Lecture at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 

November 9, 2015: The great Pompeii exhibit, presently on show in Toronto, will come to the MMFA. Doors will open on February 6, 2016. As part of an event series that leads up to the exhibit, I will deliver a lecture at the museum:

"The Day before Doomsday. Life and Living in the Bay of Naples" 

Successful PhD Defense

November 6, 2015: François Gauthier successfully defended his PhD thesis on “Financing War in the Roman Republic”, which was written under my supervision. Committee members were Professors Fronda, Kozak, Raschle (UdM), and Edmondson (York). Congratulations, Dr. Gauthier! 

New Book Publication

November 5, 2015: "Federalism in Greek Antiquity", co-edited with Peter Funke, is out!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the volume, with chapters or behind the scenes.  This is evidently a landmark moment in our ongoing research engagement with Greek Federal States, in Germany and Canada. We are delighted. Nothing more to add, except that the research program has received generous support from Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the MacNaughton Chair of Classics, and the Cluster of Excellence "Religion und Politik" at Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster.

Visit the publisher's website here.  

Global Antiquities Outreach Lecture 2015

November 5, 2015: The annual outreach lecture of the Global Antiquities research network will be held in the Museé des beaux arts, Maxwell Cummings Auditorium, at 5:00 pm. This year's speaker is Professor Lothar Von Falkenhausen (UCLA): China and the West - before the "Silk Routes".

The research network Global Antiquities runs under the aegis of the Yan Lin Centre at McGill University. For further info on Global Antiquities click here, and visit the museum website for event details.  

New Article 

October 29, 2015: New article publication: "Greek Federal States." Oxford Bibliographies in Classics 2015.  

Guest Lectures at McMaster and in Waterloo 

October 29 and 30, 2015: I am looking forward to two guest lectures in the Department of Classics at McMaster University and the Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies. The topic is, of course, "Localism and Regionalism in the Ancient Greek World."

Yan P. Lin Centre Opening Ceremony

October 26, 2015: The opening ceremony of the Yan Lin Centre takes places at the University Club. We are delighted to see Global Antiquities among the five founding pillars of the centre. This is a special night for sure, and a great occasion to thank Yan Lin for his vision and generosity. 

The McGill Reporter covers the event here, including a video feature on the centre's mission and research engagement. 

Professor Kurt Raaflaub will be a guest of honor at the ceremony. He has also agreed to offer a student seminar earlier in the day, please see that Global Antiquities website for details.  

Mommsen Gesellschaft: de Gruyter Seminar 2015

October 3 to 5, 2015: The de Gruyter Seminar takes place in Wittenberg. Eight selected young researchers, doctoral students and postdocs, present their work on "Local Response to Global Change in the Ancient World". Great presentations and critical discussions of the local, the global, and the glocal! Here is the program. 

The site of the old university of Wittenberg, the Leucorea, is a congenial conference centre to host the event. The symposium program also includes a guided tour through the small town of Wittenberg, following the footsteps of Luther, Cranach, Melanchthon, and others who had roamed through the streets in the early 16th century. The tour guide leaves no doubt that there was (is!) a particular force of localism at work here.   

Anneliese Maier Award Ceremony

September 15 to 17, 2015: The Humboldt Foundation held the award ceremony for this year's Anneliese Maier Research Prize in Leipzig. In conjunction with the ceremony in the Gewandhaus on the 15th, a research colloquium was held on 16 and 17 September, with a cluster on globalism and localism in history. What a wonderful event this was, thank you to everyone who participated, and thanks to the Foundation for a terrific ceremony and symposium. Click here for more info. 

CAC 2014: Gratiarum actio by Léopold Migeotte

September 1, 2015: Professor Léopold Migeotte delivered the gratiarum actio at the Classical Association of Canada Annual Meeting in 2014 to thank the McGill Organizing Committee for its work. The honorary decree, written in finest Greek, has now been published in the latest edition of Mouseion (12, 2012 [2015]: 231-232). Here is the inscription, and here a transliteration, just in case. Thank you, dear Léopold!

