Thucydides our Contemporary?

A major international conference on the reception and influence of Thucydides in the modern world. 

Friday 29th June 2012

Public Lecture: Hunter R. Rawlings III, President of the Association of American Universities: “A Possession for All Time: why Thucydides matters so much”

The Athenian historian Thucydides (c.460-c.395 BCE) claimed that his account of the Peloponnesian War would be ‘a possession for ever’, valued by posterity more than by his contemporaries.  The history of his text's reception since the Renaissance has proved him entirely correct; not only has his work continued to be read, by historians, political thinkers, philosophers, international relations theorists and many others, but Thucydides himself has been seen as ever more prescient and modern.  This international conference, part of the work of the AHRC-funded research project on ‘Thucydides: reception, reinterpretation and influence’, will explore the way his work has shaped ideas about how to understand the world, and his continuing role as an authority on history, politics and war.

Keynote Speakers: Clifford Orwin (Toronto); Arlene Saxonhouse (Michigan)

Key Themes: Translation and Education; History and Historiography; International Relations; Politics and Political Theory

Speakers: Greg Crane, Jon Hesk, Edward Keene, Christine Lee, Aleka Lianeri, Gerry Mara, Jeremy Mynott, Claudia Rammelt, Liz Sawyer, Oliver Schelske, James Sullivan, Thom Workman.

Numbers on the conference are strictly limited: please contact Neville Morley  ([email protected]) as soon as possible to reserve a place.  

There will be a conference fee of £25 (£10 for graduate students) to cover lunch and refreshments.

The public lecture is free to attend, but we do ask that you let us know if you are intending to come.

Further information will be available at: