Papers by Vasileios Balaskas
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 2025
In the 1870s, Heinrich Schliemann's excavations in Mycenae brought to light an unknown civilizati... more In the 1870s, Heinrich Schliemann's excavations in Mycenae brought to light an unknown civilization. His intellectual network exploited the impact of these fascinating discoveries by implementing a double appropriation process. Many foreign intellectuals and members of the upper class sought to engage with the impressive findings. Meanwhile, a Greek intellectual elite played a pivotal role by Hellenizing Mycenaean antiquities to integrate them within a vision of a glorious national past. These processes were brought together with the inauguration of the branch of Mycenaean Archaeology by the Greek king and the establishment of the National Museum.
New Voices in Classical Reception Studies 14, 1-18, 2024
In this article, I focus on Iannis Xenakis’ relationship with ancient tragedy and archaic myth.Th... more In this article, I focus on Iannis Xenakis’ relationship with ancient tragedy and archaic myth.The way he experienced Greek antiquity played a decisive role in his artistic development and often implicitly determined the nature of many of his compositions. The combination of the antique and scientific thought contributed to the internal unity and originality of his music.To explore such interconnections, I examine his powerful engagement with the revival of ancient tragedy in Greece and the sociopolitical realities that influenced his spectacles.Xenakis’ perception of the work of art and the time/space relationship occupied a significant place in his involvement with archaic myth. In addition, his political identification and his puzzling relationship with the Greek Left were crucial to his artistic expression. To analyse Xenakis’ contributions to the revival of the archaic character of ancient tragedy, I study his spectacles at archaeological sites in Greece from 1964 to 1978. Since Xenakis regarded archaic culture as a ‘universal’ expression of art, his compositions, including The Suppliants(1964) and Helen (1977), were imbued with utopian qualities. Hence, his perception of the archaic element as an integral artistic expression determined the innovative character of his music. This holistic perception mainly characterised his project Polytope of Mycenae (1978), epitomising his exploration and reinvention of a universal archaicity.
En Busca del Tiempo y del Espacio: Ucronías y Utopías desde la Antigüedad hasta la Actualidad, edited by Alberto Jesús Quiroga Puertas and Ángeles Jiménez-Higueras, 145-162, 2024
En Relatos Verídicos e Icaromenipo, Luciano se erige como precursor de la ciencia ficción moderna... more En Relatos Verídicos e Icaromenipo, Luciano se erige como precursor de la ciencia ficción moderna al plantear el viaje a la luna como tema literario. Aunque Luciano relata estas expediciones dentro de obras con un objetivo satírico, abunda, sin embargo, en dos tópicos que permanecen en la tradición posterior: la fascinación por la exploración espacial y la idea de colonización de los cuerpos celestes. Ambos asuntos están presentes en la proto-ciencia ficción del siglo XIX en autores como Julio Verne y su novela De la Terre à la Lune (1865) que, además, inicia el argumento planteando un contrafactual. En el presente trabajo nos ocupamos precisamente de la tradición de estos dos tópicos narrativos en los relatos sobre viajes a la luna que parten de una desviación en el curso de la historia. Para ello, con Luciano como precedente, tomamos como objeto de estudio la citada novela de Verne y la serie de televisión For All Mankind (2019) creada por Ronald D. Moore, que dramatiza una historia alternativa de la carrera espacial entre los Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética, en la que son los soviéticos los primeros en llevar a un hombre a la luna. Este argumento ofrece a la serie la oportunidad de repensar la evolución tecnológica y social estableciendo un diálogo constante con la realidad histórica.
Prólogo, Eurípides Bacantes, Textos Clásicos, Gredos, 7-30, 2024
El dios Dioniso ha adoptado forma humana para desplazarse a Tebas, su ciudad natal, donde existe ... more El dios Dioniso ha adoptado forma humana para desplazarse a Tebas, su ciudad natal, donde existe una fuerte oposición a rendirle culto. Ha arrastrado a un grupo de mujeres a seguirle incondicionalmente, pero el rey Penteo está dispuesto a acabar con ello. Sin embargo, Dioniso, ambiguo y contradictorio, no es como los demás dioses.
