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Theatre and autocracy in Ancient Greece. This project aims to study the relations between theatre and autocratic power in antiquity. Theatre, from the start, appealed just as much to autocrats as to democrats and throve in autocratic states for half a millennium after the extinction of the Classical democracies. While many studies trace ancient Greek theatre’s links to democracy, none explore its links to specific tyrants, monarchs or emperors. This project will examine how autocrats moulded the ....Theatre and autocracy in Ancient Greece. This project aims to study the relations between theatre and autocratic power in antiquity. Theatre, from the start, appealed just as much to autocrats as to democrats and throve in autocratic states for half a millennium after the extinction of the Classical democracies. While many studies trace ancient Greek theatre’s links to democracy, none explore its links to specific tyrants, monarchs or emperors. This project will examine how autocrats moulded the world’s first mass medium of communication to consolidate their power, and how competing interests used the theatre to share, limit or challenge that power.Read moreRead less
Banning ideas, burning books: the dynamics of censorship in classical antiquity. How to balance the right to free speech and dissent against other legitimate concerns is an issue that is always with us. This project explores neglected literary evidence from antiquity to study responses to controversial ideas in order to enhance the modern debate on the limits of freedom of speech.
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
The Theatrical Revolution: The Expansion of Theatre Outside Athens. The growth of the Greek theatre has valuable insights for contemporary Australian concerns. The world's first medium of mass communication rapidly shaped Greek national identity, but also contributed to Athenian cultural and political hegemony. For its power to transform political practices, business, personal relationships, and ideas, the spread of theatre has been illuminatingly compared to the growth of the internet. Understa ....The Theatrical Revolution: The Expansion of Theatre Outside Athens. The growth of the Greek theatre has valuable insights for contemporary Australian concerns. The world's first medium of mass communication rapidly shaped Greek national identity, but also contributed to Athenian cultural and political hegemony. For its power to transform political practices, business, personal relationships, and ideas, the spread of theatre has been illuminatingly compared to the growth of the internet. Understanding this process is of clear concern to small nations struggling to conserve their national interest while adapting to global culture. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101110
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,928.00
Summary
Popular Perceptions of Roman Emperors from Augustus to Theodosius I. This project aims to examine how Roman emperors were perceived by the inhabitants of their empire, from soldiers, slaves and freedmen to senatorial aristocrats. It has two main aims: to explain the different ways in which the emperors' military, judicial, religious and moral authority was conceived, interpreted and transmitted in the Roman world; and to analyse the continuities and changes in these aspects between the first and ....Popular Perceptions of Roman Emperors from Augustus to Theodosius I. This project aims to examine how Roman emperors were perceived by the inhabitants of their empire, from soldiers, slaves and freedmen to senatorial aristocrats. It has two main aims: to explain the different ways in which the emperors' military, judicial, religious and moral authority was conceived, interpreted and transmitted in the Roman world; and to analyse the continuities and changes in these aspects between the first and fourth centuries A.D. The significance of this study lies in its demonstration that the popular reception of imperial rule is crucial to understanding how and why the institution of emperorship endured in the Roman world. This outcome will enhance scholarly and public understanding of the Roman empire.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101251
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,374.00
Summary
The spatial dynamics of myth in Pausanias’ Periegesis. This project aims to use Pausanias' Periegesis (2nd c. AD) to reveal the spatial dynamics of Greek myth when it was still a living tradition. This text shows how myths inhabited the landscapes of ancient Greece and how stories shaped travellers' experiences. The resulting monograph expects to enhance our understanding of the experience of Greek myth and contribute to debates over the interplay between the local and the universal (panhellenic ....The spatial dynamics of myth in Pausanias’ Periegesis. This project aims to use Pausanias' Periegesis (2nd c. AD) to reveal the spatial dynamics of Greek myth when it was still a living tradition. This text shows how myths inhabited the landscapes of ancient Greece and how stories shaped travellers' experiences. The resulting monograph expects to enhance our understanding of the experience of Greek myth and contribute to debates over the interplay between the local and the universal (panhellenic) in antiquity. This study will form the basis for a collaborative symposium and edited collection bringing together scholars working on spatial dynamics of myth in other cultures.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 Elephant in the Study: Working Latin Literature for the Enslaved. Roman histories, speeches, and plays are conventionally regarded as the works of individual elite male authors such as Cicero, Vergil, and Livy. This project aims to transform our understanding of Roman literature by showing that it was actually written in collaboration with enslaved workers, generating new insights into the creative processes that shaped the Classical literary canon. Expected outcomes include a new approach f ....The Elephant in the Study: Working Latin Literature for the Enslaved. Roman histories, speeches, and plays are conventionally regarded as the works of individual elite male authors such as Cicero, Vergil, and Livy. This project aims to transform our understanding of Roman literature by showing that it was actually written in collaboration with enslaved workers, generating new insights into the creative processes that shaped the Classical literary canon. Expected outcomes include a new approach for understanding how authors work and the discovery of untold stories about the enslaved population of Rome. This should lead to significant benefits for communities, including improved education outcomes and better-informed public debate. Read moreRead less
The Vandal Renaissance: Latin Literature in Post-Roman Africa (435-534CE). The project aims to investigate the Latin literature of the Vandal kingdom of North Africa. It expects to identify a vibrant literary culture that celebrated multicultural diversity, embraced the Classical tradition, and contributed to Christian theology, while helping form a distinct Vandal identity. Expected outcomes include a more detailed understanding of the intellectual influences on Vandal African authors, the mech ....The Vandal Renaissance: Latin Literature in Post-Roman Africa (435-534CE). The project aims to investigate the Latin literature of the Vandal kingdom of North Africa. It expects to identify a vibrant literary culture that celebrated multicultural diversity, embraced the Classical tradition, and contributed to Christian theology, while helping form a distinct Vandal identity. Expected outcomes include a more detailed understanding of the intellectual influences on Vandal African authors, the mechanics of Vandal court patronage, and the breadth of these authors' contribution to the history of Latin literature. The project will benefit Australian culture by providing a detailed historical example of the benefits and challenges of a multicultural society.Read moreRead less
Crisis management in late antiquity: the evidence of Episcopal letters. Appropriate responses to environmental and social crises, by individuals, communities, governments, religious and charitable organisations, are increasingly under focus in the twenty-first century. Understanding the failures of past leaders as well as their successes is crucial for values-driven policy making. This project reinforces the international reputation of quality Australian research in late-antiquity studies by anc ....Crisis management in late antiquity: the evidence of Episcopal letters. Appropriate responses to environmental and social crises, by individuals, communities, governments, religious and charitable organisations, are increasingly under focus in the twenty-first century. Understanding the failures of past leaders as well as their successes is crucial for values-driven policy making. This project reinforces the international reputation of quality Australian research in late-antiquity studies by anchoring contemporary responses to management of crises such as natural disasters, climate change, population displacement, poverty, religious disputes, violence, and social abuses in their historical antecedents. The project will develop and reinforce existing links with scholars in Japan, Korea, Belgium and South Africa.Read moreRead less