Join us online for the live webcast, available at rtsp://stream.chs.harvard.edu/HouseA and viewable with VLC, RealPlayer, or Quicktime.

All times below are Eastern Daylight Time. The titles of the presentations are subject to change. The abstracts are available on the Sunoikisis website. The students’ papers and videos of their presentations will be available afterward.

Session 1, 11:00 am

“Interpreting the VMFA’s Düver Terracottas”
Janelle Sadarananda, University of Richmond

“An Osteological and Historical Study of Three Roman Funerary Urns at the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum Collection”
Monika Lay, Johns Hopkins University

“Matriarchal Marketing: The Emperor, The Empress, and The Army”
Jenni Royce, University of South Florida

“Faction Politics and the Transfer of Power at the Accession of Marcian (450 C.E.)”
Walter Beers, University of Richmond

Session 2, 2:00 pm

“Nothing in Excess: Religious Moderation in Euripides’ Bacchae”
Kristen Roper, College of William and Mary

“Dike, and the Lack of It: The Roles of the Erinyes and of Apollo in the House of Laius and the House of Atreus in the Tragic Plays of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles”
Sarah Choudhury, Harvard University

“Harming Your Friends to Harm Your Enemies: Reading Achilles in Euripides’ Medea”
Florencia Foxley, Haverford College

“Narrative Structure in Pliny’s Epistulae: Letter 9.14 and the amicitia-arc”
Rachel Thomas, Ohio University

“Faction politics and the transfer of power at the Accession of Marcian (450 C.E.)”

Walter Beers, University of Richmond

Following the death of Theodosius II in 450, an undistinguished military tribune, Marcian, was elevated as his successor. The strange circumstances surrounding Theodosius’ death and Marcian’s rise to power have not received as much attention as they deserve, given their concurrence with the climax of the most divisive theological conflict of the 4th-5th centuries, the miaphysite controversy. Building on previous scholarship on Marcian’s accession (notably the work of Richard Burgess and Kenneth Holum) and adding insights derived from careful examination of available prosopographical data, this paper attempts to make a comprehensive reconstruction of the factional loyalties of civil, military, and ecclesiastical power-players in the decade leading up to Marcian’s accession. I argue that data suggest that a major defeat of imperial forces by the Huns in 447 precipitated the downfall of a powerful faction of Gothic generals who had dominated the imperial military hierarchy since early in Theodosius’ reign. The resulting power vacuum was filled by Zeno, an Isaurian warlord, but Zeno was soon in open revolt against the emperor. Simultaneously, the wholesale victory, with imperial support, of the miaphysite Alexandrian faction over its dyophysite Constantinopolitan rivals at the second Council of Ephesus (449) produced a faction of disgruntled dyophysites likely led by Theodosius’ estranged sister, Pulcheria. Cooperation between the dyophysites, the Goths, and Zeno, I conclude, resulted in the choice of Marcian as emperor and, ultimately, the divisive Council of Chalcedon (451) and the rise of the warlord emperors of the later 5th century.

“Dike, and the lack of it: The roles of the Erinyes and of Apollo in the House of Laius and the House of Atreus in the tragic plays of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles”

Sarah Chouhudry, Harvard University

The Furies, in Aeschylus’ trilogy are often perceived as a representation of an excessive and rather vindictive form of justice. Their focus on blood crimes (i.e. matricide and patricide) seems to further reinforce this idea. There is an implicit expectation of complete obedience from children to their parents, and in terms of the broader picture this is seen to be parallel to the perspective of the older generation of gods (Furies, Titans, Moirae) in contrast to the younger generation of gods (Olympian gods, like Apollo and Athena). The trial of Orestes, and his subsequent acquittal at the trial moderated and judged by Apollo and Athena in the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides are understood as a superior form of justice through the court system, which supersedes the primitive, vengeful form of justice dealt by the Erinyes.