First-time Research Visit to the Asklepieion on Kos

July: I finally made it to the site of the Asklepieion on Kos, a place that I always wanted to visit. Here are some pictures from the Temple of Asklepios, the supporting walls of the terraces, and the view across the straits to Turkey. 

Interview and Article in 'Forschung und Lehre'

The June and July editions of 'Forschung und Lehre', Germany's leading journal in university affairs, include two short features of my work: an interview on the Anneliese Maier Research Price and an article on deceleration and localism in the ancient Greek world. 

Thank you to the editors for allowing me to spread the word on localism! 

Two Guest Lectures in Germany

June 30 and July 2, 2015: I am super excited about talks at the Universities of Würzburg and Köln. The topic is localism, of course: "Die lokalen Welten des antiken Griechenlands" 

New Article

June 28, 2015: Publication of a new article, "Beyond 'Foreign Clienteles' and 'Foreign Clans'. Some Remarks on the Intermarriage between Roman and Italian Elites." In: M. Jehne and F. Pina Polo (eds), Foreign clientelae in the Roman Empire. A Reconsideration. Stuttgart 2015: 57-72.  

Thank you to the editors for pulling this together! 

Interview with the McGill Reporter 

May 20, 2015: Neale McDevitt from the McGill Reporter talked with me about the Anneliese Maier Research Prize, Classical Studies at McGill, and why localism matters. Here is the link. The interview will also appear in the print version of the Reporter in June. 

McGill Summer School in Greece 2015 

Modern Hellenic Studies runs its initial summer school program in Thessaloniki, in partnership with the International Hellenic University. The first course module offered is HIST 462 Mediterranean Crossroads, which includes a section on Alexander the Great. 

McGill Summer Trip to Greece 2015

May 27 to June 11, 2015: This year's summer course CLAS 348 took us back to Greece, including sites in Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Pylos, Sparta, Mycene, and more. 16 days of on-site work and hands-on research. Thank you to the students and John Serrati, Bill Russell, and Alex McAuley for making the 2015 McGilliad such an epic experience! For more info and photos, go to Teaching. 

Ethnos States Conference in Delphi

May 24 to 27, 2015: The conference Greek Ethnos States. Internal Mechanics, External Relations was held at the European Cultural Centre of Delphi. The event assembled 23 scholars from nine countries. It was organized by Kostas Buraselis and myself and funded in part by the Anneliese Maier Research Award. Click here for the conference program. The proceedings are in preparation for publication.  

Field Research in Greece (AMP Research) 

May 2015: Field work for the Parochial Polis in Greece with grad students Alex McAuley, Vincent Pichelli, and Katrina Van Amsterdam. We covered sites in the Megarid and its Sacred Orgas with Eleusis, and various locales in Southern Boiotia, including Thebes, the shores of Lake Kopais, Thespiai, and vibrant (...not!) Askra.   

Announcement Mommsen Gesellschaft: de Gruyter Seminar 2015

The date and title of this year's De Gruyter seminar have been released. Organized under the aegis of the Mommsen Gesellschaft, the seminar for young researchers will be held from October 3 to 5, 2015, in Wittenberg. The topic is "Local Response to Global Change in the Ancient World".

 Click here for the description and information on the application process. 

Research trip to Italy 

April 13-17, 2015: I am happy to participate in the 'Oratory in Pieces' Conference in Torino, organized by Catherine Steel, Christa Gray, and Andrea Balbo. The title of my presentation is "Of Fragments and Feelings. Roman Funeral Oratory Revisited".  

The conference is carried out under the aegis of the FRRO research network: "Fragments of the Roman Republican Orators," which aims to collect, edit, and translate all surviving evidence for public speech during the Roman Republic. Here is the network's website.  

New Paperback Edition

April 12, 2015: Consuls and Res Publica, edited by myself, Antonio Dupla, Francho Pina Polo, and Martin Jehne has been published as paperback edition with Cambridge UP. The paperback prize is under $50 CAD which I think is not bad. 