Eurípides (480 a. C. - 406 a. C.) escribió esta compleja y poliédrica obra al final de su vida, cuando, decepcionado por las consecuencias que la Guerra del Peloponeso estaba acarreando a Atenas, se mudó a Macedonia. El resultado es una tragedia que solo se representó póstumamente y que, gracias al carácter de Dioniso, plantea un enconado debate entre la ley humana y el culto religioso, entre el orden racional y el irracional, entre la autoridad civilizada y el desenfreno orgiástico.
Journal of Greek Media & Culture 10.1, 17–33, 2024
During the early post-war period, American economic intervention in Greece played a central role ... more During the early post-war period, American economic intervention in Greece played a central role in transforming the country’s classical past into a modern tourist asset. As a result, Greek institutions and investors used ancient monuments to create the necessary infrastructure for the emerging tourist movement.The Greek monarchy actively participated in this modernization process by engaging in cultural experiences, which aimed to transform Greek heritage into a desirable tourist product for the western camp during the Cold War period. The Greek monarchy was at the centre of this sociocultural development engaging with the nationalist reflexes of Greek society. By embracing the discourse of ethnikofrosyni (‘national mindedness’), King Paul of Greece (1947–64) and Queen Frederica provided royal sanction for the nationalist uses of classical antiquities and Greece as a lieu de mémoire that could offer an exceptional experience to visitors. To strengthen these assertions, Paul assumed the role of the archaeologist and tour guide, showcasing the cosmopolitan allure Greek antiquities radiated and presenting Greece as a fashionable and appealing tourist destination. This article argues that the Greek monarchs’ intervention in the archaeological excavations at Mycenae (1952), as well as the royal cruise around Greek islands and monuments (1954) reflected the sociopolitical developments of the period and the monarchs’ engagement with the country’s cultural affairs.
Classical Receptions Journal 16.3, 297–316, 2024
Performing classical drama at ancient venues in interwar Greece reflected the socio-cultural cont... more Performing classical drama at ancient venues in interwar Greece reflected the socio-cultural context of the time. The development of archaeological tourism and the perception of classical monuments as heterotopic spaces created particular political and ideological needs. Until the mid-1930s, private theatre companies and individual artists reused classical venues such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the theatre of Epidaurus to stage productions that gradually attracted local, national, and international attention. But by 1936, the National Theatre began exploiting the socio-political potential of ancient theatres and classical drama festivals and state-sponsored productions dominated the Greek theatrical stage. During this period, the claims of exclusivity on the part of the National Theatre and the National Conservatoire defined their competition with private companies and shaped the course of the revival of classical drama in twentieth-century Greece.
Neste lugar, a sagrada Hélade salvámos: Homenagem a Luísa de Nazaré Ferreira, edited by Carmen Soares, Marta González González and Nuno Simões Rodrigues, 245-261, 2024
The Greek victory at the battle of Salamis has acquired a symbolic significance in modern Greek n... more The Greek victory at the battle of Salamis has acquired a symbolic significance in modern Greek national discourse. In the post-war period (1950-1974), commemorative ceremonies of the battle exalted the glory of the Greek military past and turned Salamis into a representation of the combative virtues of the nation. When a dictatorial regime came in power in 1967, it imposed its militaristic identity by re-appropriating and re-enacting the battle of Salamis as a patriotic symbol of martial victories. As these events were held within the anti-communist discourse of ethnikofrosyni (national-mindedness), they propagated a nationalist rhetoric that distinguished a civilized self from communist barbarism.
