Hollins University’s classical studies department will host its annual Classics Symposium on Thursday, November 8.
The theme of this year’s event is “Being There: Martial and Mythological Landscapes of Greece” and will feature the following talks, which will both be held in Talmadge Recital Hall, located in Bradley Hall. Admission is free.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
“Mourning, Monuments, and Memory: Reading Ancient Greek Battlefields”
Matthew A. Sears, associate professor, classics and ancient history
University of New Brunswick
Sears will focus on the experience of visiting the battlefields themselves, both today and in antiquity. To what extent were trophies, inscriptions, major topographical landmarks, etc., meant to be seen by ancient Greeks? Are we to imagine visits to battlefields as regular occurrences? If so, how would a nearby battlefield, or one far away but with significant significance for one’s city, affect one’s view of war, citizenship, and the state?
6 – 7 p.m.
“Musing on Mountain Landscapes in Central Greece”
Betsey A. Robinson, associate professor, history of art
Vanderbilt University
Thinking across ongoing work and recent explorations of Greek mountains and fountains, Robinson will turn to central Greece to consider the great ranges of Helikon, Parnassos, and Chelmos; their prodigious water sources (Hippokrene, Castalia, and the Styx); and other wonders (coral atop Helikon, July snow on Chelmos). Myth mixes with religion here, and eyewitness accounts contrast with the reputation and abstracted qualities of these landscapes.
Since 1975, the classical studies department has presented the Classics Symposium, a one- or two-day event focusing on a single theme of current interest in classical studies. Renowned scholars deliver public lectures and encourage dialogue about the ancient world.
Photo: River Styx on Mt. Chelmos with Parnassos and Helikon in the background. Credit: Betsey Robinson
