Public and Private Lies: Retelling the clash of duty, power and sexual indulgence in the Roman imperial court. The Australian public has a genuine and demonstrable interest in Ancient World Studies. This project offers them insight into how the ancient world constructed its political scandals. It examines the interrelationship of private acts and public conduct during the height of the Roman empire, and how personal morality was perceived to affect capability to govern. It provides a case study ....Public and Private Lies: Retelling the clash of duty, power and sexual indulgence in the Roman imperial court. The Australian public has a genuine and demonstrable interest in Ancient World Studies. This project offers them insight into how the ancient world constructed its political scandals. It examines the interrelationship of private acts and public conduct during the height of the Roman empire, and how personal morality was perceived to affect capability to govern. It provides a case study for the assessment of similar scandals in the modern world. By reading ancient perspectives on "sex", "power", and "privacy", we better understand our world and the potential for miscommunication across cultures. The project also promotes co-operation between metropolitan and regional universities in sharing resources in a national collaborative project.Read moreRead less
Staging Sappho: investigating new methodologies in Classical Performance Reception. This project will make a significant contribution to Australia's profile as a research innovator in Arts and Humanities. It is the first research project of its kind to integrate theories of Classical reception and textual transmission with performance theory and practice. As such, it will further the knowledge base of the discipline of Classical Reception Studies by introducing a new methodology to the field, an ....Staging Sappho: investigating new methodologies in Classical Performance Reception. This project will make a significant contribution to Australia's profile as a research innovator in Arts and Humanities. It is the first research project of its kind to integrate theories of Classical reception and textual transmission with performance theory and practice. As such, it will further the knowledge base of the discipline of Classical Reception Studies by introducing a new methodology to the field, and will also benefit the community in terms of cultural engagement.Read moreRead less
Accounting for the Ancient Theatre: a new social and economic history of Classical Greek drama. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the Classical theatre, an institution at the fountainhead of the European tradition that continues to form a major element in Australia's cultural and historical heritage. The undertaking of such an ambitious project in this field on Australian soil will greatly enhance the international profile of Australian humanities research, and serve a ....Accounting for the Ancient Theatre: a new social and economic history of Classical Greek drama. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the Classical theatre, an institution at the fountainhead of the European tradition that continues to form a major element in Australia's cultural and historical heritage. The undertaking of such an ambitious project in this field on Australian soil will greatly enhance the international profile of Australian humanities research, and serve as a proud counterweight to the regrettable tendency that sees Australian-trained scholars conduct such research outside the country. It will have particular resonance for the prominent Italian and Greek communities in Australia in its exploration of a key element of their cultural heritage which has now also become a truly global phenomenon. Read moreRead less
Basil of Caesarea and the nexus of Greek, Latin and Semitic cultures in late Antiquity. In a period of heightening religious and cultural tension in Australia, this project seeks to explore a moment when Western and Semitic cultures worked together very well, only to yield in the following two centuries to increasing alienation that prepared the ground for Islam. In terms of international scholarship the project tackles an outstanding lacuna in late 4th century history: the Syrian chapter in the ....Basil of Caesarea and the nexus of Greek, Latin and Semitic cultures in late Antiquity. In a period of heightening religious and cultural tension in Australia, this project seeks to explore a moment when Western and Semitic cultures worked together very well, only to yield in the following two centuries to increasing alienation that prepared the ground for Islam. In terms of international scholarship the project tackles an outstanding lacuna in late 4th century history: the Syrian chapter in the dissemination of Basil of Caesarea's teaching on Christian monasticism. The collaboration with overseas scholars, and the high standard and solidity of projected outcome will confirm Australia's high reputation in ancient, Middle Eastern and Religious studies.Read moreRead less
Plato Comicus and Greek comedy: a study of his dramatic career. The experience of Greek comedy offers numerous points of contact with our own society. This project analyses an author and genre that flourished within a robustly democratic society, touching on perennial matters of social and political importance and raising pertinent questions about censorship, free speech, even good taste. Such a study can enlarge reflection on our own values, contributing cultural perspectives necessary for cons ....Plato Comicus and Greek comedy: a study of his dramatic career. The experience of Greek comedy offers numerous points of contact with our own society. This project analyses an author and genre that flourished within a robustly democratic society, touching on perennial matters of social and political importance and raising pertinent questions about censorship, free speech, even good taste. Such a study can enlarge reflection on our own values, contributing cultural perspectives necessary for constructive public debate and a healthy democracy. The project will also make a significant contribution to current trends in international classical scholarship. Its ambitious scope will contribute to research excellence within Australian Classics and further promote its reputation overseas.Read moreRead less
The boundaries of Roman ethnicity: an examination of elite Roman ethno-cultural identity in the late-Republican and early-Imperial period (55 BCE - 120 CE). This project investigates what it meant to be 'Roman' during the vital period of transition from Republic to Empire (55BCE-120CE). It breaks new ground by focussing specifically on the Roman elite's own representation of their ethnic identity, and seeks t o establish whether a coherent ethno-cultural identity existed and how this identity va ....The boundaries of Roman ethnicity: an examination of elite Roman ethno-cultural identity in the late-Republican and early-Imperial period (55 BCE - 120 CE). This project investigates what it meant to be 'Roman' during the vital period of transition from Republic to Empire (55BCE-120CE). It breaks new ground by focussing specifically on the Roman elite's own representation of their ethnic identity, and seeks t o establish whether a coherent ethno-cultural identity existed and how this identity varied and/or changed over time. The outcome of the project will be a series of substantial publications, and the completion of two doctoral degrees, generating new insi ght into the formation and maintenance of ethno-cultural identities in a poly-ethnic society.Read moreRead less
Renegotiating the Origins of History: A Study of Early Modern Historical Writing as Practiced by Leonardo Bruni and His Contemporaries. This project will pioneer a new account of the origins of modern historical writing, one which will focus on the political affiliations of foundational figures. Such a study is of vital importance to the community in a time when an intense public debate is being waged over conflicting interpretations of our national past. Participants in this debate have some ....Renegotiating the Origins of History: A Study of Early Modern Historical Writing as Practiced by Leonardo Bruni and His Contemporaries. This project will pioneer a new account of the origins of modern historical writing, one which will focus on the political affiliations of foundational figures. Such a study is of vital importance to the community in a time when an intense public debate is being waged over conflicting interpretations of our national past. Participants in this debate have sometimes appealed to pure disciplinary origins, accusing their opponents of politicizing history. This study will show that political engagement was a central feature of Western historiography from its inception, and will explore the way politics underpinned the early development of the discipline.Read moreRead less
The Clash of Sacred and Secular Authority in the Letters of Innocent I. The ecumenical significance of achieving a better understanding of the historical development of papal primacy revealed in the letters of Pope Innocent I consists in part in the promotion of core Australian values like tolerance and respect, which contributes to improved social cohesion and harmony. Examining the impact of religious values in shaping the European cultural fabric in a critical transition period enhances the c ....The Clash of Sacred and Secular Authority in the Letters of Innocent I. The ecumenical significance of achieving a better understanding of the historical development of papal primacy revealed in the letters of Pope Innocent I consists in part in the promotion of core Australian values like tolerance and respect, which contributes to improved social cohesion and harmony. Examining the impact of religious values in shaping the European cultural fabric in a critical transition period enhances the current Australian debate about the relationship between religion and politics in national life.Read moreRead less