AURA 6, 2023
Following the European Recovery Program and the Greek tourist model introduced by the United Stat... more Following the European Recovery Program and the Greek tourist model introduced by the United States of America, the Greek National Tourism Organization encouraged the celebration of artistic events at ancient theaters that would attract external attention. Multiple events across the country created a new tourist market that would contribute to international propaganda and the reconstruction of the Greek economy. At the same time, they would serve the nationalistic ideals of early postwar Greece and satisfy American policy. In this sense, the celebration of the Homecoming Year, a cultural and sociopolitical event that the Greek state organized in 1951 to tighten the link between Greek American diaspora and the 'homeland', shaped this artistic tradition. Theatrical productions organized at the theater of Epidaurus, Delphi and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus reflected the 'theatrical fervor' that the emergence of mass tourism had generated. The interest of renowned theatrical directors in performing at ancient venues during this period showcased their attempt to dominate the theatrical stage and displayed the phenomenon of 'festivalism'. However, it was the National Theater that would eventually absorb some of these artists and would dominate the Greek theatrical stage since 1954, producing large-scale productions at the main ancient theaters.
Fascism: Journal of Comparative Fascist Studies 12.2, 254–278, 2023
Based on fresh archival research this article examines the exchange of Romanizing statuary betwee... more Based on fresh archival research this article examines the exchange of Romanizing statuary between Italy and Spain during the ventennio fascista. Between 1933 and 1943, Italy and Spain exchanged copies of Roman statues as symbolic gestures, to substantiate their claims to a shared classical heritage of ‘imperial greatness’. Using press reports and documentary film excerpts the article reconstructs public events that took place in Merida, Tarragona, Palma, and Zaragoza and assesses their impact. Behind these exchanges, and public ceremonies staged on their occasion, lay the Fascist concept of romanità: an archaeologically and aesthetically charged discourse placing Late-Republican and Early-Imperial Roman heritage in the epicentre of Fascist identity politics. Through improvised public performances of romanità, classical materialities,monumental as well as spatial, were imbued with Fascist dynamics, as the past turned into the present and projected into the future. Through individual and collective performance these ceremonies embodied a primeval Fascist ideal that appeared at once spectacular and modern.
Roman Identity and Contemporaneity, edited by Nuno Simões Rodrigues and Ália Rodrigues, 353-373, 2023
The classical tradition was gradually introduced to the Spanish public as away to reach European ... more The classical tradition was gradually introduced to the Spanish public as away to reach European modernity since the late 19th century. By popularizing Roman texts and monuments, Spanish intellectuals and national institutions established a national archive of heritage that could serve socio-cultural demands. At the same time,state intervention in the revival of classical drama shaped the reception of antiquity and conditioned its socio-political scope. In this article, I analyze how Spanish institutions and political representatives exploited classical heritage and produced the first ancient drama productions at Roman venues in the 1930s as socio-political statements.By engaging with archival material and historical sources, I explore the different reuses of these monuments and the afterlife of productions organized there. Finally, during Franco’s regime and the rise of the Falange until the mid-1940s, their appropriation to display power consolidated its significance as an ideological and political apparatus of the Spanish state.
Journal of Modern Greek Studies 41.1, 55-83, 2023
During the first two years of the Occupation of Greece by the Axis powers (1941–1942), the Odeon ... more During the first two years of the Occupation of Greece by the Axis powers (1941–1942), the Odeon of Herodes Atticus had a symbolic place within fascist ideology. Legislative reform and a cultural revival of the ancient monument played a crucial role in the artistic expression of the occupying forces. Productions of Greek companies were tightly controlled by the Italian and German authorities, and fascist military personnel attended many of them. At the same time, German and Italian artists collaborated with Greek productions, staged their own events, and broadcast them to their homeland through radio transmission. It was, however, the German film Fronttheater (1942) that epitomized the fascist appropriation of the Roman Odeon as a monumental site of spectacle where war and fiction were inextricably interwoven. The film exhibited how the occupying powers enforced and exercised their cultural authority in Athens. In this regard, the fascist myth of ancestral rebirth transformed civic spaces into sites of spectacular politics.
