Olivia DrakeSee the map. (more…)
David PesciIn an Aug. 24 op-ed for The Hartford Courant, Lauren Caldwell, assistant professor of classical studies, says that U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin’s reference to women being able to consciously prevent conception during rape is relying on “facts” presented by the ancient Roman physician Soranus of Ephesus in the Second Century, A.D. Caldwell also says, “The next time I teach my course, I will be able to bring in the example of Rep. Akin to illustrate the ways in which 'medical understanding' continues to be used with the aim of social control,” which was also an objective of Roman rulers in…
Lauren Caldwell, assistant professor of classical studies, received a faculty grant for course development in Middle Eastern Studies from the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program of the U.S. Department of Education. Caldwell, whose research specialties include Greco-Roman medicine, used the grant for summer travel to the Wellcome Library for the History of Medicine, in London, England, and to Cambridge University. The grant allowed Caldwell to consult the Wellcome Library's substantial collection of texts on ancient and medieval medicine. "The transmission of the writings of Galen, the most famous of Roman imperial physicians, into medical theory in Baghdad in the 8th and 9th centuries is a key moment in…
A translation by Sarah Ruden, visiting scholar in classics, was published in the The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Third Edition in 2012. Ruden's Lysistrata translation was first published in 2003 by Hackett Publishing. Lysistrata is Aristophanes' comic masterpiece of war and sex. Led by the title character, the women of the warring city-states of Greece agree to withhold sexual favors with their husbands until they agree to cease fighting. The Norton Anthology of World Literature remains the most-trusted anthology of world literature available. Guided by the advice of more than 500 teachers of world literature and a panel of regional specialists,…
Michael Roberts, the Robert Rich Professor of Latin, professor of classical studies, professor of medieval studies, is the co-author of the book, The Letters of Symmachus, Book 1. The book was published by the Society of Biblical Literature, in 2011.
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Sarah Ruden, a visiting scholar in classics, is the author of “The Old is New Again,” published in the Feb. 21, 2011 issue of National Review magazine. The article focuses on her work translating -- from Latin -- the first extant novel in western literature, The Golden Ass' by Apuleius. Ruden's translation is due to be published this year by Yale University Press. In addition to her essays, the National Review publishes Ruden's original poetry on a regular basis. This fall will also see the publication by Doubleday of the paperback edition of Ruden's 2010 book on St. Paul, Paul Among the People.…
Andy Szegedy-Maszak, Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek, professor of classical studies, joined the guests on a recent episode of WNPR’s Colin McEnroe Show to discuss narcissism in our society. The show was inspired by an article in The New Yorker by New York Times columnist David Brooks, who also joins the show.
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Q: Sarah, you received a Guggenheim Fellowship to translate the Greek tragedy trilogy, The Oresteia. Please explain the cultural significance of this particular historical play and why your translation will differ from others? A: The Oresteia is the first real tragic masterpiece. I think that the greatness of a piece of literature depends mainly on how much it lets us reflect on at once, and the Oresteia has everything: questions of human nature, the nature of the gods, the social order-- in this case, the startling Athenian moves toward government by ordinary people. And it's all conveyed in intense, complex, almost creepily…
Q: Debbie, you’re the administrative assistant for the Archaeology Program, Medieval Studies Program and the Classical Studies Department. Anything else?! A: In October 2010, I was given a promotion and added the responsibility of also working for the English Department and Writing Workshop in the new Downey House operations support system. At times it is a bit challenging, but I am good at managing my time and priorities so the work gets done in a timely fashion. I wear many different hats and wear them well. Q: How many years have you worked for Wesleyan, and in what departments? A: I have…
The Greek Titan Metis was considered the goddess of wisdom and deep thought. Her name in Greek also means “wisdom combined with cunning,” a highly desirable personality trait to the ancient Athenians. This year, a group of Wesleyan students with a knowledge and interest in Classical studies, released their own collection of “cunning wisdom” in a publication titled Wesleyan Metis. The Metis editorial board draws on the abilities and creativity of Wesleyan students to showcase their best examples of undergraduate Classics writing. “Classical studies go far beyond ancient languages and, as evidenced by the essays in the journal, include studies…