In this paper, I argue that this demarcation is not as clear, and that, moreover, it is the Erinyes who show restraint, display awareness of the lack of evil intention of the guilty person, uphold justice and bring kleos to one who would by common understanding appear to be ineligible (i.e. Oedipus, who had committed patricide and incest, but is buried at Colonus). On the flip side, Apollo goads Orestes into matricide, misleads Oedipus into murdering Laius, and uses sophistry to conclude the trial in Orestes’ favour. From this I conclude that many of Apollo’s disturbing actions go unnoticed, and that the Erinyes are scapegoated by the gods and humans alike.

“Harming your friends to harm your enemies: Reading Achilles in Euripides’ Medea”

Florencia Foxley, Haverford College

Medea’s identity as a heroic figure in Euripides’ eponymous play is critical to understanding her act of infanticide because of how does not conflict with, but interacts with her identity as a mother. This paper argues that heroic identity in Medea is one in which a hero causes pain to himself, his friends, and his enemies—reaching back to an older heroic ideal evident in Achilles of Homer’s Iliad. I begin setting up the similarities between Achilles and Medea by exploring the number of verbal echoes between similes describing each of these heroes. I then move onto Professor Nagy’s explanation of Achilles’ ties of philia to Patroclus and the other Achaeans in The Best of the Achaeans is central to the development of my argument that similar ties of philia, in which the hero figure ends up responsible, directly or indirectly, for the death of the person most dear to him, exist and are an essential driving force to the plot of Medea. I closely examine the usage of the word φίλτατος in the Iliad and in Medea, providing convincing evidence that Medea’s relationship with her children is akin to that of Achilles and Patroclus. Although the trajectory of how Achilles and Medea harm those dearest to them differs, I believe that understanding the parallels of these relationships explains how an act of infanticide fulfills the definition of a hero elucidated above and offers a new and compelling way of interpreting a mother’s decision to murder her children.

“An osteological and historical study of three Roman funerary urns at the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum Collection”

Monika Lay, Johns Hopkins

There are three Roman funerary urns on display at the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum which would benefit from further study. With the help of people in many disciplines and fields, I hope to gather more information on the context and history of the urns and the remains that they hold. More research was done on the history of how the artifacts came into the museum collection. Also, a comparison of the decorations and inscriptions on the urns to those of comparable museum collections was be done in an attempt to date them. Osteological research was done with the advice of Dr. Valerie DeLeon, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions with the Functional Anatomy and Evolution Department. As part of this study, the minimum number of individuals (MNI) present in each compartment of each urn was calculated. An inventory of the identifiable bones was made, and any visible pathologies were noted. I also tried to determine the sex and approximate age of the individuals. The weights of the remains were taken as additional data, to corroborate the MNI and the sex determination results. Hopefully, careful analysis of the bones will help us learn about the lives and burial practices of the Romans and more knowledge will help ensure that the remains are housed in a safe and appropriate manner.

“Nothing in excess: Religious Moderation in Euripides’ Bacchae”

Kristen Roper, College of William and Mary

In the Bacchae, Euripides uses the chorus to highlight the importance of religious moderation by providing the audience with three distinct examples of ritual worship in Pentheus, Agave and the Theban women, and the chorus of Lydian women. Pentheus’ lack of religious worship and Agave’s overindulgence demonstrate religious immoderation. Euripides establishes Pentheus’ impiety through violence, which leads to the king’s insanity (618-20, 629-30). Likewise, Agave reveals her overzealous worship with impious sacrificial practices (740-9, 1120-36). Although Dionysus forced his madness upon the Theban women it is their actions that indicate their impiety, not the madness itself. In contrast, the chorus displays religious moderation by asking Dionysus for assistance against Pentheus’ uncontrolled rage (1020-3, 1034-5) while disapproving of Agave’s infanticide (1160-2). The religious moderation of the chorus indicates their recognition of naturally occurring dualities innate in Dionysus and his ritual practices (656, 860-1, 1190-1). Although Euripides makes it clear that the mastery of these naturally occurring dualities as well as knowledge of τό σοφόν is unattainable for mankind (200-3), it nevertheless remains a worthwhile goal that pious individuals should seek to comprehend as demonstrated by the chorus (1004-10; contra. Reynolds-Warnhoff 1997). In this fashion, Euripides allows his audience to witness the destructive power of impious ritual worship through Agave and Pentheus while simultaneously emphasizing the chorus as the paradigm of ritual piety.