Tycho 8, 77-86, 2022
La búsqueda de renovación del Festival de Mérida que se inició a mediados de los años 60 reflejó ... more La búsqueda de renovación del Festival de Mérida que se inició a mediados de los años 60 reflejó los avances socioculturales y el intento de superar la saturación de la producción cultural de la época. A pesar de ello, la dictadura franquista seguía manteniendo el control propagandístico que exaltaba el discurso de la gloria española que atravesaba el tiempo y el espacio. Los mecanismos nacionales de represión y propaganda permitieron popularizar esta narrativa en términos culturales apropiándose de matices de la antigüedad clásica y de la España del Siglo de Oro. En estas circunstancias, en 1966, las autoridades decidieron poner en escena en el teatro romano de Mérida Atlántida, cantata escénica de Manuel de Falla y Ernesto Halffter, basada en el poema épico catalán L’Atlàntida (1877) de Jacinto Verdaguer y Santaló. La obra incluye elementos mitológicos y hechos históricos como la batalla entre Heracles y el gigante Gerión, el Jardín de las Hespérides, los Atlantes y los Titanes, Isabel I de Castilla, y la colonización de las Américas. Atlántida representó un pastiche hispánico que protagonizaron dos figuras legendarias, Heracles y Cristóbal Colón. En este contexto, la puesta en escena de Atlántida en Mérida reflejó tanto la percepción nacionalizada de la cultura como la propaganda ideológica de la dictadura.
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 45.1, 75 - 91, 2021
Local community participation in the revival of ancient theatres as venues in Greece shaped the d... more Local community participation in the revival of ancient theatres as venues in Greece shaped the dynamics of the cultural reception of inter-war performances at Delphi and Epidaurus. Here I analyse local involvement within and beyond the theatrical context of the Delphic Festivals, as well as the long-standing identification of the village of Ligourio with the theatre of Epidaurus. These relationships reflect distinctive dimensions of the clash between community-led and institutional archaeology, which dominated national discourse on authenticity and identity. At the same time, the prospects of economic development through tourism in such remote areas encouraged local receptiveness to the revival of ancient theatres.
Classical Receptions Journal 12.4, 470-485, 2020
In the twentieth century, ancient theatres acquired symbolic values through their excavation, res... more In the twentieth century, ancient theatres acquired symbolic values through their excavation, restoration, and cultural reuse. While elsewhere in the Mediterranean comparable cases show an early and powerful engagement of a populace with their antiquities, in Spain national ideals did not automatically engage with classical culture. In the case of the Roman theatre of Merida, cultural and historical realities dictated a series of cultural events that repeatedly concerned collective memory. In addition to the main sequence of the unique occasions surrounding the 1933 and 1934 performances at the theatre, various other agencies had systematically focused on its exploitation from the 1910s. These initiatives were endorsed by numerous formal visits and cultural events that took place in the theatre, from as early as 1914. Through successive spectacles staged at the theatre, a cultural tradition emerged, while political agendas occasionally exploited its increasing popularity, right up to the Spanish Civil War.
Ágora, 2020
[ES] En este artículo analizamos Le Supplici de Moni Ovadia, una adaptación de Las suplicantes de... more [ES] En este artículo analizamos Le Supplici de Moni Ovadia, una adaptación de Las suplicantes de Esquilo presentada en 2015 en Siracusa. El estudio sitúa esta obra dentro de un contexto literario, sociopolítico y de género. Temas como la migración forzada y los derechos humanos fundamentales conectan la obra con la actualidad de la crisis migratoria y la situación de los refugiados, entendidos como un movimiento social que crea nuevas interpretaciones del espacio nacional europeo.
[ENG] In this article, we analyze Moni Ovadia’s Le Supplici, an adaptation of Aeschylus’s The Suppliants performed in 2015 in Syracuse. It situates this work within its literary, sociopolitical and genre contexts. Themes such as forced migration and fundamental human rights connect the work to the present migratory crisis and to the situation of refugees, understood as a social movement that gives rise to new interpretations of the European national space.
[FR] Dans cet article, nous analysons Le Supplici de Moni Ovadia, une adaptation des Suppliantes d’Eschyle, présentée à Syracuse en 2015. L’étude situe cette oeuvre dans un contexte littéraire, sociopolitique et de genre. Des thèmes tels que la migration forcée et les droits fondamentaux de l’homme lient l’oeuvre à la situation actuelle de la crise migratoire et à la situation des réfugiés, saisies comme un mouvement social qui suscite de nouvelles interprétations de l’espace national européen.
