Classical Studies
Congratulations to recent PhD alumnus, Clinton Kinkade, on his appointment as Teacher of Latin at the Newman School. The Newman School is a co-educational private school in Boston, Massachusetts drawing both American and International Students in grades 7-12. Congratulations, Clinton! read more about Congratulations to Clinton Kinkade on Latin Teaching Position »
On May 19, 20 and 21 the Durham Black Burial Grounds Collaboratory (Adam Rosenblatt, Charles Johnson, Khadija McNair, Jenna Smith and Alicia Jiménez) met at Duke with colleagues from the East End Cemetery Collaboratory, from Richmond, Virginia (Jeannine Keefer, Ryan Smith, Brian Palmer, Elizabeth Baughan, Melissa Pocock and Erin Holloway Palmer). The group studied the role of universities in documenting and preserving Black burial grounds as well as good practices in research and teaching at African… read more about Workshop "Universities and African American Cemeteries: Partnerships for Preservation, Research and Teaching" »
Set deep within the Blue Ridge mountains, far from Duke’s campus, a group of almost 40 campers huddled around the campfire ready to discuss the day’s activities. Archery, board games and hiking had kept them busy. But now it was evening, and they were tired and ready to eat s’mores and share typical campfire stories — like dealing with academic stress and deciding on a career path. Well, maybe not so typical, as these weren’t just any campers, but Duke sophomores on a meditative retreat. Soon, they would go back to their… read more about Students Explore Life’s Most Important Questions Through New Program for Sophomores »
Congratulations to Sinja Kuppers who has been named a NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow from the National Academy for Education and the Spencer Foundation. Sinja's Dissertation, "Marginalized Voices and Educational Pathways: A New Perspective on Higher Education in Late Antiquity," aims to write a new chapter in the history of Roman education. ABSTRACT: The scholarship on higher education in the later Roman Empire has focused on the social and intellectual influence of key figures, such… read more about Sinja Kueppers wins National NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship »
Professor Emeritus Gregson Davis is scheduled to give the prestigious Housman Lecture at University College London on May 18, 2022. Professor Davis' topic is "The reception of Lucretius' "On the Nature of Things" in Aimé Césaire's "Journal of a Homecoming".' For more details, see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/housman-lecture-2022-the-reception-of-lucretius-on-the-nature-of-things-tickets-243071382047 read more about Professor Emeritus Gregson Davis Delivers Housman Lecture 2022 »
As a double major in Chemistry and Classical Languages, senior Sophia Dort realized that though she had taken many courses in both the sciences and the humanities, they rarely overlapped. “When I saw an opportunity to take a class that was focused on medicine, but looking at it from a humanities point of view, I was pretty excited,” she said, explaining how she ended up taking a new course on Medicine and Human Flourishing this spring. The course, cross-listed between Classical Studies, Global Health and Ethics, is part… read more about Class of 2022: Sophia Dort, Reflecting on her Study of ‘Medicine and Human Flourishing’ »
Every word is more than just a word, it is the result of centuries of human history. Words have weathered a tumultuous journey of translation, assimilation, and reformation to end up on this screen in front of you. We can think of words like people. They are more than what you see on the surface; they are the myriad of experiences and ancestors that created that individual word. read more about Why You Should Take Etymology at Duke »
We're happy to congratulate Antonio LoPiano who has won a Research Fellowship from the Etruscan Research Foundation. This fellowship supports Antonio's project, "Mapping the Ancient City of Doganella through Remote Sensing Technologies." It will investigate the development and organization of urban planning in Central Italic society through a remote sensing archaeological survey at the ancient Etruscan city of Doganella. The primary focus of this project will be the completion of two 5 ha survey transects, in the northern… read more about Congratulations to current graduate student, Antonio LoPiano »
Congratulations to recent PhD alumnus Nick Winters (2020, Josh Sosin advising) on his appointment as Assistant Professor of Classics in the Department of Classics at Northwestern University (tenure track). Nick will take up this position in the Fall of 2023 after spending a year as an NEH fellow at the American School for Classical Studies at Athens doing research for his first book on Greek mathematics. Nick's research is a revision of the history of Greek mathematics, which reveals the existence of… read more about Congratulations to PhD alum Nick Winters! »
Congratulations to our graduate student, Tara Wells, who has been recognized by a number of prestigious awards this year! She is the recipient of the Rudolph Mansciantonio Diversity Award from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. She was also awarded an Excavation and Field School Award from the same society in support of her study of the restoration and analysis of archaeological ceramics at the San Gemini Preservation Studies Program. On top of these awards, Tara ALSO won Eta Sigma Phi's Brent… read more about Congratulations to Tara Wells! »