“Matriarchal Marketing: The Emperor, The Empress, and The Army”

Jenni Royce, University of South Florida

During the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE), his wife Julia Domna received the title of Mater Castrorum, or Mother of the Camp. Although this title suggests that the Empress had a close relationship to the Roman military, recent research has found that it was issued by the Imperial administration and that it was minted onto coins that were distributed to civilian populations not the military. This led to the conclusion that the idea of the Empress being close to the military was a way for the Imperial family to convince civilians that they had the backing of the military and thus gain their support.

My research investigates the continued use of this title following the deaths of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. I examined Roman coinage and inscriptions to determine whether the title was used in the same way for later empresses. I found that unlike with Julia Domna, the title is not found on any published coins. Instead it is found solely in inscriptions, used not only by the imperial administration but by Roman provincials and the military. This means that later emperors used the Mater Castrorum title to strengthen the bond between themselves and the military.

“Interpreting the VMFA’s Düver Terracottas”

Janelle Sadarananda, University of Richmond

In the seventh century BCE, the Greeks at Corinth invented a system of roofing that used terracotta tiles. This technology quickly spread across the Mediterranean world to Asia Minor. During the sixth century BCE at Düver, a city in central Anatolia, a set of terracotta plaques painted with lively and engaging decoration adorned two buildings of unknown function. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) purchased a set of terracottas from Düver in 1978. This set includes fifteen figural plaques made from identical molds, each featuring a horse, rider, and griffin. Though the figures are molded identically, each plaque is individually and uniquely painted. The influence of artistic styles from East Greece, Lydia, and the Achaemenid Empire is clearly evident in the decorative details of the plaques. East Greek pottery styles including Wild Goat, Chian, and Klazomenian, which were adopted and adapted in Lydian art and conveyed to central Anatolia, influenced the composition of the terracottas and their painted decoration. Other details, like the dress of the riders, the wings of the griffins, and the triskeles symbols on the hindquarters of the horses, represent an appropriation and blending of artistic styles. The form and tack of the horses has parallels in Lydian art, while the details of the griffins combine Eastern and Western features. Overall, the figural plaques in the VMFA’s collection of architectural terracottas from Düver represent art that looks very Lydian in a Phrygian context. Further analysis of the cultural influences that shaped the decoration of these terracottas reveals that their artists were familiar with a variety of styles from East and West, but the creative and innovative combination of these artistic styles is entirely Anatolian.

“Narrative Structure in Pliny’s Epistulae: Letter 9.14 and the amicitia-arc”

Rachel Thomas, Ohio University

The overarching narrative structure in Pliny’s Epistulae demonstrates a clear, deliberate decision with respect to book themes and letter placement in a way akin to a work of fiction. Letters first appearing in Book 1 are doubled in Book 9, often sent to the same recipients. Prominent among these is Tacitus, a studiosus like Pliny, to whom more letters are addressed than any other individual. In spite of this, letter 9.14, the last letter addressed to him, is often overlooked in modern scholarship. A close examination, however, reveals not only Pliny’s final farewell to Tacitus in the Epistulae, but also his artistry in treating the Epistulae as a distinct literary unit with a logical ending.

By comparing prior letters sent to and about Tacitus, it becomes clear that while certain letters are doublets, 9.14 is an endpiece to an entire class of letters. A brief examination of its commonalities with the amicitia-literature of Seneca and Cicero shows that thematic ties bind the letter closely to a preexisting tradition. Further, its position within the narrative arc of the Epistulae contributes to our understanding of its function.

Through these methods, I argue that it is, in fact, a vital mechanism within the narrative framework of the Epistulae, serving to punctuate the innovation of Pliny’s design and his constructed ideal amicitia with Tacitus. As a result, a brief analysis of a short letter gives insight not only into the author, but also into the practice and function of literary exchange among studiosi.