Visiting Scholar from Germany (AMP Research Event)

April 5 to 8, 2015: Dr. Christoph Lundgreen from the Technische Universität Dresden visits to consult on Localism in the Ancient Greek World and deliver a public lecture: 

A New Model of Statehood for the Ancient Greek World. April 7, 2015, 4:00-5:30 pm, LEA 738

Dr. Lundgreen will also be our guest of honor at the subsequent Hirundo Launch and End of Year Party (ARTS 160, 6:00 pm).

Research trip to Germany

April 1-2, 2015: I am very excited to go to Cologne and partake in a colloquium held in honor of Elke Stein-Hölkeskamp at the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. 

Visiting Scholar from Belgium (AMP Research Event)  

February 12-17, 2015: Professor David Engels from the Free University of Brussels visits Classical Studies to consult on the Localism in the Ancient Greek World and deliver two guests lectures: 

On the Road to Empire? The Crisis of the European Union and the Downfall of the Roman Republic  
February 13, 2015, 2:30-4:00 pm, 3438 McTavish St, rm. 100
 
Parallel Lives? Caesar and Qin Shi Huang Di, Augustus and Han Gaozu
February 16, 2015, 2:30-4:00 pm, Leacock Building, rm. 738

Anneliese Maier Research Prize 2015

January 31, 2015: I am very excited and grateful to be among the Anneliese Maier Research Prize Winners in 2015.

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has selected eleven researchers from outside of Germany to receive this year's prize. Each award is valued at 250,000 Euros and is granted annually to outstanding humanities scholars and social scientists. It is designated to finance research collaboration over a period of up to five years with specialist colleagues in Germany. The award winners were selected from a total of 72 nominees from 22 countries.

My host in Germany is Peter Funke with whom I will work on the manifestations of localism in the ancient Greek world. Here is the press release from Münster University. Other collaborations include joint projects with Karl-J. Hölkeskamp in Cologne and Martin Jehne in Dresden. 

Classics @ McGill Fan Gear

December 19, 2014. The new McGill Classics Gear Collection has arrived, including hoodies, tuques, and more. My personal favourite is the "McGill Classics - Job Security" t-shirt. Get in touch with the Classics Students Association (CAS) to secure your ultimate holiday gift. From left to right: Brett Clapperton (CSA president 2014-15), Zoe Blecher-Cohen (VP Finance), Sebastian Grant (VP External).  

Series of Lectures in Australia

From November 23 to December 5, 2014, I spent some time in Australia to deliver a series of lectures and meet with colleagues and graduate students. It was a wonderful experience, thank you to everyone who engaged in thoughtful conversations, and thanks to my hosts in particular: Brad Jordan, Kimberley Webb, and Jarrad Paul (the organizers of AMPHORAE VIII), Kathryn Welch (Sydney), and Gillian Shepherd (La Trobe University). This was the itinerary, and below are some pictures: 

Nov. 27, Keynote Lecture at the AMPHORAE VIII Congress, University of Melbourne: "The Parochial Polis. Localism and the Ancient Greek City-State" 

Nov. 28, Master Class at AMPHORAE VIII Congress, University of Melbourne: "Tempting Tyche. Political Lottery in Classical Athens" 

Dec. 1, La Trobe University, Melbourne. Annual Ancient Mediterranean Studies Lecture: "King Numa’s Dangerous Books" 

Dec. 2, University of Sydney, Guest Lecture: "King Numa’s Dangerous Books"   

Global Antiquities Outreach Lecture 2014 and Presentation

October 22-24, 2014: The Global Antiquities Research Network held an international workshop on "Citizens and Commoners in Greece, Rome, and China" at Thomson House and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Assembling scholars from Australia, China, Israel, German, Spain, the US, and Canada, the workshop explored the role of "the people" in ancient societies from a comparative perspective. Here is more info on the Global Antiquities Research Network and the workshop program. 