Journal of Modern Greek Studies 37.2, 215-235, 2019
The relationship between iconography and currency production in Greece depends on mechanisms of p... more The relationship between iconography and currency production in Greece depends on mechanisms of production of state objects. Collective memory is invoked through the issue of coins, as new political regimes emerge. Hence, coins carry not only economic but also sociopolitical values. The publication of coins in the Government Gazette offers a glimpse of the involvement of the state in coin production. The entanglement between people and coins is based on the ability of the latter to exercise social agency and generate relationships of mutual dependence. In this regard, coins constitute a means of naturalization of the Greek national narrative through their materiality, and their iconography conveys a political concern to create trustworthy currency. The persistent selection of classical Greek designs for twentieth-century coins and the conservative iconographic expansion after the 1960s demonstrate the national identification of these designs as agents of social and political interconnections that had acquired the authoritative status to create the necessary trust in the coins themselves.
Arqueología y Territorio, 2015
Este estudio habla del imaginario nacional griego con base en la época clásica. Se hace especial ... more Este estudio habla del imaginario nacional griego con base en la época clásica. Se hace especial hincapié en el rol de Atenas y en su símbolo por excelencia, Acrópolis. La importancia del nacionalismo para la historia y el desarrollo de la arqueología se analizan a través de aspectos teóricos y prácticos de los siglos XIX-XXI: la lengua, la historiografía, la numismática y la política influyen en la politización de la arqueología y la simbolización de Atenas.
Call for Papers by Vasileios Balaskas
Fear, terror and horror in Graeco-Latin Antiquity and its Reception in Popular Culture, 2023
The panel 'Fear, Terror and Horror in Graeco-Latin Antiquity and its Reception in Popular Culture... more The panel 'Fear, Terror and Horror in Graeco-Latin Antiquity and its Reception in Popular Culture' of the 14th Celtic Conference in Classics will take place on 11-14 July 2023 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. It explores the different ways in which fear, terror and horror have been manifested in Graeco-Latin literature and tradition.
The panel also examines the survival of these motifs today through classically inspired popular culture, whether in cinema, television series, novels, comics or video games. The interest in reshaping narratives exploring these concepts in different contemporary artistic manifestations demonstrates their relevance in today's society and their organic connection to the themes of classical mythology and culture. The study of fear, terror and horror in this panel will analyse how the supernatural, the unknown or the violent is introduced in narratives of classical and contemporary cultures and the emotional response it provokes in the receiving audience. The final aim of the panel is to present a transversal vision of the contributions of the exploration of fear, terror and horror in the literary creation of Antiquity and the evolution of these concepts today.
Topics:
Theorisation of the concepts of fear, terror and horror in Graeco-Latin treatises.
Expressions of terror and horror in Graeco-Latin literature: tales of haunted houses, ghost stories, confrontations with monsters, journeys to hell, etc.
Survival of these motifs in classical tradition and in popular culture: horror films, comics, literature, video games, etc.
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Nuno Simões Rodrigues [email protected], Isidro Molina Zorrilla [email protected] and Vasileios Balaskas [email protected] by 20 February 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio and academic institution). Paper presentations of 20 or 40 minutes are accepted.
For more information on the conference regarding fees and recommendation on travel and accommodation, see https://cechfluc.wixsite.com/ccclassics2023
Working languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
CfP ‘Claiming the Land, from Antiquity to Modern Times’, 2023
The international conference ‘Claiming the Land from Antiquity to Modern Times’ will take place o... more The international conference ‘Claiming the Land from Antiquity to Modern Times’ will take place on 21 and 22 April 2023 at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. It is organised by the Münster School of Ancient Cultures.
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract of up to 250 words outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Dr. Antonis Kourkoulakos ([email protected]) or Prof. Dr. Vasileios Balaskas ([email protected]) by 31 January 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio with details of your current study, supervisor, and academic institution). Paper presentations should not exceed a length of 20 minutes and are to be held in English.