This summer the Erasmus Academy is offering intensive, 8-week “rapid reading” courses in French, German, Spanish, classical Latin, classical Greek, Biblical Hebrew, NT Greek, and Mandarin Chinese. These are designed for graduate and college students in all areas of the arts and sciences who are preparing for language proficiency exams in master and doctoral programs, or who need to learn a language for research purposes. The focus is on reading and translation. The classes presume no knowledge of the language and cover the equivalent of a college year of instruction in eight weeks. Upon completion of the course, the students should be in a position to pass a proficiency exam and to read scholarly prose in the language.

Description | Syllabus | Enrollment Form [PDFs]

When: May 20 – July 11, 2013

Application Deadline: May 10, 2013

Objective: to reach an intermediate reading level in the language.

Requirements: No previous language knowledge required. To participate, students must have internet access.

Time commitment: 30 hrs/week, presuming 4 hours of outside preparation for every hour in class.
48 hours of instruction approximate 4 semester hours.

Course Fee: $800.00

See the Erasmus Academy website for more information.

June 9-11, 2013
Greek Lyric Poetry with Professor Gregory Nagy (Harvard University)

June 13, 2013
Common day session for all seminar participants 

June 14-16, 2013
Latin Literature from the Early Republic with Professor Niall W. Slater (Emory University)

Participation in each seminar will be limited to ten faculty members. The application deadline is April 1, 2013, and the seminar will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with the following priorities:

1. Those who will be offering the course for undergraduates at their institutions in the fall of 2013 will receive first priority.
2. Second priority will go to new faculty members, i.e., those who are emerging from graduate programs to take up their first teaching posts.
3. Those who have never attended a seminar sponsored by Sunoikisis will receive third priority.

Seminar participants or their sponsoring institutions will be responsible for the costs of travel to and from the CHS. All participants will receive a stipend of $500 and room and board at the CHS.

The CHS will stream and record the course development seminars. In addition to completing the seminar application, applicants should also complete the media release form.

The CHS is collaborating with Sunoikisis to offer scholarships for 2 Harvard students and 1 Sunoikisis student for the archaeological school at Kenchreai, the port of Corinth.  The scholarship will cover the cost of the program and will provide each student with a $1500.00 stipend to offset the costs of travel and incidentals.

DATES: June 4-July 1, 2013

DEADLINE: March 1, 2013

During the Roman Empire, Kenchreai, the port of the great city of Corinth on the Aegean Sea, was one of the busiest harbors in southeastern Europe. Frequent ships arrived from distant lands bringing travelers of diverse backgrounds and a bountiful cargo of wine, spices, marble, and exotic wares. Kenchreai flourished as a port where Greeks, Romans, and eastern immigrants lived together in prosperity. Their deities came from all over the ancient world. The community possessed not only one of the most famous mystery-cults of the Egyptian goddess Isis but also one of the oldest Christian congregations in Greece, nurtured by St. Paul. Roman Kenchreai was thus a place of vibrant pluralism: native and foreign, rich and poor, pagan and Christian.

About the Program

This four-week summer program introduces students to the archaeology, history and culture of Greece through participation in a field school and accompanying seminars and excursions. The Kenchreai Excavations, directed by Professor Joe Rife, provide a unique opportunity to learn about the past first-hand at one of Greece’s most spectacular seaside archaeological sites. During the 2013 season participants will learn about data analysis, artifact processing, and conservation, in addition to architectural survey and stratigraphic documentation, all important components in archaeological fieldwork. Students will also attend a series of seminars by leading experts in several fields, from ancient religion to biological anthropology, and they will join excursions to major sites and museums in the region, such as Corinth, Perachora, Mycenae, Nemea, Epidauros, and Nafplion. The excavation team stays at a family-run boarding house in Archaia Korinthos, on the site of ancient Corinth, where we enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside and the easy rhythms of a traditional village community.

