Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature (AMPAL) 2019 - call for papers

Classics, part of the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, will be hosting the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature (AMPAL) in June 2019.

The theme of the two-day conference, to be held at Devonshire Hall at the University of Leeds, will be Power Play in the Ancient World.

Call for Papers - 1st March 2019.

Discussions of power dominate the world in which we live. We are concerned with who has power, who does not, how we can share, preserve or widen-access to power and its manifest institutions. In the ancient world, power was central to debates about political structures, imperialism, slavery, and sexuality. Such concerns are reflected within the literature of the ancient world, and how power is represented raises questions about its uses and motivations in ancient culture and society.

Successful papers may include, but are not limited to:

  • Representations of powerful individuals or groups within ancient literature.

  • Responses to depictions of ‘the powerful’ vs. ‘the powerless’.

  • Powerful natural, man-made, or magical forces.

  • Structures and hierarchies of power.

  • Definitions and perceptions of power from arche to imperium.

  • Power in philosophical thought and historiography.

  • Reponses and representations of collective or individual displays of power.

  • Recent receptions of powerful ancient empires, figures and movements.

Classics at Leeds invites research and taught postgraduates to submit an abstract of 250 words to pgconference@leeds.ac.uk by Friday 1st March 2019. Presentations will be 20 minutes long, followed by a short discussion.

Keynote Paper

We are delighted to announce that Natalie Haynes, the comedian, broadcaster and author of such novels as The Children of Jocasta and the forthcoming A Thousand Ships, will be giving the keynote paper (title TBC).

As Classics at Leeds is committed to educational outreach and public engagement, schools and the general public are invited to attend. The keynote will take place on Thursday 13th June between 6-7pm in the Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre, Michael Sadler Building, University of Leeds. The talk will be followed by a drinks reception. All welcome to attend!