination)/ stasis/ discordia
* violence in ancient epic
Abstracts of up to 200 words for papers of twenty minutes should be sent by Monday, 8 September 2008 to Dr. James Chlup at chlupj AT cc.umanitoba.ca . The committee particularly invites proposals from those in related disciplines and graduate students. Notification of acceptance will be conveyed no later than the end of September. We will be seeking funding support for the conference from SSHRC. Therefore, titles and abstracts must also be accompanied by the following information:
Family name, given name, initials
Institutional affiliation (if any) and department
Degrees received; please identify discipline
Recent positions held
Recent publications, especially those relevant to the theme of the conference
Please also indicate any audio-visual or other requirements.
Please send proposals and enquires to: Dr. James T. Chlup, Department of Classics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M8. Phone +204 474-9171. E-mail: chlupj AT cc.umanitoba.ca . Electronic submissions are preferred.