Application

students interested in applying should

• fill out the online application, and
• include in the application contact information for two recommenders* and
• include a PDF attachment of an electronic copy of his/her transcript.**

*We ask that you provide us with the contact information for two faculty members who can speak to your academic work and evaluate your plans for participating in the internship program. If you cannot supply the contact information for two faculty members, please provide information for high school teachers, employers, or mentors who know you well. We will contact them directly about their recommendations.

**Application attachments MUST be in PDF format or they will not go through the system.

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 1, 2013.

Eligibility

Currently the CHS is collaborating with Sunoikisis in support of the archaeological fieldwork in Kenchreai.

Concentrators from any field may apply. The only requirements are intellectual curiosity and a readiness to engage directly with other cultures. Knowledge of either ancient or modern Greek is welcome but not required. Only current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply and participate.

Students who have participated in CHS programs in the past are eligible to apply. However, students who have never participated in a CHS program will have priority.

Contact

If you have any questions about the program or the application process, please contact us via Contact page.

11:00 am, Session 1

“From ‘Oedipus’ to ‘Incendies’”
Erin Williams, Howard University

“Battle Sarcophagi in Ancient Rome: An Explanation for the Visual Differences Present in the Alexander, Portonaccio, Achilles and Penthesilea, and Ludovisi Sarcophagi”
Amelia Eichengreen, Bryn Mawr College

“The Iconography of a Pseudo-Panathenaic Amphora by the Nikoxenos Painter”
Robert Miller, The University of Mississippi

“The Bridge from Heaven to Helen: Reconciling the Divine and Human Forms of Helen”
William Shrout, Trinity University

2:00 pm, Session 2

“Laughing at the Present: An Examination of Nostalgia in Aristophanes’ Frogs”
Brian Credo, University of Notre Dame

“Social Responses to Female Agricultural Ritual and ‘Aischrologia’”
Erik Shell, University of Maryland – College Park

“A Reexamination of Demosthenes’ Opposition to the Macedonians”
Gregory Callaghan, College of William & Mary

“Fantasy over Fact: An Inquiry into The Greek Alexander Romance and the Role of Memory”
Audrey Lorberfeld, Reed College

4:00 pm, Session 3: Research on manuscripts of the Homer Multitext project

“How were the physical pages of a manuscript produced and bound?  Identifying quire divisions in three unpublished manuscripts”
Melissa Browne, Holy Cross
Stephanie Lindeborg, Holy Cross

“How were text and commentary organized and laid out?  Examples from the Venetus A manuscript”
Sean Bonawitz, Furman University
Nikolas Churik, Holy Cross

“Further examples from Escorial Upsilon 1.1”
Brian Clark, Holy Cross
Becky Musgrave, Holy Cross

“How were scholarly notes, or scholia, edited?  Sources and working methods of the Venetus A scholiast”
Matt Angiollilo, Holy Cross
Tom Arralde, Holy Cross

The first several weeks of the Sunoikisis Course on Homeric Poetry have been a whirlwind. Students have been working through Books 3 and 6 of the Iliad at their home institutions and covering a wide range of topics through the online weekly common sessions.

During our first common session, Dr. Scott Garner of Rhodes College taught the twenty-two students about Oral Tradition by having us examine The Wedding of Mustajbey’s Son Becirbey, a poem from the South Slavic tradition. Dr. Garner explained the basic tenets of the theory of Oral Tradition, noting the research done by Milman Parry and Albert Lord in Yugoslavia in the 1930s.

Our second common session was led by Professor Joe Romero from the University of Mary Washington and focused on Type-Scenes in the Iliad. With specific attention to Prayer Type-Scenes, we looked at Chryses’ prayer to Apollo in Book 1 as well as a few other prayers in the Iliad.

Week three featured a common session on Narratology, taught by Professor David Carlisle of Cornell College. Professor Carlisle took us through the various levels of narration, touching on aspects such as story and closure, and helping us understand the complex ways in which stories are put together.

In our next common session, Professor Hal Haskell from Southwestern university taught us about the Historicity of the Trojan War and the Iliad, referencing Heinrich Schliemann’s research and teaching us that even when research may not be correct, the ideas behind it can still be valuable.