About the Conference
The conference focuses on the socio-political and cultural aspects of land claims by resting on three main pillars: materiality, memory, and identity. These claims are often explicitly tied with societal transformations, political interests, and cultural practices, effectively representing crucial aspects of collective identity and memory. They should be seen as the (by)product of highly politicised mechanisms that extend beyond community boundaries or national territories. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, we aim to follow diachronic claiming practices. These pillars will correspond to three sessions that delve into theoretical, methodological, and practical questions regarding land claims:
1. Materiality plays a crucial role in the legitimation process of these claims. Resorting to tangible aspects of culture has often reinforced these demands, which sought to create a material context that could sustain the ideological claims by creating new or competing identities. We are particularly interested in exploring how reclamations of ownership and dominance of land were experienced, sustained, and transformed from antiquity to modern times.
2. Land claims are also closely related to the term ‘memory’ because inventing collective memories contributes to the standardisation of narratives that substantiate allegations. Interpreting memorial practices facilitates the exploration of an imagined past that reaffirms power relations and politics of exclusion.
3. Finally, memory brings to the foreground the concept of identity. The creation of these land claims as symbolic landmarks triggers collective identities that tie communities to territories. Given that the various identities that a community has are not monolithic but highly fluid and dynamic, the documentation and archiving of these identities by past and present memory-holders create new cultural and socio-political concepts that contribute to the creation of new imagined communities.
Participants
The conference is aimed at early career researchers with an archaeological, historical, and philological background as well as on classical reception. The geographical scope of the conference includes the European and Near Eastern contexts, while the periodisation ranges from prehistory to modern times.
A round of discussion at the end of each session of the conference will give the opportunity for further exchanging of methodological and theoretical concepts on the issue of land claims. We plan to publish the results of the international conference in a proceedings volume or as a special issue in a high-quality journal.
Cost for the meals of the participants will be covered and there will be no registration fee.
Conference Presentations by Vasileios Balaskas
'Claiming The Land, from Antiquity to Modern Times'.
International Conference, 21-22 April 2023.
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Papers by Vasileios Balaskas
Eurípides (480 a. C. - 406 a. C.) escribió esta compleja y poliédrica obra al final de su vida, cuando, decepcionado por las consecuencias que la Guerra del Peloponeso estaba acarreando a Atenas, se mudó a Macedonia. El resultado es una tragedia que solo se representó póstumamente y que, gracias al carácter de Dioniso, plantea un enconado debate entre la ley humana y el culto religioso, entre el orden racional y el irracional, entre la autoridad civilizada y el desenfreno orgiástico.
[ENG] In this article, we analyze Moni Ovadia’s Le Supplici, an adaptation of Aeschylus’s The Suppliants performed in 2015 in Syracuse. It situates this work within its literary, sociopolitical and genre contexts. Themes such as forced migration and fundamental human rights connect the work to the present migratory crisis and to the situation of refugees, understood as a social movement that gives rise to new interpretations of the European national space.
[FR] Dans cet article, nous analysons Le Supplici de Moni Ovadia, une adaptation des Suppliantes d’Eschyle, présentée à Syracuse en 2015. L’étude situe cette oeuvre dans un contexte littéraire, sociopolitique et de genre. Des thèmes tels que la migration forcée et les droits fondamentaux de l’homme lient l’oeuvre à la situation actuelle de la crise migratoire et à la situation des réfugiés, saisies comme un mouvement social qui suscite de nouvelles interprétations de l’espace national européen.
Call for Papers by Vasileios Balaskas
The panel also examines the survival of these motifs today through classically inspired popular culture, whether in cinema, television series, novels, comics or video games. The interest in reshaping narratives exploring these concepts in different contemporary artistic manifestations demonstrates their relevance in today's society and their organic connection to the themes of classical mythology and culture. The study of fear, terror and horror in this panel will analyse how the supernatural, the unknown or the violent is introduced in narratives of classical and contemporary cultures and the emotional response it provokes in the receiving audience. The final aim of the panel is to present a transversal vision of the contributions of the exploration of fear, terror and horror in the literary creation of Antiquity and the evolution of these concepts today.