Congratulations to DOCTOR Tori Lee who defended her dissertation, "Violent by Nature: Danger and Darkness in the Pastoral World." Tori's dissertation challenges the scholarly idea that pastoral literature is an idyllic utopia, arguing instead that danger and violence are innate to the landscape. When we view pastoral through fresh eyes—from a woman’s perspective, for example, or with a critical approach to the scholarly tradition--we see that ancient pastoral literature constructs an environment of continuous violation for… read more about Congratulations to DOCTOR Tori Lee »
A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include two Classical Studies courses this fall: “The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life’s Ultimate Concerns” (CLST 210) and “Medicine and Human Flourishing” (CLST 214). The two courses are part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “The Good Life” – taught by… read more about Classical Studies Courses Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »
The Cambridge Companion to Cicero's Philosophy, edited by Jed W. Atkins and Thomas Bénatouïl, is now available. This Companion introduces readers to 'Cicero the philosopher' and to his philosophical writings. It provides a handy port-of-call for those interested in Cicero's original contributions to a wide variety of topics such as epistemology, the emotions, determinism and responsibility, cosmopolitanism, republicanism, philosophical translation, dialogue, aging, friendship, and more. The international, interdisciplinary… read more about The Cambridge Companion to Cicero's Philosophy »
Lauren Ginsberg, an associate professor of classical studies and theater studies at Duke, contributed to a new opera that debuted in November 2021 in Vienna. The opera, by composer Michael Hersch with libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, tells the story of Roman Emperor Nero’s second wife, Poppaea, and her complicated legacy. Ginsberg was commissioned to write an accompanying essay about the history of Poppaea and about the different ways she has been depicted by historians and… read more about Lauren Ginsberg Contributes Story to Hersch's Poppaea »
Lauren Ginsberg, an associate professor of classical studies and theater studies at Duke, contributed to a new opera that debuted in November 2021 in Vienna. The opera, by composer Michael Hersch with libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, tells the story of Roman Emperor Nero’s second wife, Poppaea, and her complicated legacy. Ginsberg was commissioned to write an accompanying essay about the history of Poppaea and about the different ways she has been depicted by historians and playwrights. She was also… read more about Classics Professor Contributes to New Opera »
Undergraduates enrolled in Prof. Jiménez’s Principles of Archaeology (CLST 144) visited Geer Cemetery on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in the context of the project "Durham Black Burial Grounds Collaboratory", funded through the Duke Endowment to study “Reckoning with Race, Racism, and the History of the American South” (https://facultyadvancement.duke.edu/new-faculty-research-explore-race-south-diverse-angles). Students learned about the segregation of cemeteries, Durham’s African American community, funerary monuments, and how… read more about The Durham Black Burial Grounds Collaboratory »
Congrats to Clinton Kinkade for successfully defending his dissertation yesterday! His dissertation title was Sophocles’ Ancient Readers: The Role of Ancient Scholarship in the Reception of Greek Tragedy. read more about Clinton Kinkade successfully defends his dissertation »
A new program for Duke sophomores – which launches in Spring 2022 – will include two Classical Studies courses: “The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life’s Ultimate Concerns” (CLST 210) and “Medicine and Human Flourishing” (CLST 214). The two courses are part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “The Good Life” – taught by instructors from… read more about Classical Studies Courses Among New “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »
“It was definitely not what you sign up for when you decide to go to graduate school.” In August 2020, when many were adapting to new work patterns enforced by COVID-19, Danielle Vander Horst and more than 400 other new graduate students were beginning their journeys toward a Duke Ph.D. Their first year was unlike that of any other cohort. No welcome social. No bumping into lab mates in the hallway. No finding new restaurants in a new town. “You sign up for the department, you… read more about In 2021, the 2020 Ph.D. Cohort Finally Experienced Duke in Person »
Thanks to generous funding from the department this summer, I was able to continue my participation in the Vulci 3000 Archaeological Project as a Trench Supervisor, under the supervision of Prof. Maurizio Forte. It always a thrill to be a part of such an important project and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the department and our generous donors. Gaining excavation experience is always critical at this stage of my career and the excavations at Vulci are constantly turning up exciting new discoveries. These… read more about Antonio LoPiano: Vulci 3000 Archaeological Project »
I am indebted to the department’s generous funding which allowed me to join the Vulci 3000 Archaeological Project this summer with Professor Maurizio Forte. Never having been to Vulci before, this was an invaluable experience in adding to my professional skills in the field. Every project and site are run differently based on the research questions and methodologies in use, so having the chance to join the Vulci team and learn more about the research project itself as well as the unique combination of digital tools at the… read more about Dani Vander Horst: Vulci 3000 Archaeological Project »