Tag: Classics
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Should we be Applying the Term “Religion” to Ancient Societies?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. Is justifiable to project the term “religion” backwards to ancient societies? Kavisha Kamalanathan discusses the nuances of ancient Greek and Roman belief systems, their relation to nature, society and the state, pointing to them being in many crucial ways fundamentally different from our modern notions of religion.
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Pompeii: Digging the details with Jasmine Khelil
Written by Fiona Macrae. Despite just being in her second year of a History and Classics undergraduate degree, Jasmine Khelil has had the opportunity to dig at some of the most renowned archaeological sites in the world, including Pompeii. In this interview, Fiona Macrae discusses Jasmine’s route into archaeology, her experiences and her advice for…
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Epicurus on pleasure: Epicurus’ views on pleasure and its relation to the good life.
Written by Kavisha Kamalananthan. The philosophy of Epicurus is often overshadowed by his contemporaries or successors, yet his insights into pleasure and the human condition are invaluable. What did he have to say on the ‘good life’? And how has this influenced the history of philosophy?
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The Role of Classics in Social and Political Movements with a focus on the Homeric Influences in Mahmoud Darwish’s Mural (2000) and the Palestinian Crisis
Written by Yasmine Hamud. The influence of Homeric works and classics into modern literature is varied and complex. Yasmine Hamud investigates these influences on literature, and their links to social and cultural movements
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Review: The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood (2005)
Written by Fiona Macrae. Published as part of the Canongate Myth Series, Margaret Atwood’s 2005 novella, ‘The Penelopiad’, recounts the events of the ‘Odyssey’ from the perspective of Penelope. Fiona Macrae discusses how Atwood’s play on the conventions of Greek epic poetry creates a more nuanced female protagonist.
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The Dark Earth: Hittite Influences on Sapphic poetry
Written by Etta Coleman. Although Sappho’s lyric poetry continues to receive a great deal of attention from scholars, remarkably little about her Eastern influences has been discussed. Etta Coleman explores the manner in which Hittite culture permeates Sappho’s work.
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The Brides of Christ: Religious motivation for Sexual Renunciation
Written by Kavisha Kamalananthan. The trend of asceticism in late antiquity, dedicated to religious and simplistic livelihood. But in what ways did women aim to emulate these lifestyles and what were the impacts of contemporary figures?
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Dido’s Lament: A Study of Dido’s Final Words
Written by Fiona Macrae. The legendary founder of Carthage, Dido has captured imaginations for a millennium. Here, her final words are explored in their many incarnations, from Virgil, to Ovid, to Purcell.
Retrospect Journal 