Classics Newsletter 2010
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Volume Seventeen Summer 2010 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/classics/Newsletter nar for Culture and Religion in Antiquity at the University of Toronto. I am espe- EX CATH E DRA (SCRA). Devoted to exploring the context cially grateful to Professor Hugh Mason and interplay of religious traditions in the for his coordination of the Undergraduate A s another ancient world, both through formal paper Program Committee, and to the members academic year presentations and lively dialogue, SCRA who served under his benign leadership: draws to a close builds on strengths in the religions of the Professors Ben Akrigg, Jonathan Burgess, it is a pleasure to ancient Mediterranean across our units. and Dimitri Nakassis; graduate student review the Depart- Eric Tindale; and undergraduates Samuel ment’s achievements The main focus of the Department’s at- Allemang and Nigel Morton. over the past year. tention this year has been on strengthen- The revision of the ing our undergraduate programs. Having Our superb undergraduate Classics, Greek, graduate programs conducted a thorough review of both the and Latin programs have been nationally on which we worked long and hard in language and classical civilization pro- recognized again this year, with awards 2008-2009 has successfully passed the grams the undergraduate review commit- of three First Prizes to our students in the various levels of university governance tee recommended that the Department’s Classical Association of Canada National and will be implemented in the fall. We highest priority be to design (in 2010-11) Sight Translation Competitions (in Junior are very excited to be able to mount for and implement (in 2011-12) a new second- Greek, and Junior and Senior Latin); incoming and continuing graduate stu- year research methods course in Classical two Second Prizes (in Junior Greek and dents a broad slate of reading and research Studies that could be required for all ma- Senior Latin); and an Honorable Men- seminars, which showcase the strengths jors and specialists (i.e., not only in Clas- tion (in Senior Latin). Congratulations to of the Department’s research faculty in sical Civilization, but also in the language Maayan Adar (First Prize, Junior Latin; ancient ecology and philosophy, economic programs—Classics, Greek, and Latin), as Second Prize, Junior Greek), Aron Bojti and political history, material culture, a means of both enhancing instructional (First Prize, Senior Greek), Jacob Cur- Greek and Roman epic and drama, and support for research engagement in our rie (Second Prize, Senior Latin), David Roman republican literature and culture. I programs and integrating courses and Finer (Honorable Mention, Senior Latin), am also pleased to report the Department’s students across the civilization/language and Alessandro Sisti (First Prize, Senior participation in two more Collaborative program divide. In conjunction with this Latin). Programs, with the result that we now review, the Department also continued on page four participate in five altogether: Ancient and initiated discussion with St. Mi- Medieval Philosophy, Book History, Jew- chael’s College to ensure tight ish Studies, Sexual Diversity Studies, and coordination of our undergrad- Women and Gender Studies. The Depart- uate classical Latin program ment is also collaborating closely with with the undergraduate mediae- Jewish Studies, Religion, and Near and val Latin program housed there. Middle Eastern Studies in the new Semi- With the largest undergraduate Latin program in the country In this issue (and one of the largest on the Ex Cathedra ...................................1 continent), it is a departmental New Faculty ...................................2 priority to make available to our students the fullest possible Recent PhDs ..................................2 array of Latin language course Toronto and Martin Ostwald .........2 offerings on campus and to Department Events ........................3 take advantage of the research Left to right: undergraduates Jacob Currie, David Finer and Maayan Adar with CAC President Jonathan Edmondson and strengths in medieval studies Contact & Credits .........................4 President-Elect Alison Keith. Photo credit: Dimitri Nakassis. NE W FA C ULTY MARTI N OSTWALD The Department is fortunate to be joined this year The name Martin Ostwald will be familiar by Jarrett Welsh, who comes to us from Harvard to many of you. Over a career as a clas- University (PhD 2009). Jarrett works on republi- sicist spanning more than half a century can Latin literature and drama, and confesses that he published countless important articles, he most enjoys the frisson of fragmentary texts. some of which are collected recently as His dissertation