The interplay between culture and space in ancient thought is \;manifested in many ways. Not only are artistic and literary features \;envisioned and understood in spatial terms\, but physical spaces are \;also imagined and explored through cultural expression. This \;interaction is found in all forms of the representation of spaces - \;textual\, verbal\, pictoral\, architectural. Alex Purves' recent study of \;space and narrative highlights this approach: "Plot's spatial legacy \;is pervasive in ancient Greek thought\, where songs might be conceived \;as pathways\, logoi as routes\, writing as the movement of oxen turning \;back and forth across a field with a plough...\, narratives as pictures \;or landscapes\, and plots even as living creatures that take up set \;areas of space."
As scholars of Classical antiquity\, we find ourselves at the mercy of \;representation to shape and inform our understanding of spaces - \;landscapes\, buildings\, voyages\, rooms - which are no longer knowable \;by any other means. At the same time\, our understanding of cultural \;expression is often enriched by our ability to comprehend it in \;spatial terms.
We invite graduate students working in any area of Classical studies \;(such as literary criticism\, history\, archaeology\, science\, \;philosophy\, social history\, and philology) to submit papers exploring \;the various means by which space was represented in antiquity. How was \;space conceived\, constructed\, and defined in the Greek and Roman \;worlds? How were differences in spaces and places articulated? How was \;their use represented?
Some further possible themes to explore include:
We ask that abstracts of no more than 300 words be submitted as email \;attachments (.doc/.pdf) to \;utoronto.grad.classics@gmail.com \;no later \;than January 28th\, 2013. Papers will be allotted 20 minutes\, plus 10 \;minutes for discussion.
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