The UCL department of Greek and Latin is pleased to announce the conference entitled ‘Ancient and Modern Narratives of the Greco-Persian Wars’. Papers concerning perception and reception of primary sources relating to the Greco-Persian Wars are welcomed (28th-29th July).
For the Greeks who formed the alliance against Xerxes, the climax of the Persian Wars was a real-life epic. Its heroes were glorified in songs that showed gods fighting on their side and invoked the Trojan War. The story immediately turned into a battleground as states and individuals staked their claim to greater glory and importance than the rest.
To get from this cluster of self-serving legends to a reliable narrative of events was always an uphill struggle – and rarely a welcome one. We hope to explore the development of the history of the Persian Wars as people through the centuries read and redefined it. What place did it have in their understanding of history, politics, culture? What variations in emphasis and message do we find, especially when we look beyond the perspectives of classically educated Europeans? How do we explain the modern western divergence between a relatively uncritical image of Greek heroism in popular culture, and a fiercely critical and revisionist approach in academic scholarship?
Due to the pandemic, the speakers and audience can join virtually (via Zoom) or in-person at UCL. We accept presentations of 30 minutes or under.
The conference will be held over two days:
Day 1: Talks pertaining to ancient sources
Day 2: Talks pertaining to modern sources
Example areas of interest include (relating to the Greco-Persian Wars):
– Reception of the Greco-Persian Wars
– Greek reception
– Persian/Iranian reception
– Modern day significance
– Glorification in recent works
– Misunderstandings in/of historiographical works.
– Modern sources on the Wars
– Ancient sources on the Wars
– The effect of modern politics on perception of historiography
Applications are open to all graduate students and above. Please email your abstract of 300 words to mohammad.arghandehpour.16@ucl.ac.uk by 15th April.
Organised by Mateen Arghandehpour (UCL) and Dr Roel Konijnendijk (Edinburgh University).