examined the remains of second- Language and Culture in Ancient Greek century BCE comedies that were later classified Society (University of Pennsylvania as fabulae togatae (comedies ‘in Roman dress’), 2009), and numerous monographs, includ- and sought to sketch an understanding of the ing the enduring classic From Popular genre in its literary and cultural contexts. He is Sovereignty to the Sovereignty of Law currently revising the dissertation for publication, (1986), winner in 1991 of the APA’s and is also working on an edition and full-scale Goodwin Award of Merit. Perhaps more commentary on the fragments; the latter project importantly, as a professor to undergradu- continues to spin off articles and send him down ates at Swarthmore College for more than philological rabbit-holes. Jarrett’s other interests thirty years and in the graduate program include ancient scholarship, satire, grammar, and at the University of Pennsylvania for antiquarianism. You can find his work in recent two decades, his teaching and mentoring issues of, among other journals, Classical Quar- profoundly influenced countless students, terly, Hermes, Mnemosyne and Harvard Studies many of whom went on to become in- Photo credit: C. L. Jones in Classical Philology. flutential teachers themselves. NE W PHD S Perhaps less well known about Professor In a banner year, the department graduated calla: Family, Religion and ‘Romaniza- Ostwald is that he received his B.A. in four new PhDs. In September, Kathryn tion’.” David was supervised by Christer Classics from the University of Toronto Mattison defended her dissertation on Bruun and has the proud distinction of in 1946 and remained throughout his life “Recasting Troy in Fifth-Century Attic being the department’s first graduate of the a stalwart supporter of the Department. Tragedy.” And in January George Kovacs University of Toronto and York University While his undergraduate training will defended his dissertation on Euripides, Joint Collaborative Program in Ancient have been useful for his later career, his “Iphigenia at Aulis: Myth, Performance, History (COLPAH). We hope many attachment to the Department is likely a and Reception.” Both dissertations department graduates will be following in function of the University of Toronto’s were supervised by Martin Revermann. David’s fooststeps in the future. important role in a remarkable life story. George and Kathryn share more than just Born in Dortmund in 1922 to Jewish and their supervisor and a passion for Greek Congratulations to David, Tim, George German parents, Ostwald’s life changed Tragedy: both continue to pursue teach- and Kathryn! abruptly on November 10, 1938—Kristall- ing and research interests at universi- nacht. His family was arrested and taken ties in southern Ontario, Kathryn as to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. His an Assistant Professor in the Classics mother would later die at Auschwitz, his Department at McMaster and George in father at Terezin. Martin Ostwald man- the Department of Ancient History and aged to escape with his younger brother, Classics at Trent. first to Holland, then to England, where, after Dunkirk, he was again interned and Kathryn and George were joined by a then finally sent on to internment camps third graduating hellenist this year, with in Canada where with his fellow “enemy Tim Perry defending in April his disser- aliens” he would spend more than two tation on “Exile in Homeric Epic.” Tim years. was supervised by Jonathan Burgess and has no need to worry about any It is remarkable enough that Professor post-graduation exile of his own: in the Ostwald survived, but through all of this fall he takes up a position in the Depart- he continued to study Greek and Latin. ment of Classics at Dartmouth College. This love of ancient languages was partly an inheritance from his father, a classically Finally, David Cuff also successfully trained lawyer, whose parting words to defended in April his dissertation on his son at Sachsenhausen were in Ancient “The Auxilia in Roman Britain and the Left to right: David Cuff, Tim Perry and George Ko- Greek, from Iliad 6.448-49: “There will Two Germanies from Augustus to Cara- vacs at June convocation. Photo credit: Linda Cuff. continued on page three 2 Fantham entertained a large audience with recollections from an illustrious career. MARTI N OSTWALD Dep ART men T continued from page two That career accrued yet another mark of V en TS distinction this year when Elaine’s service come a day when sacred Troy lies in E to the field was recognized at the annual ruins and Priam and Priam’s people...” In In addition to hosting dozens of speak- meeting of the Classical Association of Canada, Martin Ostwald formed with his ers in three different seminar series, the Canada in Québec, where the President’s fellow