Topics:
Theorisation of the concepts of fear, terror and horror in Graeco-Latin treatises.
Expressions of terror and horror in Graeco-Latin literature: tales of haunted houses, ghost stories, confrontations with monsters, journeys to hell, etc.
Survival of these motifs in classical tradition and in popular culture: horror films, comics, literature, video games, etc.
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Nuno Simões Rodrigues [email protected], Isidro Molina Zorrilla [email protected] and Vasileios Balaskas [email protected] by 20 February 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio and academic institution). Paper presentations of 20 or 40 minutes are accepted.
For more information on the conference regarding fees and recommendation on travel and accommodation, see https://cechfluc.wixsite.com/ccclassics2023
Working languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract of up to 250 words outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Dr. Antonis Kourkoulakos ([email protected]) or Prof. Dr. Vasileios Balaskas ([email protected]) by 31 January 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio with details of your current study, supervisor, and academic institution). Paper presentations should not exceed a length of 20 minutes and are to be held in English.
About the Conference
The conference focuses on the socio-political and cultural aspects of land claims by resting on three main pillars: materiality, memory, and identity. These claims are often explicitly tied with societal transformations, political interests, and cultural practices, effectively representing crucial aspects of collective identity and memory. They should be seen as the (by)product of highly politicised mechanisms that extend beyond community boundaries or national territories. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, we aim to follow diachronic claiming practices. These pillars will correspond to three sessions that delve into theoretical, methodological, and practical questions regarding land claims:
1. Materiality plays a crucial role in the legitimation process of these claims. Resorting to tangible aspects of culture has often reinforced these demands, which sought to create a material context that could sustain the ideological claims by creating new or competing identities. We are particularly interested in exploring how reclamations of ownership and dominance of land were experienced, sustained, and transformed from antiquity to modern times.
2. Land claims are also closely related to the term ‘memory’ because inventing collective memories contributes to the standardisation of narratives that substantiate allegations. Interpreting memorial practices facilitates the exploration of an imagined past that reaffirms power relations and politics of exclusion.
3. Finally, memory brings to the foreground the concept of identity. The creation of these land claims as symbolic landmarks triggers collective identities that tie communities to territories. Given that the various identities that a community has are not monolithic but highly fluid and dynamic, the documentation and archiving of these identities by past and present memory-holders create new cultural and socio-political concepts that contribute to the creation of new imagined communities.
Participants
The conference is aimed at early career researchers with an archaeological, historical, and philological background as well as on classical reception. The geographical scope of the conference includes the European and Near Eastern contexts, while the periodisation ranges from prehistory to modern times.
A round of discussion at the end of each session of the conference will give the opportunity for further exchanging of methodological and theoretical concepts on the issue of land claims. We plan to publish the results of the international conference in a proceedings volume or as a special issue in a high-quality journal.
Cost for the meals of the participants will be covered and there will be no registration fee.
Conference Presentations by Vasileios Balaskas
Eurípides (480 a. C. - 406 a. C.) escribió esta compleja y poliédrica obra al final de su vida, cuando, decepcionado por las consecuencias que la Guerra del Peloponeso estaba acarreando a Atenas, se mudó a Macedonia. El resultado es una tragedia que solo se representó póstumamente y que, gracias al carácter de Dioniso, plantea un enconado debate entre la ley humana y el culto religioso, entre el orden racional y el irracional, entre la autoridad civilizada y el desenfreno orgiástico.
[ENG] In this article, we analyze Moni Ovadia’s Le Supplici, an adaptation of Aeschylus’s The Suppliants performed in 2015 in Syracuse. It situates this work within its literary, sociopolitical and genre contexts. Themes such as forced migration and fundamental human rights connect the work to the present migratory crisis and to the situation of refugees, understood as a social movement that gives rise to new interpretations of the European national space.