Professor Arum Park from Brigham Young University led the fifth common session, which focused on Homeric Economy. Based on the premise that economy must be understood in the terms and context of a given culture and society, Professor Park had us discuss the practice of Reciprocity in the Iliad.

In the final common session before the midterm week, Professor Nigel Nicholson of Reed College taught us about Genre, and specifically the genre of Epic. Professor Nicholson had students compare and contrast the Iliad with Proclus’ summaries of the Cypria and the Aethiopis and explained that genre is based on relationships between texts as well as on politics and ideologies.

As we continue to learn about the different lenses through which the Iliad may be understood, I will keep everyone updated about our progress. Thanks for reading!

During our first Common Session for Medieval Latin, Professor Sarah Bond of Marquette University gave us a detailed historical overview of the Roman Empire from 753 BCE to 565 CE in preparation for our discussion of Eutropius’ History.

Professor Kristina Meinking from Elon University led the second Common Session and discussed Jerome’s Vulgate and letters. Professor Meinking gave us a glimpse into 3^rd and 4^th century intellectual culture. She discussed the significance and implications of the Vulgate and introduced one of the course’s themes: the relationship between Classical and Christian texts.

The next week featured a discussion led by Professor Curtis Dozier of Vassar College concerning Augustine’s Confessions and De Doctrina Christiana. Students continued to examine the relationship between Classical and Christian texts as addressed by Augustine, and learned a lot about education in Late Antiquity through Augustine’s own example.

The Common Session for Week Four was led by Professor Hal Haskell of Southwestern University and focused on the art and architecture of Christian Rome, and the appropriation of Classical art for Christian purposes. In considering the city of Rome as a text, this added to our theme of Christian versus Classical and continued to build the context for many of our readings.

Professor Lindsay Samson of Agnes Scott College led our fifth Common Session, which featured a discussion on Allegory based on our readings from Prudentius’ Psychomachia and Boethius Consolatio Philosophiae. We considered ancient and modern examples of allegory and learned how to apply various levels of allegory to different texts.

As our tour through the literature and culture of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages continues, I will keep everyone updated about the course of study. Thanks for reading!

Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens by Abigail Emmert

Thinking back on my time in Greece – my first trip ever out of the US  -  I can’t imagine not having this experience when I did. The opportunity to participate in Sunoikisis’s J-Term had appeared out of nowhere, and I applied because I just had a feeling that this was the kind of trip that would take my classical studies learning to the next level. After getting settled in at Chania, our whirlwind journey through the worlds of the ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans began. In Chania, we saw the Master Impression seal – something that would end up setting the tone for the rest of our trip. Wherever else we went, Prof. Nagy would refer back to the seal and we always found ways to link the ideas shown in that one seal to what we were seeing at the site.

We learned gradually through Prof. Nagy and Prof. Morrell to make our own connections, to foster an active mind that was always ready to notice the small details that might connect various artifacts or sites. That opportunity to make connections is the thing that I loved about this trip, why this J-Term experience was completely different from any other that I might have had and why it was the best experience of my education to this day. Classroom readings and studies can do only so much, but the opportunities this trip offered brought something more to my study of classics. We climbed the main staircase at Knossos, walked the causeway at Phaistos, and picked olives on the hike up to the Menelaion. We ran a race at the Nimean stadium and meandered among the korai at the Acropolis museum, imagining the times when they were created. We were encouraged to think about the ancient world of which we were getting glimpses in terms of classical texts; we often surprised ourselves with how much we could recreate those ancient empires just from the texts we studied and the sites we saw.

During the final week of my trip, I wrote in my travel journal, “After spending time today with some of the world’s leading scholars on classics, I know that even as I’m taking in so much, I also see more of what I don’t know. But it also makes me see where I want to go and what I want to do. I’m afraid of going back for fear that I will lose this all – I can’t do that. It’s so open here – I feel ready and fresh to learn, expanding with each conversation. I challenge myself to keep this alive.” This trip created new challenges for me as a student and new ideas for me as a person; I look forward to returning someday to continue the learning that was sparked by this one J-Term.

Abby on far right with other J-term participants.