Roman Virtues and Vices

Organizers: Karla Pollmann, St Andrews; Eric Casey, Sweet Briar College; William Harris, Columbia University; Brad Inwood, University of Toronto; Robert A. Kaster, Princeton; David Konstan, Brown University; Irmgard Männlein-Robert, Würzburg; Matt Roller, Johns Hopkins; David Wray, University of Chicago.

The cultural centrality and conceptual rigor of ancient "virtue language" provides a rich ground for exploring notions, representations and transformations of ancient virtues and vices. In the last decade or so, "virtue ethics" has become an increasingly prevalent avenue of investigation in modern ethical reflections, focusing on aretaic concepts of excellence and (in fewer cases) their opposites, and on the moral character and motives of actions. This new departure within ethical philosophy, which is influenced by Aristotle but has so far hardly taken any Latin texts into account, will provide the questions to be considered in the panels of the proposed colloquium and may also be challenged by papers. The colloquium focuses on Roman culture, from the beginnings of Latin literature through Late Antiquity, including early Christianity. It aims at contextualizing the academic conversation about virtue ethics in a new way by paying more attention to ancient social contexts-for example, through examining and questioning the specific "Romanness" of given ethical values, as well as their relation to Greek culture. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, especially those involving philosophy, history with its subdisciplines, as well as linguistic and literary investigations. Junior scholars are welcome.

For the APA meeting in 2006 we solicit papers on the following topic:

Roman Virtues, Vices & Their Transformation The panel will explore the development of Roman morality in all periods through Late Antiquity.  We invite authors to ask the following questions by using a diachronic approach and/or comparing contemporaneous cultures in contact with one another: how stringent are the demands of 'Roman' morality through time? what is the good life as opposed to the bad life, and what part do virtues and vices play in it? how do human needs and economic, social, and political changes interrelate with virtues and vices?

For the APA meeting in 2006, abstracts (no more than 800 words) are due by February 4, 2005. Submit abstracts, by email (preferred) or as hard copy with disk, to Eric Casey (ecasey@sbc.edu), Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA, 24595. Abstracts will be judged anonymously by two referees.

... seen on the Classicists list

::Friday, January 21, 2005 4:34:37 AM::

THE CAMBRIDGE SOCIETY FOR NEO-LATIN STUDIES

2005 ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM - CALL FOR PAPERS

The Annual Symposium of the Cambridge Society for Neo-Latin Studies will take place at Clare College, Cambridge, between Friday and Sunday, 9-11 September 2005.  'Pastoral' is the theme of this year's symposium, and we invite proposals for 30-minute papers on any aspect of this genre in the cultures of Neo-Latin writing (for example, the novel, theatre, commentary, pedagogy, poetry, translation, court entertainments).

Abstracts of c.150 words should be sent by 15 April 2005 to the Secretary of the CSNLS, Andrew Taylor, at awt24@cam.ac.uk.  Information about the programme, accommodation arrangements, and costs will be circulated soon after this closing date.  We would hope to be able to offer assistance towards accommodation and meals for those unable to attract institutional funding to support their attendance at the symposium, but unfortunately we are unable to help with travel expenses.

... seen on the Classicists list

::Friday, January 21, 2005 4:32:29 AM::