The photos below are from the opening keynote event at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where Professor Josiah Ober delivered a public lecture on "The Rise, Fall, and Immortality of Ancient Greece".

Conference Presentation

September 23-26, 2014: 50th German Historikertag in Göttingen. I will present a paper on "ambitus und also-rans in den Jahren nach dem Hannibalkrieg" (Panel "Konkurrenz unter Anwesenden. Agonalität in der politischen Kultur des antiken Rom", organized by Karl-J. Hölkeskamp).  

Ice Bucket 

September 2, 2014: Classical Studies members Hans Beck, Katrina Van Amsterdam, and John Serrati do the ice bucket challenge. Click here to see how it went, and who was challenged in return.

Conference Program Delphi

June 23, 2014: The preliminary program of "Greek ethnos states" (Delphi, May 24 to 27, 2015) has been released. Click here. 

Volume in Press 

June 2, 2014: The volume Federalism in Greek Antiquity, edited by Hans Beck and Peter Funke, has been submitted to Cambridge University Press. 

CAC Conference

May 6 to 9, 2014: Classical Association of Canada Annual Meeting, hosted by Classical Studies at McGill University.

Featuring 142 speakers in 39 panels and many professional meetings, this year's CAC conference was attended by more than 220 registered participants. Among other highlights, the conference included a key note address by Martin Jehne (Dresden) and a public outreach lecture in Montreal's Museum of Fine Arts by Alfred Seiland (see under Outreach for more on his work). The CAC meeting was held in conjunction with the annual congress of the Association of Ancient Historians. Here is the CAC 2014 program, and here are some photos from the event:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the CAC conference. In particular, we'd like to thank the CAC executive and council for their advice and wisdom. Special thanks are due to Kathleen Holden and to our student organizers Katrina Van Amsterdam and Erin Crochetière with their team of volunteers for making the conference such a wonderful, warm event. 

CAC 2014 Local Organizing Committee: Hans Beck (chair), John Serrati, Alex McAuley, François Gauthier, Katrina Van Amsterdam, Erin Crochetière, Kathleen Holden, Marguerite Deslauriers. 

Student Conference at LCC 

April 2, 2014: Student-Organized Conference 'Destiny Quebec' at Lower Canada College. I look forward to talking to the students about "Cultural Heritage and Global Values: a Road Trip to Antiquity (and back)". 

Grad Students, Research Award 

March 1, 2014: Katrina Van Amsterdam won a Faculty of Arts Travel Grant to carry out her research on Hellenistic Ruler Cults in Europe over the summer 2014. Congratulations, Katrina! 

CAC Conference Registration 

February 5, 2014: The registration for the CAC/SCEC 2014 Annual General Meeting (McGill University, May 6 to 9, 2014) is open.

Outreach Event: Humanities Round Table 

February 4, 2014: Seminar series "McGill for Humanities" at 1:00 pm (ARTS 160). Click here for a video of my presentation and other resources, and here for coverage in the Montreal Gazette.

In times of economic crisis such as these, it is easy to attack the Humanities as irrelevant. Today, students are under pressure to take courses that lead directly to instant jobs. And yet our courses in Classical Studies and History, to name but two disciplines, are packed, many of them over-enrolled. What does this teach us about student expectations, societal needs, and political discourses?

Join us for this round table discussion to explore, and possibly revisit, some of the main themes (and stereotypes) of the public debate.  

Conference Annoucement 

January 10, 2014: The Global Antiquities network, co-directed by myself and Griet Vankeerberghen, will hold a workshop on "Citizens and Commoners in Greece, Rome, and China" (Thomson House, October 22 to 24, 2014), with participants from Canada, China, US, Spain, Germany, Australia, and Israel. 

Public Cundill Prize Lecture, Video 

2013 Cundill Prize Lecture by Stephen Platt, including opening speeches by Dean Christopher Manfredi and myself. Here are photos and videos from the event.