[FR] Dans cet article, nous analysons Le Supplici de Moni Ovadia, une adaptation des Suppliantes d’Eschyle, présentée à Syracuse en 2015. L’étude situe cette oeuvre dans un contexte littéraire, sociopolitique et de genre. Des thèmes tels que la migration forcée et les droits fondamentaux de l’homme lient l’oeuvre à la situation actuelle de la crise migratoire et à la situation des réfugiés, saisies comme un mouvement social qui suscite de nouvelles interprétations de l’espace national européen.
The panel also examines the survival of these motifs today through classically inspired popular culture, whether in cinema, television series, novels, comics or video games. The interest in reshaping narratives exploring these concepts in different contemporary artistic manifestations demonstrates their relevance in today's society and their organic connection to the themes of classical mythology and culture. The study of fear, terror and horror in this panel will analyse how the supernatural, the unknown or the violent is introduced in narratives of classical and contemporary cultures and the emotional response it provokes in the receiving audience. The final aim of the panel is to present a transversal vision of the contributions of the exploration of fear, terror and horror in the literary creation of Antiquity and the evolution of these concepts today.
Topics:
Theorisation of the concepts of fear, terror and horror in Graeco-Latin treatises.
Expressions of terror and horror in Graeco-Latin literature: tales of haunted houses, ghost stories, confrontations with monsters, journeys to hell, etc.
Survival of these motifs in classical tradition and in popular culture: horror films, comics, literature, video games, etc.
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Nuno Simões Rodrigues [email protected], Isidro Molina Zorrilla [email protected] and Vasileios Balaskas [email protected] by 20 February 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio and academic institution). Paper presentations of 20 or 40 minutes are accepted.
For more information on the conference regarding fees and recommendation on travel and accommodation, see https://cechfluc.wixsite.com/ccclassics2023
Working languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
All interested participants are invited to send a PDF abstract of up to 250 words outlining the proposed subject of their discussion to Dr. Antonis Kourkoulakos ([email protected]) or Prof. Dr. Vasileios Balaskas ([email protected]) by 31 January 2023 at the latest (in addition to the abstract, please include a short bio with details of your current study, supervisor, and academic institution). Paper presentations should not exceed a length of 20 minutes and are to be held in English.
About the Conference
The conference focuses on the socio-political and cultural aspects of land claims by resting on three main pillars: materiality, memory, and identity. These claims are often explicitly tied with societal transformations, political interests, and cultural practices, effectively representing crucial aspects of collective identity and memory. They should be seen as the (by)product of highly politicised mechanisms that extend beyond community boundaries or national territories. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, we aim to follow diachronic claiming practices. These pillars will correspond to three sessions that delve into theoretical, methodological, and practical questions regarding land claims:
1. Materiality plays a crucial role in the legitimation process of these claims. Resorting to tangible aspects of culture has often reinforced these demands, which sought to create a material context that could sustain the ideological claims by creating new or competing identities. We are particularly interested in exploring how reclamations of ownership and dominance of land were experienced, sustained, and transformed from antiquity to modern times.
2. Land claims are also closely related to the term ‘memory’ because inventing collective memories contributes to the standardisation of narratives that substantiate allegations. Interpreting memorial practices facilitates the exploration of an imagined past that reaffirms power relations and politics of exclusion.
3. Finally, memory brings to the foreground the concept of identity. The creation of these land claims as symbolic landmarks triggers collective identities that tie communities to territories. Given that the various identities that a community has are not monolithic but highly fluid and dynamic, the documentation and archiving of these identities by past and present memory-holders create new cultural and socio-political concepts that contribute to the creation of new imagined communities.
Participants
The conference is aimed at early career researchers with an archaeological, historical, and philological background as well as on classical reception. The geographical scope of the conference includes the European and Near Eastern contexts, while the periodisation ranges from prehistory to modern times.
A round of discussion at the end of each session of the conference will give the opportunity for further exchanging of methodological and theoretical concepts on the issue of land claims. We plan to publish the results of the international conference in a proceedings volume or as a special issue in a high-quality journal.
Cost for the meals of the participants will be covered and there will be no registration fee.
The Conference will be held on 21-22 April at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. It will be organised by the Münster School of Ancient Cultures (the authors and organisers of the project are: Vasileios Balaskas and Antonis Kourkoulakos).